" Hino- kun?" Shayan's voice pulled him back to reality.
How are your eyes...?
Hino blinked, trying to adjust to this forced information indoctrination.
He looked at the Shayan, where the 'Labor E-3472' logo was still hovering above the other person's head, like some kind of brand.
"It's nothing," he replied softly, "I'm just a little not used to it."
Shayan sighed, fully understanding how the other person felt at that moment.
"It's okay. I had the same problem when I first installed it. Everyone had words on their heads, it was so annoying."
Hino didn't say anything.
Annoying? No, it's more than just annoying.
Those eyes were forcing him to accept a fact.
In the eyes of the Reform Society, they were not people, but just a series of numbers.
It was already late at night when I returned to the work shed.
Although the foreman said he could rest for half a day, he didn't say it was paid rest.
There was no other way but to keep working.
Hino lay on the hard bed, trying to use his willpower to shut down the information display on his prosthetic eye, but he failed.
This thing is like it's welded to his optic nerve; it can't be hidden or adjusted.
He took out the Spirit Puppet, hesitated for a moment, and then followed the doctor's instructions to place it on his chest.
After a slight stinging sensation.
The Chakra Crystal on the Spirit Puppet's chest lit up, and a line of small text appeared in the corner of his vision:
[Already connected to the Reform Society's basic network]
A moment later, the website interface of the Reform Society appeared in Hino's field of vision, clearly divided into five sections:
Entertainment, Inquiry, Legal, News, Reporting.
Each section is framed with a cool-toned box.
Hino first looked at the entertainment section, which only had four options.
The Voice of Sunagakure (puppet show soundtrack), Labor is Glorious (circling back to show photos of outstanding miners), Literacy Lessons, Introduction to Chakra (teaching video on Chakra Refinement Technique ).
"Is this what you call entertainment?" Hino to himself with a wry smile.
He switched to the search bar.
The content here is slightly more practical, including personal work hour records, mine safety rules, prosthetic body maintenance guidelines, relief food distribution points, etc.
Hino tried to 'think of' a command to check today's work hours.
Then a line of numbers popped up in his field of vision: Today's working hours: 14 hours and 27 minutes
He tried other things.
[Total working hours this month: 187 hours]
[Mining Area Ranking: 428th]
[Basic Compensation: Not Paid]
Next up is the legal section.
There's nothing interesting about this; it's constantly being updated and scrolling, making it impossible to keep up.
Moreover, even though he recognized all the individual words in the content, he still couldn't understand it when they were put together.
News section.
This section is the most exquisite, with the headline being Kazekage Rasa, a video of a speech by one of the five giants of the Reform Society.
"Thanks to the efforts of all the people of Sunagakure, we successfully repelled yet another provocation from Iwagakure..."
Scroll down to see news of technological breakthroughs by the Reform Society, lists of outstanding workers, and briefings on the situation in the Shinobi World.
But when he tried to click on a detailed report about the border conflict, a prompt appeared.
[Insufficient license rights]
Finally, there's that bright red reporting section.
The interface is unsettlingly simple.
Report inappropriate remarks, violations, device malfunctions, contact the monitoring team in emergencies, and provide your own account of the situation.
Each option is followed by a line of small print. "Reporting and verifying will earn you extra reward points."
Hino stared at the reporting section for a long time, but finally looked away and clicked on the contact options in the search section instead.
Several pre-set accounts were found in the list.
Emergency medical assistance, security alarms, and reporting of prosthetic body malfunctions.
Each contact person is marked as available 24 hours a day.
But Hino noticed a line of almost transparent text at the very bottom of the page.
All communication records will be archived for future reference.
After a quick inspection.
Hino took out the note the doctor had handed him; a string of words was written on it in messy handwriting.
Medical Department - Yamashiro - 28.
Enter this number into the search bar, and a concise account information will immediately pop up.
