198: core subjects

The wind and snow had stopped, and sunlight shone into the third basement level of the Skydome City Eastern Energy Center.

The data on the monitoring screens was still jumping, flickering red and green.

Zhou Mingrui rubbed his hands together and exhaled; the white mist that emerged was immediately sucked away by the air conditioning.

He stared at the load curve of the main transformer for half a minute, confirming that the cooling time had been shortened to eight hours, before turning to a new record page.

Old Zhang, take the second group to check the condenser tower interfaces and replace all loose screws.

Understood.

Little Li, test the insulation layer of the backup line again. It triggered three alarms yesterday, so we cannot be careless.

Already on it.

After speaking, he sat back in the chair in front of the console and pulled up the collar of his cold-weather gear.

This clothing was issued by God King Shen; it was dark gray, with a gear emblem embroidered on the left chest and the number E-07 underneath.

He was the seventh person to receive this number and was currently the only person in charge stationed in the power station's main control room.

It was bright outside, but the lights here remained on.

A large screen hung on the wall, displaying the city's power grid diagram.

All seventeen main lines were green; there were no issues anywhere.

This was the first time in three days.

He lowered his head and took a sip of water from his thermos; it was a bit cold, but he finished it anyway.

He opened his notebook, which was filled with maintenance records from the past seventy-two hours.

Beside every entry, he had written who performed the work and when it was completed.

He circled a few key points with his pen and wrote in the margin: Level 5 upgrade, final test, must be completed today.

Engineer Zhou, the condenser tower is ready; we can connect to the grid, a voice came over the walkie-talkie.

Received. Start the procedure, I'm watching from here.

He pressed the confirm button, and a countdown appeared on the screen: 3, 2, 1—

With a hum, the ground shook slightly.

A row of red lights on the console turned green, the current rose steadily, and finally stopped within the normal range.

The System prompt sounded: Level 5 upgrade successful, power supply capacity has reached the design limit.

He didn't smile, but simply drew a heavy checkmark in his notebook.

Notify the dispatch teams in all zones. From now on, all emergency power supply modes are canceled, and we are entering normal operation. Prioritize civilian lines; the Hospital, nurseries, and cafeterias must not lose power.

Having said that, he took off his headset and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes for three seconds.

Upon opening them, he immediately opened the internal communication and found the Administration Hall channel.

Carl, this is Zhou Mingrui. The power station's Level 5 upgrade is complete; you can adjust the scheduling on your end.

On the second floor of the Administration Hall, Carl was hunched over his desk, flipping through documents.

There were three stacks of paper on the desk: marriage registration applications on the left, worker reassignment forms in the middle, and housing subsidy approvals on the right.

He held a fountain pen in his left hand and operated a calculator with his right, with a city-wide manpower distribution map spread out before him.

Hearing the communication chime, he looked up at the clock: 10:07 AM.

Received, Engineer Zhou, he said into the microphone. I will definitely finish approving this batch of marriage registrations today, and the housing will be arranged as well. As for the manpower reallocation, I can have a plan by this afternoon.

Hanging up the communication, he rubbed his eyes and continued to write. The nib of his pen scratched against the paper, making a rustling sound.

One registration form read: Applicant: Chen Dazhu, Spouse: Wang Xiulan. Age: 24/22. Occupation: Level 2 Technician at the building materials factory / Cafeteria meal server. Residence: Building B, 503, Third Worker Dormitory, East District. Reason for application: Have lived together for two years and have one child; now applying for formal registration to enjoy maternity subsidies and housing upgrade policies.

He wrote Meets requirements, prioritize approval in the remarks column and then stamped it with a red seal. It made a crisp click.

He turned to the next page. This couple both worked on the charcoal transport team. While applying for marriage, they also hoped to be transferred to the same shift to make it easier to take care of their child.

He nodded and drew an asterisk on the form.

Such applications were rare in the past. When the Age of Deities first began, it was hard just to survive; no one wanted to get married, let alone have children.

Back then, there were fewer than ten marriages a month, and many people only did it to grab housing.

But now, it was different. Just this morning, he had received eighty-three applications. They were all young people—workers, Technicians, patrol members—from different backgrounds, but their reasons were all very practical: they wanted to start a family, live a normal life, and have their children born in a warm home.

He knew why.

Three months ago, during the coldest period, God King Shen didn't say much; he simply opened the storage reserves and issued a winter package to every family: two quilts, an electric heater, and a quota of five hundred units of charcoal.

Later, it was announced that those who registered for marriage would receive an extra 1,000 faith points, and newborns would receive a monthly nutritional allowance until the age of six.

Not enough housing? The first batch of three hundred units from the newly built housing project was prioritized for families with children.

These things weren't publicized, nor were there any ceremonies; they were just implemented one by one. But everyone understood in their hearts who had brought this stability.

He turned to the last page and saw a familiar name—it was his cousin, and his partner was a nurse at the Hospital.

He paused for a moment, smiled, took up his pen to write Special Approval - Expedited, and casually placed the folder on the Processed stack.

Footsteps were heard outside the office, and an assistant walked in carrying a stack of new reports.

