Clockwork Bride

Page 265

However, the people do not want this; resorting to force will only make things worse.

Hayden was using Voldemort to spy on the bio-factory's production data while having his main body calculate it. The more he calculated, the more alarmed he became—according to his rough calculations, if they could avoid creating humans themselves and allow ordinary people to have children normally, Smoke Mirror Company could save a huge amount of resources.

These resources are so abundant that Smoke Mirror Company may no longer be the last-ranked giant enterprise!

If they didn't need to create humans themselves, they might have already surpassed Wotan Corporation and become the third or even second largest giant corporation!

This demonstrates just how high the price Smoke Mirror Corporation paid for creating humans. Now, after reviewing the factory's production data, Hayden realizes that Smoke Mirror Corporation is the weakest of the major companies, largely because a large portion of their resources are tied up in the bio-factory. Although this is only Hayden's rough investigation and speculation, it is at least one of the key reasons for their weakness.

There are still only two things Hayden doesn't understand: First, how did South America develop into this mess? Rome wasn't built in a day, and every disaster has its own process of formation.

On the other hand, Hayden was puzzled as to where the Smoke Mirror Company got such great power.

This ingenious method of creating powerful flying bricks truly amazed him. But to create such powerful bricks, one needs immense strength. How exactly does Smoke Mirror Company manage to produce tens of thousands of enhanced humans daily, yet fail to sell them directly for profit and still not go bankrupt? Not only have they avoided bankruptcy, they've even managed to become the fourth largest company in the world!

Where does such immense "strength" come from? The title of "their life magic technology is the best" alone isn't enough. Having secretly examined many production materials, Voodoo has determined that the problem fundamentally lies in energy and resources.

Once Hayden makes a decision, he puts it into practice incredibly quickly. He's here to conduct research, so why be polite and hesitate?

Damn it, clone, investigate now!

And so, Voldemort began working diligently while simultaneously helping Hayden investigate the secrets of the Smoke Mirror Company within the factory (though he was still using Hayden's own CPU). This clone, a top-tier flesh golem jointly created by Hayden and Hela, quietly unearthed a considerable amount of information from the factory's database within just a few days—the Smoke Mirror Company certainly had a lot of fancy stuff. Their bio-factories, with their various flesh-based biochemical technologies, were almost all specially developed over centuries to boost population production (and reduce costs).

For example, their biological factories—the very things Voldemort is currently working on—don't require human construction. This massive mass of flesh and blood is itself a living entity, so it "reproduces" on its own. Factories constructed of flesh and bone don't need to be built by others; they will spontaneously develop. This significantly reduces costs.

It's kind of funny. The Smoke Mirror Company was in trouble because people hadn't wanted to have children for centuries, so they came up with a technology that would allow their biological factories to reproduce on their own.

Furthermore, the high-precision biological components used in their factories, according to data gleaned by Voodoo, are things that other large companies have encountered difficulties developing. No one has been able to mass-produce versatile biological components in their factories that anyone can transplant and use.

However, over the centuries, the Smoke Mirror Company has specifically developed universal mannequins. If someone wants an arm, they simply have the factory produce mannequins with arms; once produced, the arm can be cut off and reattached to someone else. The same principle applies to organs like livers, kidneys, and hearts. Anyone can be fitted with these mannequins' organs and parts, hence the term "mannequin."

Then there's the Smoke Mirror Company's [Qiqimiti]. Their modern version is a race of gods specifically designed for bio-genetic modulation, "accessories" specially created to enable bio-factories to mass-produce human products at low cost—to solve the mortal population problem, the company actually had to specially modify a race of "midwifery gods," which should be considered a kind of dark humor.

...Therefore, the more Hayden uncovered this information and the more he calculated the absurd efforts of the Smoke Mirror Company in this regard, the more terrifying he felt.

"Master, what are you looking at?"

Angela happened to peek over at that moment.

Hayden and Angela are currently staying in a hotel room in Bogotá.

While they were talking about bloody gladiatorial combat, it wasn't possible to kill every day. Today, Hayden's main body was in the hotel organizing the information gathered by his two clones over the past few days. Angela curiously came over. Hayden didn't hide anything and directly showed her the half-finished investigation data.

However, Angela glanced at the documents and couldn't help but smile: "What a blatant copy! Master, what are you worried about?"

"Smoke Mirror Company's crude approach is indeed laughable. But there is some truth to it. Smoke Mirror Company must have a special source of power to keep such a crude production plan running for so many years."

Hayden tapped the projection screen lightly with his fingers.

