This time I chose Paladin.

Chapter 266 Before the Journey

One day after the Dragon Boat Festival, Nie Weiyang walked through a field of mugwort fragrance and passed by the ever-expanding experimental area of ​​the Advanced Skills Training Institute, when he was stopped by a slightly shy voice.

"Mr. Nie!"

Nie Weiyang stopped and turned around. He had already heard what the newcomer was thinking, but generally speaking, he would pretend not to hear unless the other person made a verbal request.

Yang Wuji, who had called out to him, jogged over, holding a book carefully bound with rough paper in his hands.

"This... is for you." Yang Wuji handed over the book, looking somewhat nervous.

Nie Weiyang raised his eyebrows.

“You’ve already given me so many gifts,” he said gently. “You don’t need so many, really.”

“But…I think…” Yang Wuji pushed up his glasses, his face tense, but Nie Weiyang could hear the nonchalant activity in the other’s mind: “You often travel, and sometimes you might get bored in the wilderness, so you might need to read something…to pass the time?”

Nie Weiyang couldn't refuse the gift because of the kindness offered.

The book has the unique rough feel of the new paper from the New World. The cover is written in neat font as "An Introduction to Interstellar Navigation". The original author is noted in the lower right corner, along with "Copied by: Li Duo/Yang Wuji".

Nie Weiyang: "…………?"

He glanced down at the handwritten copy in his hand. It was clearly a labor of love, but the content was definitely hardcore enough to be used as a brick. He then looked up at the nervous-looking boy in front of him.

To kill time?
Look at this?
what?
Nie Weiyang remained silent for two seconds before finally putting away the heavy book.

He nodded to Yang Wuji, his tone calm: "Thank you for your thoughtfulness."

Yang Wuji appeared to be relieved, quickly saying, "You're welcome, Mr. Nie. You're busy, I'll be going now," and practically jogged back towards the laboratory. Meanwhile, the bushes in the distance stirred, and a hand reached out, pulling a strand of red hair hanging from a branch back into place.

Nie Weiyang: “…”

After returning to his simple dwelling in Diamond Cave, nestled against the mountain and beside the water, Nie Weiyang sat down at the stone table and solemnly opened the book "An Introduction to Interstellar Navigation".

As humanity's second-in-command, if he can repair the security and defense system in the future and truly deal with threats from the stars in the form of interstellar warfare, it seems to be his necessary responsibility to understand and master more technological knowledge, combat theories and interstellar travel-related content—even if he is confused about it now, he still has to hold his nose and learn.

With an almost mission-oriented determination, he glanced at the preface and table of contents.

……

Three seconds later.

Nie Weiyang raised his head, his eyes filled with clear confusion.

How are Chinese characters combined to form this kind of thing...?

He recognized each word individually, but how did they become so unfamiliar when put together? He could barely understand the paragraphs describing the basic principles, but what was that pile of incomprehensible formulas, derivations, and complex diagrams at the end?!
There are some things it simply can't do, and that's it! This isn't something that can be forcibly solved by willpower and fighting strength alone!
Perhaps...we should just leave the professional tasks to the professionals...

Nie Weiyang rubbed his temples and helplessly placed the handwritten copy gently on the table.

It seems I really need to find some time to audit some courses or develop a long-term self-study plan. If I encounter any problems I really can't understand, I'll just have to swallow my pride and send an email back to the experts at the research institute for advice...

Just as he was contemplating life while looking at that mysterious book, a familiar loud voice came from outside the cave.

"Brother Nie! Are you there?"

It's EasySimple.

Yi Jian walked in looking radiant, his injuries clearly healed and his spirits high.

"My injuries have fully healed, and my recent patrol and cleanup missions have come to an end, so I had some free time to come over." As he spoke, he began to take things out of his backpack.

“Look, this is a new thing that Pingdu and Gushi jointly developed. The higher-ups specifically requested that it be handed over to you,” Yi Jian said.

What he pulled out was a large and bulky device. The label and system instructions on it told Nie Weiyang that it was a [prototype of a spell-locating radio device].

The instrument's main colors are silver-gray and black, giving it a cold, hard feel characteristic of industrial products. The decorative lines and some of the seams on the outer casing are decorated with striking orange, seemingly emphasizing its status as an experimental product.

To save materials and simplify the process, some non-critical cables are even exposed directly, like artificial nerves, winding between the metal skeleton.

This thing has a rugged, practical design. Although it is designed to be carried by one person, its size and weight obviously require a high level of physical strength from the person carrying it.

Fortunately, when not in use, it can be stored in the backpack, so there's no need to worry about exposed cables increasing cleaning difficulty or getting caught on branches.

“This thing is a treasure for humankind right now,” Yi Jian said, gently patting the cold metal casing, which made a dull sound. “Those people said that when you’re out and about, you should use it in different geographical locations and environmental conditions to test the signal transmission and reception and stability, and verify its actual performance.”

He paused, then added, "However, it's important to note that the 'signals' it transmits and receives are not radio waves in the traditional sense. The researchers explained the specific principles at length, but I didn't quite understand them..."

"In any case, its propagation is strictly limited to altitudes below the troposphere, and the signal is automatically directed to specific receiving nodes within China."

"The R&D department also emphasized that if the device suddenly malfunctions or cannot find a signal at all, apart from the device itself being faulty, the only possibility is that there is a weak point in the space leading to the Netherworld nearby. Such a place would severely interfere with the signal or even swallow it up directly."

