Chapter 228: The New Order
Joric did not pursue absolute, deathly order.
Total control and ultimate order, if achieved at the cost of completely suppressing free will, could not bring about maximum efficiency in the true sense.
The complexity of human nature far exceeded simple models. Excessive suppression, just like excessive indulgence, would lead to the distortion of individuals and the system, causing imperceptible losses in efficiency.
Just as a spring kept constantly taut would eventually lose its elasticity, a system without any redundancy or buffer space would inevitably lack the resilience to cope with change.
He believed that only through combining a reasonable control framework with a moderate amount of autonomous space could individuals be maintained in a relatively stable and creative state.
This dynamic balance was precisely the key to achieving higher overall work efficiency on a macro level.
In contrast, the practices of certain extreme factions within the Adeptus Mechanicus—placing all behavior under the absolute domination of cold calculation, squeezing humans until not a second remained, and even viewing them as replaceable standard parts—were, in his view, a path toward another kind of rigidity and inefficiency.
While pursuing absolute controllability, this mode ruthlessly strangled the unexpected sparks of inspiration that might burst forth outside the strict framework.
And this social experiment he was conducting in Night City had, as one of its deeper purposes, the exploration of that optimal efficiency boundary that might exist between absolute order and chaotic freedom.
As the transport vehicle left the relatively loose blocks and passed through the City Center district, Joric's observations found confirmation in reality.
This place had been the vortex center of power struggles, but now it presented a strange calm.
The defensive fortifications on the periphery of the buildings had been removed, replaced by open sentries, hidden posts, and uninterrupted electronic surveillance.
Pedestrians passing by would unconsciously quicken their pace, daring not to linger.
The symbol of power had never been so concrete, yet it was no longer displayed through overt violence, but internalized as an omnipresent, silent deterrence.
The vehicle finally drove into a relatively quiet neighborhood near Charter Hill.
This area had once been planned as a high-end residential zone, but it had inevitably decayed during the past chaos.
Now, under the Administrator's allocation, this area was designated as a priority security zone. The infrastructure was sound, and the security level was the highest, making it suitable for establishing a temporary research site.
Joric chose a standalone building with a reinforced underground structure to serve as both a temporary workshop and residence.
The vehicle came to a steady halt. Ignis was the first to disembark, performing a security confirmation.
Joric then stepped out of the carriage. His metal feet stepped onto the clean sidewalk, making a slight sound.
He looked up. The sky of Night City was still dyed a vague purplish-red by neon lights, and giant holographic billboards still flickered tirelessly.
But upon closer observation, the content of the ads had quietly changed: the sexually suggestive, violent, and extremely provocative content of the past had been drastically reduced. Taking their place were public service notifications, standardized job recruitment information, and commercial advertisements with a relatively "healthy" style that had passed content review.
The background soundscape of the city had also undergone a marked change.
The gunfire of gang wars and the clamor of street thugs were almost extinct. Replacing them was the low hum of traffic running on schedule, the occasional official broadcast, and a faint, barely perceptible whisper from the underclass suppressed beneath the surface.
In the air, the strong odor of the past—a mix of rotting garbage, exhaust, cheap alcohol, and desire—had visibly faded.
While far from fresh, it was at least no longer as suffocating as before.
The sensory experience of this city was being redefined; a calculated order was reshaping its every corner.
He walked into the temporary workshop. The Servo-skull immediately activated from standby mode, beginning to take over the management of this temporary residence and workshop.
Ignis directed the Secutarii to establish a tight security perimeter around the building.
Joric stood before the temporary main console and connected to the data stream of the city management system.
Massive amounts of information flooded into his processing core like a tame river—energy consumption curves, traffic flow statistics, job matching rates, basic material rationing status, crime reports, public health data...
Everything was running according to the "Contribution-Security" model he had set.
Efficiency indicators were steadily rising, and chaos was effectively suppressed.
But he also saw what was hidden beneath the data.
Resident satisfaction surveys (though such surveys had limited meaning under the new system) showed widespread tension and repression.
The circulation volume of certain non-essential consumer goods had dropped sharply, indicating that beyond survival security, people's room for active choice had been compressed.
Sensors in some fringe areas occasionally returned abnormal energy fluctuations or brief communication interference, implying that there were still activities in the dark unwilling to submit completely.
This was exactly what he wanted to see.
A system forcibly brought into a rational framework, yet retaining internal dynamic tension.
Complete calm meant the beginning of death; moderate, controllable "noise" was instead a manifestation of the system's vitality.
Retaining those graffiti with "artistic value," allowing limited, non-destructive personal expression, and maintaining a micro-amount of choice above basic survival—such as those with excellent work performance obtaining slightly better rations or limited entertainment time—these were the "pressure relief valves" and "active agents" he intentionally left within the system.
Night City itself was a grand social experiment.
Run it first according to the idea of "Control as the Mainstay, Retaining Limited Freedom," observe its long-term effects, and collect social evolution data under different parameters.
If problems arose, adjust and acquire new data points.
This was the meaning of the experiment.
Verify hypotheses, correct models, and explore the boundaries humanity can tolerate and the optimal output balance point achievable under the premise of ensuring absolute control and core efficiency.
He closed most of the real-time data streams, keeping only basic monitoring.
The primary task now was to complete the design and preparation of the large-scale dimension portal. That concerned the final solution for Arasaka and the support for the grander plans of the future.
As for this city, let it run under these new rules for a while. Let the data settle naturally, and let the contradictions evolve slowly under control.
He turned to the hovering Servo-skull, his crimson optical lenses locking onto the structural blueprints of the Dimension Teleporter.
"Begin preliminary energy circuit simulation for the large-scale portal array." He issued the command calmly, throwing his attention completely into the next critical task.
Outside the window, Night City continued to run forward along the trajectory he set, between the cold logic of the AI Administrator and the residual glimmer of humanity. And he was expecting this experiment to bear rich fruits that would satisfy him.
(End of Chapter)