“I’ve calculated it all. Special factories, special biological components, special gods… Even if you factor all of that in, the cost of building such a large-scale human production factory is still staggering. I’m actually quite puzzled now as to how Smoke Mirror Company hasn’t gone bankrupt in all these centuries.”

The working principle of this flying brick is both absurd and brutal. Yet the "force" that propels the brick is so great. In other words, there must be something wrong with it that isn't explicitly stated.

The supervisor said, "It's been like this for a long time," which might be a secret left over from the previous era, the era of the old gods.

Hayden hadn't forgotten what he wanted to do after coming to South America.

"My purpose in infiltrating South America this time is to find a force that can counter Mithra—any force will do. If the Smoke Mirror Company does indeed have another secret, possessing such immense strength and boundless energy, then what if I were to use that secret for my own purposes?"

"Of course, this is only in an ideal situation. But I shouldn't let any opportunity slip by."

This idea sounds a bit far-fetched.

However, to Hayden's surprise, Angela nodded thoughtfully upon hearing this, and then said, "Then, Master, you must have come to the right place."

…………ah?

Hayden couldn't ignore this: "What? You mean, the Smoke Mirror Company actually has the power to defeat Mitra!?"

"It's just an idea, my dear master, a potential."

Angela turned to look out the hotel window, gazing at the crowds of people coming and going on the road below the tall buildings.

"You've already seen the source of this potential. So why worry about what it is?"

Hayden wasn't stupid. He followed Angela's gaze and quickly realized, "You mean people? Population?... You don't mean blood sacrifice, do you? Using the energy of blood sacrifice to create people, and then using some of those people for blood sacrifice, the energy actually increases?"

Creating humans with energy, and then sacrificing those humans to gain even more energy... This doesn't seem very logical.

But as soon as he finished speaking, Hayden realized he was being foolish—this was just a perpetual motion machine, and it wasn't the first time anyone had seen one. Wasn't Angela just like that? She and the Tree of Life didn't need any energy at all; they automatically spewed out secret fire every day.

Mitra Corporation's "Knocking Beetle System," while flawed, is still another form of perpetual motion machine. Hayden has likely only discovered the perpetual motion technology exclusive to Smoke Mirror Company.

Blood possesses a natural power, for it is the key to unlocking the fundamental nature of life, both symbolically and practically. The Smoke Mirror Corporation, through the power of blood and sacrifice, has created perpetual motion machines, making human blood the industrial power source for their world's normal operation. This, perhaps, is not so surprising.

The only question is, why is the blood sacrifice of the Smoke Mirror Company so powerful?

Hayden could only speculate that they did indeed possess unique blood sacrifice techniques!

...So, is Hayden really going to learn and use a blood sacrifice technique in order to deal with the gods of capital?

Christmas Side Story 2: The Contract

Another year has passed, and it's Christmas season again.

Hayden still remembers the year Angela first arrived, and how he introduced her to Christmas.

Hayden, who was still a virgin at the time, once criticized the depravity of modern men and women, and even went on a date and had sex on Christmas Eve, using the ancient festival of offering sacrifices to heaven or thanking people as an excuse to vent his desires—although in reality, he was just sour grapes.

Now Hayden is Karen's husband and is about to become a father, so he obviously has no right to say "sour grapes." However, precisely because of this, he has recently been troubled by another problem:

Do you all remember that Angela was originally created by Hayden as a wind-up bride because he wanted a mechanical wife?

Originally, Angela's appearance and personality perfectly reflected Hayden's preferences. Originally, Angela was the one who liked Hayden the most; she was gentle, someone Hayden could cuddle and rely on, and she also had a fantastic figure.

But now, oh dear, Hayden has married Karen instead!

This was a natural progression of their relationship, and everyone was happy about it, even Angela seemed pleased. However, sometimes Hayden couldn't help but wonder—was this a little inappropriate?

He summoned an unknown being from a place unknown to heaven using a powerful magic he himself couldn't comprehend, stuffed her into a doll shell designed as a mechanical wife, and then commanded her to love him.

Now Hayden has gone and married Karen. Wouldn't that be considered scumbag behavior? Hayden feels he bears some responsibility for summoning Angela here.

Despite this, Angela herself didn't care at all.

Hayden himself didn't really dare to treat Angela as a mechanical wife.

It's not about male dignity or anything like that; Hayden wouldn't say something so foolish, and Karen is better than him—the point is that compared to Karen, who is a great goddess, Angela is far more unfathomable, like a deity.

Although Hayden couldn't beat Karen, he could claim they were equals, and Karen herself shared this view. However, could Hayden truly say from the bottom of his heart that he and Angela were equals?

I can't do it!

