Industrial Cthulhu doesn't believe in the end times.

Chapter 256 The essence of spiritual power is...

Life returned to normal, and living in the shade of the trees in Taodu seemed not much different from before.

After the initial excitement wore off, everything remained the same... or at least most of it.

In this atmosphere, people welcomed the first New Year after the great catastrophe.

"Dong dong dong."

"coming--"

He Xiaoyu opened the door and was surprised to see that the person who came in was Song Miaomiao.

"Miaomiao? What brings you here?"

"Oh, come in and say, Happy New Year, Xiaoyu! You look great today!"

He Xiaoyu welcomed Song Miaomiao into her home. Although the two had a good relationship, this was Song Miaomiao's first time visiting her house.

"Please sit down first. I'll go get you some snacks; I made them myself."

"Great!"

Sun Qi was sitting on the sofa at that moment. He simply greeted them and then continued to stare blankly into space.

"Hey, brother-in-law, what are you thinking about?"

Sun Qi was silent for a moment before replying, "I'm thinking, what is the truth behind the Great Cataclysm? And what is the essence of spiritual power?"

"...?"

Before Song Miaomiao could react, Sun Qi continued, "Actually, I've had an idea lately. Have you noticed that time seems to be speeding up?"

"Ah? No...no?"

Sun Qi seemed not to hear him and continued, "What we couldn't do or complete in ten or a hundred years before the Great Cataclysm can now be done in a year. Animals, plants, and even things that were originally without consciousness and not life are rapidly developing and transforming the environment."

"From this perspective, information entropy is increasing at an unprecedented rate."

"Uh..." Song Miaomiao's eyes were already swirling with mosquito coils.

At this moment, Sun Qi's eyes suddenly lit up: "Ah, I understand! Spiritual power is a catalyst for entropy increase, an accelerator of time!"

"Clang-"

He Xiaoyu placed a plate of pastries on the table: "What's wrong with you?"

Sun Qi snapped out of his daze and looked around: "Miaomiao? When did she arrive?"

"Alright, you guys chat, I'm going out to find Old Yang for a chat."

Seeing the other person put on their coat and prepare to leave, He Xiaoyu reminded them, "Don't forget to call Xiaomeng back for dinner!"

"understood!"

As soon as the door closed, Song Miaomiao came to her senses, her lips twitching slightly: "Sister Xiaoyu, you should have been more considerate of your brother-in-law. Look at the state he's in now, a near-third-tier superhuman..."

"What nonsense are you spouting, you brat?"

Since it was just the two of them at home, He Xiaoyu was a bit more relaxed. She sat down next to Song Miaomiao, pinched a piece of pastry and stuffed it into the other's mouth: "Can't all this food shut you up?"

"Mmm...eat like crazy!"

In no time, Song Miaomiao's mouth was stuffed full. He Xiaoyu, resting her chin on her hand and playing with her hair, asked when she saw that Song Miaomiao had almost finished eating, "Why did you come here?"

"...Can't I just come to wish you a Happy New Year?"

"It's unlikely, to be honest."

Song Miaomiao paused in her eating, her face suddenly turning slightly red. He Xiaoyu straightened up, wondering what the girl was hiding. But then she saw Song Miaomiao turn her head, her eyes glistening with tears.

"Hiccup—Sister Xiaoyu, water..."

"..."

……

"So, you're leaving?"

"Um……"

Song Miaomiao held her water glass, looking somewhat downcast.

"After the New Year, Xinfu Military Academy will move to Taodu, and I heard that Taodu University will be built in the city center... I think I should continue my studies, so... I probably won't go back to the hospital after the New Year." He Xiaoyu was a little surprised, but quickly calmed down. During this period, the Corps implemented a series of plans regarding the re-education of eligible superhumans and the reconstruction of schools, but she did not expect that it would affect the people around her so quickly.

The little girl in front of me is not very old. Although she has been on the battlefield a few times, she should be of school age.

Will the head nurse leave too?

"Yes, Ms. Xu will probably go back to school to continue teaching us."

He Xiaoyu gently stroked the other person's head. She felt that this was a normal choice, but Song Miaomiao herself seemed sad.

"Sister Xiaoyu, how about... I beg my dad to try and get you a spot too? Before the Great Cataclysm, you were..."

"Silly child." He Xiaoyu smiled and stopped her from speaking: "Someone has to stay in the hospital, right?"

"Taodu is too big, I'm afraid I'll never see you again..."

"Taodu is big, but it's also small. If you want to see us, you can come back to us anytime."

"Um……"

Song Miaomiao agreed verbally, but she was still reluctant to part ways. Once they separated, they would face two different lives. She said she could come back, but they would be busy with their own lives, and their relationship would gradually fade.

She turned around and hugged He Xiaoyu, not knowing what to say for a moment.

"boom!"

The door was suddenly pushed open, and Song Miaomiao sat up straight as if she had been electrocuted, only to hear Sun Qi calling out to the two of them.

"Xiaoyu! Miaomiao! Come quick!"

"what happened?"

The two followed each other out, with Sun Qi holding the hand of a beautiful little girl.

Having met the other person before, Song Miaomiao composed herself and greeted her, "Xiaomeng, Happy New Year!"

"Hello, Aunt Song!"

"Call sister!"

As the group stepped out of their home, they found many people already gathered in small groups on the street, converging in one direction.

"What's going on here?"

Yang Kun, accompanied by the slightly taller Chen Shuyu, said, "The first phase of the Taodu project is about to begin, and I heard it's going to be a big event!"

He Xiaoyu was a little confused: "Phase One? Why now? Isn't everyone celebrating the New Year right now?"

"Even if we're going to start, it's just building houses, is it really necessary for so many people to go and watch..."

"Xiaoyu, you're a bit ignorant. You'll understand once you come and see for yourself!" Song Miaomiao naturally took her arm, as if she wanted to take advantage of this time to get closer to her friend who was about to part ways.

As the crowds gradually gathered, more and more people appeared on the street, and even superhumans appeared to maintain order. It was as if everyone in Haiqu had taken to the streets.

Of course, there aren't that many; it's just an illusion caused by too many people.

"Intercity corridor? Where to?"

This is what the locals call the expressway built in Taodu.

"If I'm not mistaken, they're going to the sky!"

"Everyone, don't get separated!"

Although they had heard about the wonders of this passage, many people were experiencing it for the first time. The surrounding crowd had bright eyes and were full of anticipation for the journey ahead.

Occasionally, acquaintances would bump into each other and greet each other warmly with a "Happy New Year." Even complete strangers would exchange greetings when their eyes met with smiles.

The nodes of intercity corridors, which are essentially several sections of root systems protruding from the ground, are not much different from subway entrances.

As she watched the soldiers of the Production and Construction Corps standing at the entrance, guiding citizens to enter in batches, He Xiaoyu felt as if she had returned to before the Great Cataclysm, and was now on her way to a popular tourist attraction.

The place was just as crowded and lively as ever, almost noisy.

In front of her were family members holding their children, and beside her were friends who were about to go to school far away.

War seems far away.

She suddenly came to her senses, blinked, and thought that the world should be this way.

(End of this chapter)