Brother Carl, this is the latest manpower shortage statistic. The building materials factory is short one hundred and twenty porters, and the charcoal transport team can take on another fifty people. Additionally, the East District maintenance team reported twenty electricians have stopped working, saying the equipment hasn't arrived, so they can't work.

Carl took the reports and glanced at them, nodding: First, transfer the idle electricians to the transport team. Sign temporary agreements; the salary remains the same, and after working a full month, it will count as official seniority. For the building materials factory, select people from the unemployment registry, prioritizing those with local residency and families to support.

Should we set a condition? For example, only those who have undergone training?

Now is not the time to be picky; as long as they can work, it's fine. God King Shen built this city to ensure everyone has work to do, food to eat, and a home to return to.

The assistant noted this down and turned to leave.

Wait. Carl called him back. Go to the warehouse and get a batch of new work badges, engrave the words Temporary Reassignment on them, and distribute them this afternoon. Don't let people feel like they are just replacements.

The assistant nodded and left.

He picked up his pen again and began to organize the day's approval summary. Halfway through, he stopped and looked out the window.

Sunlight shone on the square, and a few children were chasing a ball. A mother stood on the side, shouting: Run slower! You'll get hurt if you fall! The voice wasn't loud, but it carried far.

He watched for a while, then lowered his head and continued writing.

Over at the power station, Zhou Mingrui had already stood up and was taking two Technicians toward the condenser tower machine room.

The corridor was narrow, and water dripped from the pipes overhead, landing on the ground with a pattering sound. He looked at the data on his handheld terminal as he walked.

The voltage has stabilized, and the frequency deviation is very small.

Cooling efficiency has increased by eighteen percent.

Backup units are on standby and functioning normally.

Reaching the machine room door, he stopped and took out his key to open it. The metal door creaked open, and the machinery inside roared. The fans were turning slowly, and cold air rushed out. He walked in, went around to the main control box, and pulled open the panel to check the wiring.

Did this line trigger an alarm earlier? He asked, pointing to a yellow cable.

Yes, the temperature spiked to seventy degrees, but it has come down now.

Replace it. Don't wait for it to break.

The Technician nodded and noted it down.

He closed the panel, walked out of the machine room, and locked the door behind him. Returning to the main control room, he took off his cold-weather gear, hung it on the back of his chair, and took a blueprint out of the drawer to spread it out.

It was the Skydome City Full-Coverage Power Grid Plan he had been drawing for half a month, and it was now only two-thirds complete.

He picked up a pencil and drew a red circle around the Industrial Zone in the eastern suburbs.

Three months, he whispered. I must finish it before then.

He knew this wasn't just a task; it was an opportunity. God King Shen didn't confer official titles or hold ceremonies, but he never mistreated those who got things done.

Five people like him, who had risen from ordinary electricians, had already obtained independent management authority.

As long as one could get the job done, their name would appear in policy documents and be written into the city's annals.

He wanted to be the first Minister of Energy to be recorded in history.

Over at the Administration Hall, Carl finally finished approving the last marriage registration form. He stretched, his shoulders making a clicking sound.

Outside the window, the sky had darkened, and the streetlights automatically turned on. There were more people on the street—workers returning from their shifts, carrying lunchboxes in their hands, chatting as they walked.

He filed the documents, turned off his desk lamp, and prepared to go home.

Passing through the corridor, he saw a group of people gathered in front of the bulletin board. Walking closer, he saw that the new issue of the Skydome Government Bulletin had been posted.

The headline read: Power Station Completes Level 5 Upgrade; Citywide Power Supply Enters Sustainable Stage.

Below it was a line of small text: Effective immediately, marriage registration can be submitted online, with results provided within three working days. Families with newborns can apply for a Growth Gift Pack, containing formula, diapers, and a set of children's books.

Someone said with a smile: We won't have to worry about the kids' schooling from now on.

God King Shen really treats us like human beings.

I've lived for thirty years, and this is the first time I've felt like this city is my home.

Carl didn't speak; he watched for a while, then turned and left.

He walked out of the building, and the wind blew over, carrying the chill from after the snow. He pulled his coat tighter and walked along the street toward home.

Passing by a small shop with a sign that read Skydome Hot Soup, there was a queue at the door, with everyone holding a bowl and breathing out white mist.

He stopped and bought a bowl.

Halfway through drinking it, his phone vibrated. It was a System notification: Today's marriage registration approval rate was 98%; feedback on revisions has been provided for those not approved; the manpower reallocation plan has been generated and will be submitted for review at tomorrow's morning meeting.

After reading it, he put his phone away and continued drinking the soup.

The soup was very hot, and as it went down his throat, he felt warm all over.

Across the street, a truck with Skydome Energy Delivery printed on it drove slowly by, its tires pressing over the thin ice, moving steadily. The signal light on the roof flickered, as if it were also responding to the breathing of this city.

Carl finished the last sip and handed the bowl back.

He looked up at the night sky. The clouds had dispersed, and the stars were revealed. One, two, and then more and more.

He didn't look anymore, turned around, and walked into the alley. Home was just ahead, the lights were on, and the door was unlocked.