Hayden wasn't like Karen and Alastor, someone brimming with self-confidence. He wasn't the type to have an exceptionally strong ego, someone who thought he was the only one who mattered. His self-confidence was far lower than Karen's.

However, Hayden has made some progress over the years. Recently, he has gained the ability to do something new.

That is,

"Angela, what are your thoughts now about my marriage to Karen and the wish I made to you back then?"

Let's speak frankly and openly.

If you have any questions, just ask the other person directly and ask for help, instead of keeping them to yourself. Be more direct. This is a lesson Hayden has learned over the years.

The story actually started like this.

Although it is Christmas Day, the Karen family and the Mithra Bodhisattva dislike each other, so New Sprout City naturally does not have the custom of celebrating Christmas.

Even so, Hayden still felt that as Karen's husband and soon-to-be father, he couldn't always be out working. That's why he specially sent a teleport back from South America today, wanting to give Karen a New Year's surprise…

...Then he learned that Karen had been in Europe for the past few days, negotiating an alliance agreement with Wotan.

Hayden sent her another secret message asking for details, but Karen replied to him:

【You're back? It's the end of the year, and all the other gods in the city are busy out there. It's not good to be without someone in charge. Why don't you stay home for a few days?】

This left Hayden utterly speechless. He came back wanting to spend the New Year with his wife. But she'd gone off to do diplomatic work, leaving him to stay home alone. What kind of nonsense was this?

Actually, Hayden was well aware that Karen was even more career-driven than him, the kind of ruthless person who could get up and talk about work right after sleeping with someone. On the other hand, if Karen could really reach a cooperation agreement with the European company Wotan, it would definitely lighten the burden on Hayden's shoulders considerably in the future.

But how should I put it... Karen's way of doing things is a bit too much like a chauvinist.

Left with no other option, Hayden decided to continue his work while defending the city, tinkering with alchemical experiments in his Newbeam City workshop. He still had much to prepare in order to investigate the secrets of the Smoke Mirror Company in South America.

On this Christmas Day, after Hayden finished making two new reagents using the advanced alchemy techniques left to him by the old professor, he seemed to be pondering something when he suddenly asked Angela the same question he had just asked.

Angela didn't participate in Hayden's technical research, only observing quietly from the sidelines. However, after hearing Hayden's words, she smiled slightly and said, "Master, are you worried about me leaving you?"

She immediately saw through Hayden's thoughts, making him feel somewhat embarrassed.

Years ago, Hayden's wish was "to love me and build a family with me"... or at least something like that. Now that Hayden and Karen are married, and Karen is even pregnant, has that wish been fulfilled?

Now that her wish has been fulfilled, will Angela, like the Seven Fairies in the legend of Dong Yong, fly away and go home one day?

This worry may seem absurd, but Hayden occasionally can't help but think about the possibility.

His hesitation actually made Angela sigh, which was rare for her: "Strictly speaking, I did fulfill your initial wish. Even if I disappear now, it wouldn't be a breach of the agreement—but Master, I'm not a devil, not something that keeps promises for the sake of keeping promises."

“I love you and wish you happiness. However, this is not something I ‘must’ do, nor is it a deal I’ve made with you because you made a wish, and there is no contract that can actually bind me. So why should I quibble over the words and leave you just because your wish has already been fulfilled literally? Do not be afraid, trust me.”

As Angela finished speaking, she leaned in lightly and actually reached out to pat Hayden's head. Her movement was strangely fluid, even more elegant than before. This made Hayden even more embarrassed.

When Angela first arrived a few years ago, she still had a bit of a "bride's" air about her. However, recently, her words and actions have become more and more like those of an older person, and she speaks and acts more like a "mother."

As if to rub salt in the wound, Angela continued, "I truly think it's wonderful that you and Miss Karen are getting married. You two can be an equal couple, instead of one of you becoming the other's appendage, which is excellent."

"Of course, I know that Miss Karen is not the kind of woman who can be your mother, which is indeed a bit of a shame. But Master, you can always choose to act cute with me."

Hayden couldn't take it anymore and quickly changed the subject: "You just said that making a wish isn't a transaction, and perhaps that's true. But if that's the case, why do you want to grant my wish?"

He was taking advantage of the conversation and the atmosphere to try and find out more about Angela's secrets.

However, Angela looked at her son with an expression that seemed to say, as if he were a simpleton who couldn't quite grasp things, and said helplessly, "Master, it's because I love you and I want you to be happy."

I love you because I love you!

But didn't you love me because of a wish I made? Yet you also said that a wish isn't mandatory and isn't a contract.

This whole logic is very unsettling.

Hayden was somewhat troubled as he ground some glowing red hexagonal gems into powder using a millstone.

