Night fell.
Boulder City, central inner city.
On the top floor of a pitch-black tower, a man in formal attire stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, expressionlessly gazing at the silent night sky to the north.
Last year, at almost the same time and in the same direction, those people from the East Coast had detonated a tactical nuclear bomb in the northern outskirts of Clear Spring City.
And now, those people had come here once again.
"Time passes so quickly."
Staring at his reflection in the glass, the man contemplated silently.
Once time became insignificant, it flowed by at an unimaginable speed.
Whether because one was wealthy enough to squander it freely, or because yesterday and tomorrow were no different.
That was time's curse upon the long-lived.
Yet recently, things had changed ever so slightly. Without his noticing, a tender sprout had emerged from the ruins not far away.
Two centuries.
This unremarkable city had never been so lively...
Footsteps sounded behind him and stopped at the doorway.
The man did not turn around. Facing away from the person at the door, he asked softly.
"Did you meet that Administrator?"
Zhao Yongxu, standing at the entrance, dipped his head slightly. His sharply defined face was filled with respect and devotion.
"Yes, my lord."
The man continued.
"What kind of person is he?"
Without hesitation, Zhao Yongxu answered.
"Hypocritical! Cunning! An ambitious man skilled in schemes and tricks! I don't know what methods he used to lead those people from the East Coast around by the nose, but we won't fall for their trap!"
The man nodded, his expression giving no indication whether he believed him or doubted him.
Or perhaps he simply did not care.
After pondering for a moment, the man asked again.
"What did they say about our