Ling Cage: Enhanced Nanosteel Suit at the Start

Page 43

She stood ramrod straight, maintaining the composure and dignity expected of a technical officer.

Victor followed closely behind. The city's garrison commander's steps remained steady, but deep furrows were etched between his brows.

He wore a crisp, old-fashioned city garrison uniform, his medals gleaming, as if he wanted to use this outfit to preserve the last vestiges of glory from the old era.

Chen Yuan's gaze first fell on Jing Nan. He seemed to want to confirm something and casually said, "Jing Xinmo, you..."

"My name is Jingnan!"

Jingnan blurted out almost immediately, with barely suppressed anger and a desire to correct him.

This name carries the expectations of her father, Jingnan, and is the core of her identity; it is not to be desecrated.

As soon as she said it, she was slightly taken aback, seemingly not expecting to be so assertive in front of the new city lord.

Upon hearing this, Chen Yuan paused almost imperceptibly, then coughed lightly and casually: "Uh... cough cough, okay, Jing Nan."

He did not show any anger at being contradicted; instead, he acted as if it were nothing more than brushing away a speck of dust.

"I need you to continue working in the space command center. The navigation and positioning of the lighthouse, the energy cycle, and outer space monitoring—these core systems cannot function without your experience. Do you have any questions?"

Jingnan's heart sank. Her biggest concern wasn't this, but rather… She took a deep breath: "I want to see Morgan City…"

I know what you care about.

Chen Yuan interrupted her again, this time with an unquestionable tone in his voice, his gaze falling on Jing Nan's face as if he could see through her soul.

“I have arranged for Morgan to be well taken care of. He has been given a quiet and comfortable room with a private sun terrace, equipped with the best medical equipment and dedicated caregivers. You can visit him anytime and come and go freely. I have not imprisoned him; I am simply letting him… enjoy his old age in peace.”

Jingnan's next words were cut off.

She stared blankly at Chen Yuan, her prepared questions and pleas seemingly losing their target in an instant.

She had anticipated all sorts of difficulties, rejections, and even threats, but she never expected the other party to be so straightforward, almost "generously" fulfilling her core demand.

Chen Yuan's attitude was calm, yet it exuded a strange frankness and control—he didn't need to imprison Morgan to demonstrate his authority, because his authority was already unshakeable.

This "indifference" stirred up extremely complex emotions in Jingnan's heart: a sense of relief, and a slightly indescribable feeling about this cold yet seemingly "reasonable" new city.

She pursed her lips, then finally nodded slightly and said in a low voice, "Understood. I will continue to be in charge of the work in the aerospace command center."

"very good."

Chen Yuan shifted his gaze, as if he had dealt with a trivial matter, and turned to Victor, who stood like an iron tower.

Victor straightened his back and, before Chen Yuan could speak, announced his name in a loud voice, almost as if making an oath: "Victor, former Commander-in-Chief of the City Defense Army, greets City Lord Chen Yuan."

His gaze was intense, with an almost tragic stubbornness. "I, Victor, have been loyal to my duty and to the lighthouse all my life. Even now, I will not betray the trust that Lord Morgan has placed in me, even if you are the new lord."

Upon hearing this, the air in the command room seemed to freeze.

Jingnan looked at Victor with concern, then at Chen Yuan with nervousness.

Upon hearing this, Chen Yuan's face remained expressionless. He listened quietly to Victor's declaration, which seemed to bear the mark of an old era, his eyes deep as if he were evaluating a qualified weapon.

Chapter 58 Persuasion

After a moment, Chen Yuan slowly spoke.

“Victor, you’re a smart man.”

Chen Yuan's tone carried a calmness that seemed to understand the ways of the world. "I think you haven't grasped one thing: the general trend is set. Morgan is a thing of the past. Instead of stubbornly clinging to that faith in your former master, which may be outdated, you should think about the future of the Beacon and what you can do for the people of the Beacon."

He leaned forward slightly, an invisible pressure spreading out: "The city defense forces, I will not disband them, but you, Victor..."

Chen Yuan pronounced his name slowly and deliberately, "You are still the Commander-in-Chief of the City Defense Army."

Victor's pupils contracted sharply. This appointment was completely unexpected. He thought that what awaited him was either imprisonment, exile, or even... execution on the spot.

"Only with the city's defense forces can you truly work for the lighthouse and protect everyone you want to protect."

Chen Yuan's gaze was sharp as a knife, "If you are unwilling..."

He paused, his tone suddenly turning cold with a cruel hint of amusement, "Then I'll hand this responsibility over to Seng. You should know his personality better than I do, so don't regret it later."

"Senger..."

Upon hearing this name, Victor's face instantly turned extremely ugly.

Seng is a radical officer in the city's defense forces. He is ruthless and secretly allies with Charles. He shows no mercy, especially to the Dust People and "non-cooperators".

If the city defense forces fall into the hands of Seng, it will be a misfortune for most people in the Lighthouse. Seng is ambitious; he wants more than just the position of commander-in-chief of the city defense forces. He wants to climb higher.

Victor seemed to be having a difficult decision.

On one side is Morgan's kindness and personal integrity, and on the other side is the order of the entire Lighthouse and the safety of many people (especially his familiar old subordinates), as well as the extremely radical and insidious Senger.

The command room was deathly silent, save for Victor's heavy breathing.

Cold sweat trickled silently down his wrinkled forehead.

Time passed by, second by second, feeling as long as an eternity.