[ Medical Department - Prosthetics and Maintenance Section - Dr. Yamashiro ]
[Employee ID: 28]
[Specialty: Neuroprosthetic Connection]
Click 'Add Contact' and the system will immediately display a message indicating that the contact has been added successfully.
Almost simultaneously, a message popped up.
Dr. Yamashiro: X-7431, how are you feeling after the surgery?
Hino noticed that the other person was still addressing him by his number, which annoyed him, but after hesitating for a moment, he replied anyway.
Hino: I see double images in my field of vision, and it's very difficult for me to see things.
Dr. Yamashiro: This is a normal adaptation reaction. It will be fine after a month. Remember to avoid strong light and maintain routine care.
Hino: Can you turn off those floating notifications?
Yamashiro Doctor: Just close your eyes and it'll disappear, won't it? #Funny
Hino was about to ask further, he suddenly noticed that the doctor's profile picture showed a "Busy - Do Not Disturb" status.
He tried to transmit it.
Hino: What exactly was that report?
A red exclamation mark immediately appeared before the message.
[The other party has set their phone to Do Not Disturb mode]
Frustrated, Hino ripped off the Spirit Puppet, and the blue interfaces instantly disappeared from his sight.
Amidst the chorus of snores in the workers' shed, he stared at the mottled ceiling, lost in thought.
After a long while, Hino slowly closed his eyes.
Finally, the annoying stream of data disappeared completely from view, and for the first time, darkness seemed so pure and precious.
The sounds from inside the workers' shed gradually became clearer.
The Shayan snored softly, the distant hum of machinery chugged, and the gentle tapping of sand against the windowpane.
These authentic voices are far more heartwarming than cold, hard data.
Outside the window, the moon was obscured by clouds, only revealing a hazy halo.
Hino's breathing gradually calmed down, and he fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning.
As the sharp whistle pierced the dawn, Hino had already opened his eyes.
Everyone else in the shed sat up reflexively, without complaining or lingering in bed.
In the Sunagakure, being late for work means losing pay, and they can't afford to lose that.
Hino skillfully moved his mechanical right hand, the joints making a slight clicking sound.
He frowned, and pulled a small metal box from under the bed, which contained cheap lubricant he had bought on the black market.
"The third bearing is stuck again?" Shayan, in the next bed, asked, squinting.
At that moment, he was using a small file to repair the seams of his left prosthetic leg, his movements as skillful as an old repairman.
"Hmm, I guess the gravel from the mine yesterday got in again." Hino chewed on a small wrench, deftly disassembling his wrist armor with his right hand.
In the dim morning light, he could see a thick layer of black grime accumulated on the bearing.
The clanging of metal echoed throughout the workers' shed.
Some people are using stones to hit the deformed joints of the prosthetic limb, while others are helping each other tighten loose screws.
Here, or rather, among every poor person who has had a prosthetic body installed, almost everyone possesses the most basic skills in repairing prosthetic bodies.
After all, the official repair shops charge very high prices, enough to buy them half a month's worth of food.
Anyway, since the main body isn't damaged, replacing the parts will be quick.
"Can I borrow the dwarf for a moment?" Shayan said, extending his hand.
Hino tossed the tools over and casually caught the half-bottle of lubricant handed to him.
When Hino reattached his armor, he found Shayan staring blankly at the knee joint of his prosthetic left leg.
"What's wrong?"
"The shock-absorbing pads inside are almost worn through," Shayan's voice was a little hoarse. "If they deduct money from my pay again this month, I'll..."
Before he could finish speaking, the foreman's rough shouts came from afar.
Everyone instinctively stood up and stuffed their repair tools into their pockets or leggings.
Hino stretched his newly repaired right hand, feeling the slight resistance as the bearing turned, and walked out of the workshop.
A long queue had already formed in the morning mist.
Hino's prosthetic eye automatically scanned ahead, and today's work schedule popped up in the corner of his field of vision.
[Northern District Mine Tunnel Reinforcement]
[Target working hours: 12 hours]
[Current mining area ranking: 428/689]