The Last 299 Days of Humanity

Yadu's production efficiency sent chills down Yu Qing's spine. As if to prove their "sincerity" and strength, or rather, to quickly resolve this trouble that had been keeping them up at night, they completed the project in just seven days—a mere week.

Seven days! This number struck Yu Qing like a hammer blow. He had witnessed the scene firsthand: thousands of Yadu project units, like a silver tide, surged towards the outskirts of Wengshan day and night.

They have a clear division of labor and work together as a precise whole. Foundation excavation, energy pipeline laying, modular assembly of defense matrix towers, implantation and activation of energy cores... all procedures are linked together without any redundancy or pause.

The massive structure "grew" out of thin air as unmanned robotic arms swung around it. The buzzing and hissing of energy flow lasted for seven days and nights. Finally, a huge, complex, and technologically advanced new defense system, as if it had grown out of the ground, was completed and initially tested on the outer perimeter of Wengshan and at key nodes.

Their response speed, resource mobilization capabilities, and engineering execution are astonishing. This is not merely a technological gap, but an absolute crushing of systematic and organized power.

Watching the new defense matrix smoothly activate and display its powerful energy readings on the monitor screen, Yu Qing felt not reassurance, but a chilling coldness. The more powerful this system was, the more terrifying Yadu's power became.

If one day Wengshan really angers them, or simply because it hinders one of their plans, with Yadu's ability and efficiency, wouldn't he be able to crush Wengshan in no time?

They can build a defense in a week, and perhaps they can tear it apart completely in an even shorter time.

So-called defenses appear so fragile in the face of absolute technological and production gaps. The system he had extorted was more like a temporary shield, a talisman "gifted" by the other party that might still contain backdoors he was unaware of, rather than a true guarantee of security.

This intense sense of crisis was like a whip soaked in ice water, lashing at his already taut nerves.

He could no longer place all his hopes on external sources, whether it was the unpredictable "protection" of Tianqing City that was always ready to be "wiped out," or the calculated "compensation" of Yadu that could backfire at any time.

He must make Wengshan itself stronger, more... irreplaceable, or rather, difficult to erase easily. He needs to possess the power to make the other side feel "tricky" and "unprofitable".

Driven by a mixture of fear and desperation, he launched a more radical, even insane, plan. He used the several highly automated humanoid production lines at his disposal to operate at full capacity, almost frantically.

The low hum of the overloaded energy core whirred incessantly day and night; on the assembly line, metal skeletons and bionic tissues assembled and activated at a visible speed. His goal was to create three million humanoid figures for Wengshan!
These humanoid creatures will no longer be limited to traditional roles such as service and protection, but will permeate every capillary of Wengshan society: resource extraction, precision manufacturing, environmental protection, basic research, urban operation... engaging in various aspects of work.

He wants to transform Wengshan into a highly automated, efficiency-driven fortress.

He doesn't need these humanoids to have complex emotions, independent creative thinking, or "extensive knowledge" that requires a long period of education, like real humans.

They are designed with modular knowledge input, possessing highly optimized logical judgment and operational precision required to perform specific tasks.

A humanoid miner can accurately identify mineral veins and work tirelessly; a humanoid assembler can assemble parts with micron-level precision, down to the millimeter.

In terms of execution efficiency and professionalism, carbon-based humans are indeed "not even as good as babies" compared to them, especially when performing repetitive, high-precision, or extreme tasks. This is a cold, purely functional kind of "excellence," devoid of emotional redundancy.

In fact, it's now almost impossible to see any native humans strolling around the streets of Wengshan anymore. Instead, there are humanoid women who hurry by, expressionless, and efficiently execute various commands.

Like worker bees driven by an invisible program, they work day and night to keep the city running.

Its core command prioritizes nothing more than ensuring the absolute safety and ultimate enjoyment of the mere ten or so native humans here (Yu Qing, Daya, Xiaoya, Bread, Yu Xuan, Yu Lan, etc.). Behind all the splendor and precision, the number of people it serves is so small.

To some extent, humans have become parasites in this meticulously crafted world. They don't need to work, they don't need to think about survival, their desires are endlessly satisfied, and their will gradually erodes in the comfort of idleness.

Yu Qing himself was no exception. Although he controlled everything, his life was also meticulously enveloped by the humanoid Shu.

Yu Qing watched all this with a cold eye, his heart filled with worry. He was especially worried about Daya, Xiaoya, Bread, and Yu Xuan and Yu Lan, who were pregnant.

He saw Daya and Xiaoya start to whine over trivial matters, saw Bread show little interest in anything other than eating, drinking, and having fun, and saw Yu Xuan and Yu Lan being so well cared for during their pregnancies that they could barely walk.