Jingnan held her breath; she couldn't persuade the other person, nor could she make the decision for them.

Finally, Victor's straight spine seemed to be crushed by an invisible burden, bending down very slowly, with a sense of exhaustion and humiliation.

He no longer looked at Chen Yuan, but lowered his gaze to stare at the cold ground. His voice was hoarse and dry, as if every word was tinged with blood.

"...Yes, sir... The city lord. The city defense forces... Commander-in-Chief Victor... awaits your command."

In the end, he chose responsibility, chose to protect the lighthouse for more people, and chose to bow to an irresistible force.

That address of "Lord of the City" completely swayed the new order.

Chen Yuan's face remained expressionless; he simply nodded slightly and said, "Very good, get to work."

The course of events was entirely under Shen Yuan's control. His first major decree as city lord was neither a military deployment nor a resource allocation, but an absolute order that was enough to shake the foundation of the Lighthouse for decades.

Shortly after Victor and Jingnan left, an instruction issued directly by the Loongson system and forcibly pushed to every screen and broadcast terminal of the Lighthouse resounded throughout the entire Sky Fortress.

[Announcement to all residents of the Lighthouse: In accordance with the authority of Lord Chen Yuan, the Lord of the City, and the Sovereign of the Shadows...]

[Effective immediately, the three survival rules of the Lighthouse—the Genetic Optimization Matching Rule, the Level-Based Resource Allocation Rule, and the Old World Prohibition of Intimate Relationships Rule—are officially abolished!]

[The Lighthouse Law has been amended. From now on, everyone is equal. The distinction between ordinary citizens and superior citizens is abolished. All Lighthouse residents enjoy equal rights to survival, development, and dignity!]

Residents are free to choose their partners and start families without being restricted by genetic matching.

At the same time, the grade quota system will be abolished, and a new system of fair distribution based on job contribution, ability assessment and actual needs will be established, so that workers will not be able to receive fair treatment.

The city lord encourages and protects family relationships based on affection and voluntariness, and the lighthouse will provide necessary support.

This order alarmed everyone at the lighthouse.

At first, there was deathly silence.

The entire lighthouse seemed to have been paused.

Everyone stared at the screen or listened to the radio in disbelief, wondering if they were hallucinating.

Immediately following was a deafening eruption of ecstasy and cheers.

"Lord Chen Yuan, the Three Great Laws have been abolished... abolished?"

"Everyone is equal. We...we are human beings now, no longer just numbered labels. I can have my own name too?"

"Love is free! I can... I can love her openly now, without having to hide anymore, sob sob sob..."

"Family, we can have our own children now, we have our own home, hahahahaha..."

The emotions suppressed for decades, the humiliation and longing in his heart, all erupted like a flood breaking through a dam at this moment.

Countless people threw away the tools that symbolized their lowliness, embraced each other and wept bitterly, gathering together to cry tears of joy.

Young lovers embraced each other without restraint, kissing passionately in the corridors and squares.

The elderly couple held each other's calloused hands tightly, tears streaming down their faces, as if they had found a treasure that had been taken from them throughout their lives.

"Long live the Lord of Shadows! Long live City Lord Chen Yuan!"

The heartfelt cries resounded through the sky.

At this moment, Chen Yuan's prestige among the common people reached an unprecedented peak.

He shattered the shackles that bound them, giving them the dignity and hope of being human.

Of course, not everyone was immersed in joy. Some upper-class citizens who were used to privileges and relied on their genetic superiority stood on the edge of the cheering crowd with ugly faces, their eyes full of disappointment, resentment and even hatred.

But in front of this new city lord who had just swiftly repelled the beast tide and taken control of the situation, their discontent was as faint as the sound of mosquitoes, and no one dared to openly question him at this moment.

Since it cannot be questioned openly, a new undercurrent has emerged in private.

……

At night, the central square of the lighthouse was bustling with people.

A huge searchlight focused on the temporary platform erected in front of the square, where Chen Yuan, the new lord of Lighthouse City, stood.

He used the megaphone on his suit to project his voice to every corner of the square.

Good evening, people of the lighthouse!

As soon as the sound rang out, the previously noisy square fell completely silent.

Countless eyes, filled with awe, worship, gratitude, and a touch of bewilderment at the prospect of new life, were all focused on Chen Yuan.

"Although we cannot find true peace in this wasteland, I believe that in the future, we will definitely be able to defeat the Mana ecosystem and return to the surface, and the flame of humanity will never be extinguished."

"Think about the lives you used to live. The Dust People ate disgusting insect cakes and had to work more than ten hours a day. Haven't you suffered enough oppression? Don't your lives cry out?"

Chen Yuan's voice was not loud, but every word was clear, and everyone listened intently.

"The rules of the past, like shackles, bind your instinct for survival and suppress the brilliance of humanity, so I have decided..."

Here, Chen Yuan mentioned the three laws that were abolished, and a strong resonance immediately erupted among the crowd, especially those who were previously ordinary citizens, who clapped their hands and could not suppress their cheers.

Chapter 59 Mark's Questioning

"From now on, we have only one identity... Lighthouse people! We have only one goal... to survive! And to live better."

Chen Yuan's voice was filled with unwavering conviction, and his gaze swept over the excited faces.

"The road ahead is still fraught with thorns. The Mana ecosystem will not stop its encroachment, and the Devouring Beasts will not give up their hunt. What will we rely on to win the future in this apocalypse?"