Nie Weiyang looked at the prototype machine in front of him, which had a futuristic and magical style, and then glanced at the book "Introduction to Interstellar Navigation" on the table that was giving him a headache.

Well, at least operating this machine is definitely more practical than understanding those mechanical formulas.

He put away the prototype radio and nodded to Yi Jian: "Understood. I'll test it on the way."

Yi Jian chuckled: "Alright! I'll be going then."

"I still need to help Lao Han move some things. She seems to be doing some kind of emotional control training lately, and she needs a big venue... But seriously, does she really need to control her emotions? Is she just used to being a drama queen and having to be the most dramatic wherever she goes...?"

Yi Jian muttered to himself as he left. After seeing Yi Jian off, Nie Weiyang's residence fell silent once more. A warm breeze wafted into the cave, brushing against Nie Weiyang's short-sleeved shirt—hot weather was a significant disadvantage for someone like him who wore heavy armor, as even he didn't want to be constantly in armor, which increased the likelihood of being ambushed.

His thoughts drifted back to a day not long ago.

In that simple office in the old city, where countless important decisions had been made, he had a conversation with Liang Zhenduan.

At that time, Liang Zhenduan leaned back in his chair, his face still bearing the marks of his unhealed injuries, but his eyes were brighter than ever before.

"...Our communication with the capital city results in...the internal parasites must be cleaned up first."

“The tentacles of the Return Sect, the remnants of the Star God Cult, and the opportunists who sell their wares must be severed.”

His fingers traced across the unfolded map.

"The server is being excavated; they've already dug three hundred meters underground, preparing to build a small underground city based on that spiral road. But it's not easy, as you know..."

"However, Pingdu also agrees that the first step is to establish a local area network covering China. At the very least, we need to reconnect our own people."

He paused, a look of almost wistful emotion on his face: "Now, thanks to the efforts of each settlement and the spontaneous actions of those professionals with high-speed mobility as connectors, a postal and communication system has been initially established within China..."

"You really can't underestimate people's initiative, Lao Nie. In desperate situations, people can always unleash unexpected power."

Nie Weiyang nodded slightly. As he looked down, he noticed a document next to Liang Zhenduan concerning the handover of work.

"Are you stepping down?" he asked.

“Yes, I’m going to Pingdu,” Liang Zhenduan answered decisively.

He didn't offer any further explanation. But in their exchanged glances, they both understood the deeper meaning behind it.

It was a promotion, an entrustment of important responsibilities, and also a temporary release from this land to which he had poured countless efforts, yet which also carried too many painful memories.

Finally, Liang Zhenduan stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the bustling and vibrant old city outside in the rain. His voice was calm and powerful:
"Let's go."

He turned around and looked intently at Nie Weiyang.

"Take your people with you and go."

“Various places are relying on their own resources and the characteristics of their professionals to establish relay stations and supply points. Our communications will no longer be interrupted.”

"Once we dig out those servers and restart them, the internet will reconnect each of us. But that will take time, and it will take people to explore and confirm whether those paths to the future are still viable."

His words were filled with certainty:

"You don't belong to the old city, just as you don't actually belong to Langcheng."

"You belong to a wider world, to all human beings struggling to survive, and to the path beneath your feet."

Liang Zhenduan took a few steps closer, lowering his voice, which carried both the candor of a friend and the profound considerations of a decision-maker:

“Let’s go, Nie Weiyang. I don’t know exactly what you’re going to do, nor do I know what the Second Administrator wants you to do. But I do know that only by embarking on this journey can you be your true self, find your own answers, and find a way to survive for all of us.”

Nie Weiyang remained silent.

He knew that neither the Pingdu authorities, nor even those at higher levels, could fully ascertain his specific stance.

Huaxia and he have always maintained a delicate balance of absolute mutual concern and appropriate mutual vigilance.

To humans, his relationship with the mysterious boss, Administrator Number Two, was close, almost inseparable. According to previous civilizations, he was a modern Homo sapiens, not entirely one of their own…

In the previous Starfall incident, the Asian BOSS was dealt with by the second administrator, which showed enough goodwill and prompted Heito to finally decide to deepen cooperation.

This is not easy, after all, no one knows what the second administrator is thinking.

During this period, Nie Weiyang and He Ping discussed the importance of accelerating the linking, repairing and integrating the global shelter system.

The two sides also discussed the issue of refugees outside the borders. Pingdu's intentions were clear: while stabilizing the internal situation, it would try to establish communication channels with the remaining human forces around the world, seek cooperation, and overcome difficulties together—of course, if those people did not cooperate, there was no need to talk to them about chivalry, after all, even if they didn't live, China would still live.

“You will be the pioneer who connects this broken world,” Liang Zhenduan concluded solemnly, “our…pioneer.”

Nie Weiyang pulled himself out of his memories.

Liang Zhenduan's words were still ringing in his ears when his gaze swept over the book "An Introduction to Interstellar Navigation" on the table... He stood up and carefully put the book away.

Yes, it's time to set off again.

Carrying the glimmer of civilization, the expectations of friends, and the responsibility of being a 'pioneer'.

The road ahead is unknown, but we cannot stop moving forward.

But before leaving...

Nie Weiyang pulled an invitation card from his backpack. He glanced at it with a strange expression, fanned himself with it, and then looked at it again, seemingly puzzled.

—Wait, how did Russell and Xu Fu end up planning to open a mobile orphanage with a unique New World theme? Did they get official permission?

These days, this kind of thing is not easy to do, is it?

(End of this chapter)