The salty scent of the sea, mixed with a faint metallic bitterness.
Anmu's gaze moved along the coastline, observing a row of modular robots rising neatly from the shallows in a coordinated and orderly manner. In the Cyclops system atop the robots, task nodes were densely packed like stars in the night sky, each flicker recording and tracking every moment of change, linking the progress of the entire mission.
"Ah—Achoo!" Ale couldn't help but sneeze loudly.
Anmu looked at his slender figure with a worried expression and asked: "Do you understand?" "Ah?" Ale paused for a moment and turned around.
The captain stood silently, his tall figure somewhat dejected. His features were sharp, but his expression was somewhat stiff. His once black hair had now completely turned silver-grey, making him appear even more melancholic under the gloomy skies. When Ale first saw him in the morning, he couldn't associate this man with the vibrant, charismatic figure reported by the academy.
Anmu Jin, a former star of the Duxue Academy, had twice won the "Astrea Blade" honor, the highest accolade awarded to outstanding students. After graduation, he became the youngest senior inspector of the Huangjin Port Administrative Inspection Bureau. Ale couldn't understand why someone so accomplished would choose to leave his position at the peak of his career to become the captain of a grassroots patrol team in the lower city. It was incomprehensible to him.
"How much do you know about Youfan?" Anmu asked again.
"Ah, yes!" Ale hesitated, cleared his throat, and answered, "Because the number of Youfan cases has significantly decreased in recent years, its impact on public safety has also correspondingly diminished. It's no longer a key subject of study, so, so..." His voice revealed his difficulty.
"So, you don't know anything?" Anmu continued.
"Actually... the academy has already changed Youfan-related courses from mandatory to elective." Ale's voice gradually lowered.
Anmu sighed softly, his eyes revealing complex emotions, "I see, times have changed."
"What about you, what electives have you taken?" he continued to ask.
"Yes! I've taken Main Visual Scene Reconstruction and Simulation, TSW Equipment Maintenance and Repair, Bio-Warfare Ethics, and ah—ah Extrasensory Perception and Mind Exploration!" Ale rubbed his nose as he answered, almost sneezing again but stopping himself.
Anmu nodded his head.
Although he appeared indifferent on the surface, a bitter smile rose in his heart. Ale's electives might show his academic efforts, but what use were they here? This place was different from Golden Port. No matter how outstanding the interns were, or how well he trained them, it was unlikely to be their first choice after graduation. If it weren't for his old partner being unexpectedly transferred, he had no plans to take on any interns.
Suddenly, Ale's face lit up with a hearty smile, and he began to speak enthusiastically, "I'm so lucky to be here in the team! And to encounter such a rare event on my first day! Actually, I've always aspired to intern at the Order Patrol Team. There was an opening this time, and I grabbed the opportunity. I will definitely work hard to learn and integrate into the team quickly, hehe..." His voice was brimming with energy and vitality.
"Why did you choose to come to District Ten?" Ale asked curiously.
Anmu looked at Ale, silent for a moment, thoughts swirling in the depths of his mind.
"Me?" he repeated softly, "Nothing special, someone has to do the job."
Ale continued with undiminished enthusiasm, "Report to the captain! I am here to fulfill my dream! When I was a child, my mother brought me to Dotta, and the moment I saw the Order Patrol officer in District Ten, I clung to them and refused to let go, insisting on this uniform. I almost got spanked for that. So, before entering the Duxue Academy, I decided that I would first become a patrol officer here after graduation, to wear this uniform and fulfill my childhood dream."
Anmu listened quietly, his furrowed brows and pursed lips gradually relaxing, a hint of warmth flashing in his eyes.
·
Halfway through the translucent restricted area, Cyclops-type robots methodically buried spherical devices into the moist sand, reminiscent of sowing seeds. These spheres slightly bulged on the surface before seamlessly sinking down, vanishing into the sand.
Ale looked at the scene with a puzzled face: "Captain, why haven't the people from the Ecological Security and Order Bureau arrived yet?"
Anmu raised his eyes, scanning the busy robots, and calmly replied, "They won't come."
"Ah? Not coming? Can these Cyclops robots handle the Yodao and infected organisms all by themselves?" Ale's eyes widened in surprise.
Anmu shook his head lightly: "Not entirely, that's also why we are here." He pointed towards a corner of the restricted area where an isolation chamber had been set up. "The key lies in the reagents and biomaterials there. Even their own robots don't have the authority to use these, so they need our assistance. As for why they won't come, the system's risk assessment deemed that their presence isn't necessary for today's situation."
Ale muttered quietly, "I didn't expect the people from the Ecological Security and Order Bureau to be so standoffish…"
"Don't say that," Anmu immediately interrupted him, "they have a wide range of responsibilities, and this type of infection is just a small part of it. Therefore, most low-risk incidents are handled collaboratively by us and them." He then lowered his voice, "Such remarks, if captured by them, will be recorded in the mission data."
"Understood! Really sca—" Before he could finish his sentence, Ale covered his mouth with his hand.
Watching him, Anmu felt a mix of amusement and helplessness. How naïve students are nowadays...
"But Captain," Ale cautiously leaned in to ask, "apart from these CycArray Robot, doesn't the bureau have specialized synthetic humans serving their department? I always thought that Golden Harbor's agencies would have their own custom-made ones."
"You're thinking too much. Apart from the Eight Stars, no other public service department has such privileges. The Ecological Security and Order Bureau certainly qualifies, and they indeed collaborated with the ätMan Company in the past to develop synthetic humans specialized in handling Yodao issues."
"Really?" Ale seemed surprised, then pondered for a moment before continuing, "Considering the risk of infection, using synthetic humans to resolve Yodao issues does sound like a more suitable choice than humans..."
Anmu shook his head, "It's not that simple. That matter once caused quite a controversy within Golden Harbor, and the oldest among them, the Daïlu family, even threatened to withdraw their cooperation with the Ecological Security and Order Bureau. Maybe you're not very familiar with them—"
"Daïlu?" Ale's gaze suddenly became wary, as if touching on some unpleasant memory, "Captain, what's their connection to this matter?"
Anmu noticed Ale's reaction and his expression revealed a bit of surprise, "You know about them?"
"Ah... some classmates are, but I'm not close to them." Ale was somewhat evasive, clearly avoiding the topic, "Those people always stick together, speaking in cryptic terms."
"Of course, the members of the Daïlu family usually only interact with their own kind, probably to protect themselves," Anmu paused before continuing, "I've heard among them there's an unwritten saying: 'Pave the way at fifteen, cease to dance at fifty.' Each time they intervene in a Yodao infection incident, their bodies have to bear a certain burden, causing irreversible damage to themselves."
"Intervene in Yodao infection incidents?" Ale's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"Yes." Anmu's expression became even more serious, "In dealing with complex and thorny infection cases, they have the ability to seek... alternative solutions."
"Captain, what's so special about the Daïlu?"
"They can communicate with Yodao."