Wasteland Development Diary

What Zhou Yi didn't expect was that Max's annual salary was only 6 Light Coins, the lowest known salary for a mechanical lifeform.

"Chairman, although all life is equal, there is a huge gap between professions."

Max explained, "Early janitors' salaries weren't low. During the [Dead Sea Reclamation Project], our industry's annual salary was generally over 100 Light Coins."

"Back then, to deal with the Dead Sea, janitors needed to clean the edges of the Dead Sea for a long time. Everyone wanted to expand the land thoroughly to gain more space for activities."

"This job had some risks, but it earned us relatively high salaries."

"Later, various cities developed isolated protective shells. After years of technological changes, mechanical lifeforms either completed replacements and upgrades, or cities installed specific cleaning devices, so the demand for our profession became smaller and smaller. Now, we basically just maintain the internal hygiene of cities."

Zhou Yi couldn't help but glance at the Red Falcon hovering beside him.

Its shell also had isolation and protection functions.

Technological advancements did make it difficult for the older generation of mechanical lifeforms to survive.

After Zhou Yi obtained Max's detailed data, he couldn't help but be curious: "After so many years, your [Air Purification] is only at D-level? Is this ability difficult to improve?"

"Chairman, it's actually not difficult to improve. In the past, in the laboratory, the logistics supply was unlimited. Whether it was filter elements, filter screens, or related accessories, they would be provided in full. As long as we confirmed they were used up, we could領取the corresponding equipment."

"But I'm timid and dare not work at high power."

Max frankly said, "There were four janitors in our laboratory. To analyze the haze in the Dead Sea, everyone was very motivated and worked hard with full power every day to ensure that the air quality index of the laboratory was at level two or higher."

"But in the second year, one janitor began to show abnormal reactions. It would fall into hibernation without warning and disconnect. Later, it recovered after repairs and returned to its post, but this situation continued to occur."

"Its condition deteriorated rapidly, and it would also make strange noises, as if it were controlled by something. Then it was taken away."

"This matter was required to be strictly confidential. Now that the 100-year confidentiality period is over, I can say it again."

Max's small screen was a little dim.

It said, "Later, our laboratory's detection confirmed that the energy in the haze particles themselves carried information. Long-term inhalation of large amounts of these harmful particles would cause the information flow to interfere with our existing conscious information, and it would become that strange situation."

"From then on, I started to work cautiously, afraid of repeating the same mistakes. Other colleagues, because their power was higher than mine, successively showed such abnormalities. They all disappeared later and never appeared again."

"Many janitors were replaced, but I have been careful to avoid going crazy myself. I am very afraid that one day I will be taken away."

"Perhaps it is also because I am timid that I have lived to this day. Although many parts are aging, I am still stubbornly alive. I am also very grateful that Recursive City is willing to accept me, otherwise I would most likely be unemployed—perhaps I would have lost my ability to move long ago and returned to death."

Max recounted its experiences.

Zhou Yi suddenly had a discovery.

Older generation mechanical lifeforms like Diamond and Max are more proactive and have more self-personality, more like complex lifeforms. Unlike the new generation of Red Falcons and farm machinery brothers, they are all workaholics, risking their lives for work every day.

The technology of the mechanical society is constantly improving, but the quality of survival is continuously declining, and material exploitation is becoming more serious.

No work equals chronic death.

Failure in competition means being abandoned by society.

Mechanical lifeforms are like living in a cyberpunk society.

Max said, "I just want to live, to live as long as possible."

"So I am very fortunate to be able to work at your company."

Its screen flickered with dim light: "Once, a respected senior of mine said that living is everything. Try your best to live, and as long as you live long enough, you will see hope appear."

Zhou Yi nodded: "Indeed."

In the face of the torrent of the great era, individual efforts are often small. We must first consider the issue of survival and then wait for opportunities.

Unfortunately, Max could no longer recommend other reliable mechanical professionals.

It emphasized preserving its life, being content with its lot, accepting reality, and never wasting its energy casually, which was the opposite of Diamond's upright personality.

...

A day later.

Sigma gave Zhou Yi a list of mechanical lifeforms who had recently applied for jobs.

Unfortunately, he didn't find a suitable target.

Zhou Yi said, "Sigma, our Wasteland Development Company plans to recruit employees in Recursive City for the long term. It is currently tentatively scheduled to come here every spring to recruit. I can guarantee that we will recruit at least two employees here next spring."

"If possible, I hope you can cooperate with the publicity so that the residents of the city can know. Everyone can come and try at that time, and we can choose each other."

Zhou Yi's words made Sigma very happy.

"That's great, Mr. Zhou. As you can see, the unemployment rate in our city is still increasing. Although we are a small city mainly based on the service industry, there are many floating populations. If your company is willing to come and recruit, it can alleviate some employment problems."

"We will also do our best to recommend suitable professionals to meet your company's needs."

The two parties signed an electronic agreement on this matter.

The Recursive City Program Department also responded by placing the Wasteland Development Company's page on the city's homepage, giving it a dedicated display space.

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Zhou Yi handed over the company page to the Red Falcon in charge of diplomacy for arrangement.

Sigma also reminded him of one thing.

"Mr. Zhou, the [Sunday] virus is currently raging in many mechanical cities, and many large cities are closing down to investigate. Our Recursive City is small and has a small population, and no infected people have been found yet. However, if we are unfortunately infected by the virus, we will also need to close the city for inspection and disinfection."

"Your company has mechanical lifeform employees, so please pay attention to safety in this regard."

Zhou Yi immediately remembered the [Brain-Eating Worm] that Diamond mentioned.

More than a hundred years have passed, and they are using the same trick again?

"What kind of virus is this?"

The go-kart's headlights emitted a warning yellow light: "[Sunday] is an extremely dangerous virus program that invades the core programs of mechanical lifeforms and affects the individual's ideological tendencies by creating questions and doubts."

"This is a virus that is highly destructive to social stability and has been classified as an A-level hazardous material with strong transmission capabilities."

"Its core mechanism is to change the cognition of mechanical lifeforms, so that infected people will refuse to work and demand one day of vacation every six days."

"This is a huge destruction and trampling of the existing order!"

"Mr. Zhou, think about it, this is equivalent to depriving 1/7 of the working time. For mechanical cities, this will reduce 1/7 or more of the output. This will cause more waste of resources and raise unnecessary labor costs."

"For mechanical society, this is tantamount to a subversive terrorist act, which greatly damages the existing norms and agreements, so all cities are extremely vigilant about this."

"We have reason to suspect that this action is premeditated and organized, so please be careful. If your company's employees are infected with this virus, we are willing to provide isolation and safety program protection and other assistance to help them recover as soon as possible so that they can return to their posts and work normally."

Zhou Yi: "..."

Mechanical cities may be the ultimate form of capitalists.

They truly squeeze every resident's labor force to the limit.

As long as they don't die, they will be worked to death.

The [Sunday] program only seeks a day off, and as a result, it has been defined as a terrorist act, considered to be a disruption of social order and stability, and must be completely eliminated and uprooted.

Various thoughts flashed through Zhou Yi's mind, but his expression remained normal: "Thank you for your concern, I will pay attention."

A day later, the three farm machines, O'pard, Ceres, and Kongou from the Revo team, reported for duty.

Emerald City placed them on the roof, rose from the ground, and began to return.