Since the time of the ancient gods, the gods have always made contracts and traded with mortals. This refers not only to contracts between individuals, but also to social contracts and trades.

For example, agricultural countries might sign a pact with a rain god, worshipping and offering sacrifices to him. In return, this rain god would ensure the country had favorable weather. If the rain god failed to do so, and the country suffered from drought or flood, ordinary people had the right to smash his temples and topple his statues.

Of course, the rain god could also become enraged and use his divine power to retaliate against these mortals. But legally, he would still be in the wrong, and other gods would point fingers and even seize the opportunity to take over his territory and followers. Therefore, this contract is both a means for gods to exploit mortals and a way for mortals to limit the gods and protect their own rights. Because the gods are both objects of worship and rulers of mortals. When the contract is violated, mortals have the right to rebel against the gods—regardless of whether they can win, at least they can cause trouble for the gods.

Modern capitalists are far more powerful than the old ones. They have more bargaining power, and ordinary people cannot win a rebellion; they can only passively accept the social contracts of these capitalist gods. Even so, however, ordinary people still have the right and the possibility to unite and cause trouble for these capitalist gods. Whether it's the Mithra Group or the Smoke Mirror Company, if most ordinary people were to truly unite and rebel against them, they would at least cause them considerable trouble. Therefore, the Mithra Group is the largest company with the best public image.

As for whether they truly have the ability to kill all mortals and recreate a batch of suitable human beings, that's something Hayden needs to investigate, so let's leave that aside for now... The main point now is that Angela doesn't engage in trade or accept sacrifices. In the years she's been by Hayden's side, she hasn't eaten a single grain of rice; instead, she's nourished Hayden with her secret fire, making him strong and healthy.

Honestly, how much of Hayden's current power, everything he's gained over the years, was given to him by Angela? And how much of it was because of Angela's presence that he was able to further advance? Probably at least ninety percent. However, Angela doesn't make deals, nor does she require any exchange or contract. Therefore, truly no power or even reason can bind her. Because Angela owes no one anything.

But then, what exactly is the source of her love and motivation to help Hayden? Why does she want to help Hayden? If a supernatural being, whose status is completely superior to that of humans, is willing to help you unconditionally, what is it really seeking?

Hayden tossed a shimmering white stone into the alchemy furnace, lost in thought. In fact, if we set aside the so-called faith and worship, there are many such examples in artistic creation. For instance, Superman from Krypton, or the cosmic giants from the Land of Light… Although they are aliens, they saved humanity without asking for anything in return.

In that sense, Angela, and the so-called Outer God behind her, are actually quite like aliens... or rather, like alien gods. In short, they are something completely different from Hayden's thought process.

Love from a foreign god is as elusive as a cloud; though it brings happiness, it also causes anxiety. Hayden, at least, still firmly believes that Angela and the power of the Outer God are good. People like Karen, however, still worry that the Outer God might one day come and kill them all.

As he pondered, he continued his alchemical experiments, tossing a small amount of bloodstained dirt he'd stolen from the arena into the instrument and pressing the disconnect switch. Hayden was still trying to figure out why the Smoke Mirror Company's blood sacrifice power was so potent. He'd spent considerable effort collecting samples from several stages of the process, probing with various spells, but he kept going in circles, hitting dead ends, unable to uncover the secrets of the Smoke Mirror Company's blood sacrifices.

That's normal. If Hayden could uncover the core secrets of Smoke Mirror Company's perpetual motion machine in ten days or half a month, then these capitalist gods should all kneel down and kowtow to the prophet.

Angela continued to watch Hayden's alchemy from the side, observing his troubled and thoughtful expression, which seemed no different from usual.

...It wasn't until Hayden obtained another meaningless data result that Angela suddenly spoke up: "Master, why do you go to so much trouble and risk all sorts of dangers to help ordinary people all over the world? Is it because you can gain something from it?"

Hayden wasn't stupid, and he immediately understood her implication: "Yes and no. Of course, I want to create a world where I, my friends, my loved ones, and future generations can all live happily. That's a kind of benefit too."

Angela shook her head: "When I first came to your side, you really didn't have any close friends or loved ones, let alone any descendants. You didn't expect to have any offspring at all back then."

Wow, that's a pretty harsh critique.

“But back then you would still risk your life to help the suffering masses. Because you had compassion for them. You couldn’t have imagined back then that you would be striving to create a better world today,” Angela said, sounding strangely happy. “Why do you think that is?”

Hayden stopped talking.

After a long while, while staring at the alchemy equipment, he slowly said, "What you said does make some sense."

Angela was even happier.

But Hayden wasn't finished: "But if we use your analogy, then Angela, what exactly is our relationship?"