He seemed to already see that, under such meticulous "serving," they would soon follow in the footsteps of Dang Gui, becoming those "useless people" who were spiritually empty, disorganized, and had no value other than consuming resources.

If the future is filled with such a bunch of "useless people," what is the point of the so-called "original human spark"? They would just be a group of degenerated biological samples waiting to be eliminated. This runs counter to his original intention.

He absolutely could not allow this to happen! The vitality of a civilization stems from challenges, from struggle, and from the competition and acquisition of resources for survival. Complacency is the grave of civilization. He could not allow Wengshan, especially the next generation on whom he placed his high hopes, to be buried in this false haven of comfort.

So Yu Qing made a decision that seemed almost insane to outsiders. He began to be extremely harsh on Yu Xuan and everyone else, including himself (at least on the surface).

He ordered the shutdown of all synthetic food production lines in Wengshan, completely cutting off the supply of "convenience foods" that offered a variety of flavors and balanced nutrition simply by pressing a button. This order caused a brief period of logical confusion even in the humanoid system responsible for logistics.

He announced the restoration of traditional, inefficient agricultural and livestock production. He designated limited land and required the humanoids to cultivate and raise livestock using ancient methods, prohibiting the use of any efficient genetic modification or automated harvesting technologies that would artificially create food shortages.

Watching the humanoid woman clumsily imitate the ancient farming methods with low efficiency, Yu Qing felt a twisted sense of relief.

Even more ingenious, he secretly instructed the humanoid goddesses in charge of food production and distribution to secretly destroy or seal 99 percent of the hard-earned grains, vegetables, fruits, and meats, leaving only a pitiful 1 percent as a "special supply premium" to be distributed in limited quantities.

He wanted to make hunger the most direct teacher.

On this day, when Yu Xuan, Yu Lan and the others were lazily waiting for the usual sumptuous and exquisite meal served by the humanoid maiden, they were shocked to find that what was served in front of them was only a small bowl of coarse, gritty brown rice, a few bland boiled vegetables, and a small piece of tasteless synthetic protein (this was already a lenient measure by Yu Qing to maintain the basic nutrition of pregnant women).

The portions of food were pitifully small, barely enough to fill a tooth gap, let alone satisfy hunger.

"What's going on? Is this all you have? To feed the birds?" Yu Xuan was the first to complain. She was used to fine food and couldn't stand this "abuse." She even slammed her chopsticks on the table in anger.

Yu Lan frowned, stroking her swollen belly with a worried expression. "This... how can this be enough? It's not good for the baby, is it?"

Daya, Xiaoya, and Bread looked at each other, at a loss, their stomachs growling and their faces filled with grievance.

For the first time, a commotion, filled with resentment and anger, erupted in the core residential area of ​​Wengshan, a sound that seemed particularly jarring in the previously hedonistic atmosphere. However, they soon discovered that eating their fill, even eating well, was not impossible.

The humanoid teacher (also a humanoid, but with modified programming) calmly and without any emotion informed them:

By completing the assigned cultural courses, physical training, or handicraft tasks each day, and being rated based on the quality and attitude of the work, you can earn extra "food reward points".

Points can be redeemed for more delicious food, fresh fruit, and even a piece of natural roasted meat that they used to look down on but now find incredibly tempting. The points chart is clearly displayed, and the picture of the roasted meat is enlarged, gleaming with an enticing sheen.

At first, they resisted and complained. Yu Xuan denounced it as "slavery," while Yu Lan passively resisted, citing the need for rest during her pregnancy. But driven by a real and increasingly intense hunger, some began to try.

When Da Ya, the first to grit her teeth and complete a set of basic physical training, received a sweet and soft roasted sweet potato as a reward with trembling hands, the satisfaction of the warm food almost made her cry.

When Yu Xuan, who was the first to diligently complete her homework and memorize an obscure classical Chinese text, actually received a bright red, juicy, and naturally fragrant apple, the long-lost, pure and intense sweetness and the sense of accomplishment she gained through her efforts brought tears to her eyes and filled her with mixed emotions.

This principle was quickly extended by Yu Qing to all material supplies. The best clothes were no longer standard issue, but were awarded to those who studied the hardest and mastered skills the fastest;
The most comfortable living environment can be earned by maintaining public health and participating in community building.
Even the right to entertainment and access to external information was linked to an individual's "contribution." A completely new and cold value system was quickly established within Wengshan.

Wengshan, once a gentle haven where one could take whatever one wanted, has instantly transformed into a small society rife with competition and assessments, where survival requires hard work. A long-lost atmosphere of "struggle" and "anxiety" has begun to permeate the air.

