As the city's seawall neared completion, Jiang Ye took some time to inspect the construction site.
He hadn't realized the scale of it until he saw it firsthand!
Jiang Ye suddenly understood that he hadn't thoroughly reviewed Xu Yan's design blueprints beforehand.
What appeared to be a simple wall on the surface was, in reality, a massive underground mechanical system capable of controlling the wall's elevation.
During floods, the wall would rise to block waves and floating ice and snow. When there were no floods, a single switch would lower all the walls into the ground.
The only parts that couldn't be submerged were the pointed cement piers on the outer side, designed to withstand the impact of waves.
However, these cement piers were not large; they could be moved by a few people with relative ease.
This made Jiang Ye's earlier requests for slopes and windows seem like unnecessary expenses and a waste of money.
With the project nearing its end, everything that needed to be built was already in place, and modifications were no longer feasible.
Spring arrived as scheduled!
For several consecutive days, strong winds blew, and temperatures rose rapidly. People on the streets wore less clothing each day.
From down jackets to padded jackets, then to sweaters, and finally, short sleeves, shorts, and skirts became the norm.
The ice and snow across the entire planet melted with a roar, and a short-term flood arrived as expected.
The land was completely covered by murky water, with ice and snow resembling white lotus leaves floating on the surface. Occasionally, huge ice blocks collided with each other, making crisp sounds.
The city's seawall project proved effective. Despite the raging waters and drifting icebergs outside, the cities remained unharmed.
Only the snowmelt near the urban areas caused water to briefly flood the streets, but it was quickly drained, and everything returned to normal.
Many shops, concerned about flooding, had prepared anti-flood defenses weeks in advance. Now that they were not needed, they were being dismantled.
On Saturday morning, Jiang Ye woke up on time and went to Li Nannan's bedroom with her medicine box and a cup of warm water.
Li Nannan was already awake, wearing a sweater and shorts, sitting on the bed and staring out the window.
Her hair had grown a layer, but she still appeared bald. She looked like a young person who had been shaved for reformatory labor, with only a thin layer of hair on her scalp, reminiscent of the sparse grass needles that emerged from the soil as the ice and snow began to melt.
However, her skin had regained its former fairness, even becoming more delicate. Her profile in the sunlight was like that of a porcelain doll.
Jiang Ye handed her the medicine box and water.
Li Nannan opened the medicine box. "This is the last time I'll take medicine."
Jiang Ye was startled. He looked down and saw that each compartment of the medicine box contained only one capsule. Time had passed so quickly without him realizing it.
"How are you feeling?" Jiang Ye asked. "Do you still need to take medicine?"
"Completely recovered," Li Nannan opened her hands. "Look, how soft. There aren't even calluses anymore."
Jiang Ye hesitated, wanting to say something but stopping himself.
"If you have something to say, just say it. Don't drag it out," Li Nannan glared at him.
"Your demeanor is still different from before," Jiang Ye said. "I suspect your brain hasn't fully recovered."
Li Nannan showed no reaction and began to take the medicine, one pill at a time.
After finishing, she put down the cup. "You can't tell if my brain is okay or not. I have psychological issues."
Jiang Ye fell silent. Indeed, having witnessed hundreds of inhumane experiments at the hands of the Mir people, she was bound to be different from her former self.
"I'm leaving tomorrow," Li Nannan said.
Jiang Ye was taken aback. "You can rest for a few more days."
"I don't have time to rest. I still have to go to war, and I still have to get revenge," Li Nannan's eyes turned cold.
"Then what do you want to take with you when you leave? I'll prepare it for you," Jiang Ye said.
"I won't take anything. This place of yours is too poor. However, I appreciate your kindness. Thank you for taking care of me all these days."
She paused, then looked out the window again and added, "If you really want to show your filial piety, drive me out for a spin. I haven't had a good look around your place yet."
Jiang Ye's face darkened. He could finally confirm that Li Nannan had basically recovered; hearing her coarse language was proof enough.
...
The flying car whizzed past the hot spring area.
Jiang Ye had set it to cruise mode, and the flying car would circle each city twice.
Li Nannan had already changed into her officer uniform and was quietly gazing out the window.
Shale City.
Coastal City.
Chalk City.
From high above, the appearance of different cities varied significantly.
Coastal City was the wealthiest, with a vast residential area and a bustling commercial street filled with people. Dozens of flying cars were coming and going, giving it the nascent form of a modern city.
Shale City also had some wealth, with newly opened shops. Being backed by a mine, it was filled with countless mining machinery, many of which were seen on the streets as workers headed home with their equipment after their shifts.
Chalk City remained impoverished. Most people still lived in mobile base vehicles, resembling a large RV caravan. It felt as though they would drive away the next day, leaving behind only tire tracks.
The flying car sped over the sea, heading towards the new continent.
"Not bad, your place is developing quite well," Li Nannan commented, nodding for the first time. "What's the development index?"
Jiang Ye pulled out his phone to check, his eyebrows shooting up. "6890!"
"If these cities of yours were combined, the development index could reach eight thousand," Li Nannan said. "The calculation of the development index heavily favors large-scale cities. One plus one is greater than two."
"They can't be combined. The cities were built based on local industries. For example, Shale City was formed around shale mining. The Oil City we're heading to was built around oil extraction."
"It's good that they are separate; there's greater future development potential. Cities that are too large become chaotic and difficult to manage," Li Nannan said. "When your territory has a city with a population of over ten thousand, you'll have to attend a training class."
"Training class?" Jiang Ye was surprised. "To learn how to manage a city?"
"Yes. Every time the population of a city in your territory reaches a new level, you must go to a nodal star for a training class, attend lectures, and take exams. If you fail, you have to repeat the course," Li Nannan paused. "I heard the textbooks are thousands of pages long."
Jiang Ye was despairing!
He thought he had escaped school for good, never to take exams again.
Now he had to attend classes!
"What era is this, and we still rely on rote memorization to learn knowledge?" Jiang Ye lamented, on the verge of tears. "Aren't there things like brain-computer interfaces? Can't you just insert a chip into your head and learn everything directly?"
"There are, but they're banned. Once knowledge acquisition becomes severely unequal, civil war will erupt," Li Nannan smiled. "You'll have to study hard then."
The flying car arrived at the naval port.
Li Nannan was clearly more interested in the naval port, leaning against the window glass and staring outside with wide eyes.
"One destroyer, three frigates," Jiang Ye proudly introduced.
"Trash," Li Nannan turned her head back. "But it's more than enough for you here, more than enough."
Jiang Ye's forehead darkened again. Every time Li Nannan spoke, he felt utterly humiliated. Yet, she was his superior, and he couldn't retort.
The car soon reached Oil City. Oil City actually appeared wealthier than Coastal City, with many grand buildings and giant oil extraction machines. The entire urban area shimmered under the sunlight.
Li Nannan seemed tired. After watching for a while, she closed her eyes. "Let's head back. I want to get a good night's sleep before I go to the front line. I might not be able to sleep there."
Jiang Ye tapped the screen and set the destination to home.
The car suddenly changed direction and returned the way it came.
Jiang Ye suddenly remembered something. "Your report isn't finished yet. I want to know one thing."
"What?"
"How did you escape from the Mir people?"
(I've been so busy these past few days that I feel like I'm going to throw up. There's so much to do at the end of the year. I'll be taking a day off tomorrow and aim to resume updates the day after, with a surge of updates starting the day after that.)