Yu Qing stood in the control center, watching the monitor screen. Yu Xuan, in order to earn more points, frowned under the light and earnestly recited the ancient poems and prose that had long been entered into the database by the humanoid goddess and that she would never have given a second glance before.
Watching Yu Lan, heavily pregnant, diligently complete her daily prenatal exercises despite the hardship; watching Daya and Xiaoya compete for the first time over who could clean the room more thoroughly and who could earn more points…

A hint of almost cruel satisfaction finally appeared on his cold face. He saw something being rekindled—perhaps the will to survive, perhaps a sense of honor, perhaps… the part of humanity that refused to succumb to despair.

He firmly believed that a world that is always well-fed and clothed and lacks challenges will inevitably decline and decay from within.

He must use this "invisible hand" to artificially create crises, scarcity, and competition in order to reactivate the potential and survival instincts that may have been dormant in these people and to stop the irreversible trend of degeneration.

Even if the process was filled with coercion, injustice, and even pain, in his view, it was far more meaningful than watching them become useless in comfort. This was a cruel "redemption" of survival that he imposed on them.

However, Yu Qing felt an unprecedented sense of powerlessness when it came to matters concerning angelica.

Dang Gui had long been accustomed to a life of luxury where food and clothing were provided for her. She turned a deaf ear to the new regulations promoted by Yu Qing and even scoffed at them.

When the humanoid maidservant, following the new rules, nervously presented her with the reduced portion of food, she glanced at it and flew into a rage.

"You think you can fool me with this?!" she screamed, flipping the plate over and scattering food everywhere.

Not satisfied with that, she erupted like a wild beast whose territory had been invaded, smashing the necks of more than a dozen humanoid maidens serving her with astonishing speed and strength. The sound of metal parts and bionic tissues shattering was sickening, and the remains were scattered all over the ground.

She stood in the middle of the ruins, her chest heaving violently, her eyes fierce.

"Yan'er!" she shouted sharply, her voice distorted with rage. "Where have you been? Go get me some food! Get it from anywhere, steal it, rob it, or I'll chop off your useless claws!"

The swallow was so frightened that it trembled and scrambled away to obey the order without the slightest hesitation.

Upon learning of this, Yu Qing was furious, yet helpless. This anger stemmed not only from Dang Gui's brutality but also from his own powerlessness.

That day, he was originally livid and was about to give Dang Gui a severe scolding, and even had the idea of ​​forcibly restraining her.

But when he arrived at the luxurious villa where Dangui lived, which was so out of place with the overall atmosphere of Wengshan, he could see her lying naked and languidly on a soft couch covered with precious animal skins through the half-open gate.

Five robust and handsome humanoid men knelt beside her, gently massaging her head and limbs. Several other humanoid men stood like statues on either side, holding glistening fruits and delicate refreshments, ready to feed her at any moment.

She squinted, her face filled with intoxication and enjoyment, occasionally opening her mouth to accept snacks offered to her, chewing them slowly, as if the bloody outburst had never happened.

She was completely immersed in satisfying her own desires, oblivious to the changes in the outside world, to Yu Qing's good intentions, and even to her own miserable situation.

Upon seeing this, Yu Qing swallowed back the rebuke that was already on the tip of his tongue. He sighed deeply, a mixture of disgust, pity, and utter despair welling up inside him.

He realized that for someone like Dang Gui, any preaching, punishment, or even physical restraint would be futile.

She was like a vine that had become completely parasitic on pleasure, having lost the will and ability to survive independently.

He decided not to waste his time and energy and let her fend for herself. Perhaps, the moment when external resources were completely cut off would be her only "wake-up call," although that might be too late.

However, on his way out, Yu Qing still felt somewhat guilty.

He deeply regretted that when he took Danggui out of the Second Paradise, he shouldn't have been soft-hearted (or rather, he still had some unrealistic expectations of her at the time) and took her to that top-notch, bizarre entertainment venue.

He still remembers the look in Danggui's eyes when he first encountered those extreme sensory stimuli, which quickly turned from shock and confusion to fervor and greed.

It was that one experience of extravagance and debauchery that seemed to open Pandora's box, unleashing the deepest desires and demons within her. She tasted the intoxicating pleasures of luxury, and from then on, she was completely consumed by them, ultimately becoming the person she is today.

When I first saw her, she was struggling to survive in the Second Paradise. Although she was poorly clothed and starving, her eyes held a wild, wary look and a strong will to live. But now, she had become a soulless shell driven by desire, a walking corpse wrapped in silk and satin.

Yu Qing shook his head, as if trying to shake off these useless thoughts.

He understood that some people were destined to be beyond saving. His responsibility was to ensure that the majority were on the right path, rather than wasting precious energy and resources on a hopeless case. (End of Chapter)