I'm playing Frostpunk in Arknights

After sending the recruitment request to Dorothy, Wang Zhan casually scanned the list of potential recruits. Amid the sea of unfamiliar names, one name jumped out: "Gatling."

A doctor?

Shouldn't he be an engineer capable of crafting me a Gatling gun? Wang Zhan chuckled to himself but still carefully examined Gatling's detailed profile. It turned out he was just an ordinary rural doctor. Shrugging, Wang Zhan clicked the recruit button.

[Recruitment successful. Gatling will arrive at the energy tower within two days.]

Wang Zhan wanted to recruit another doctor, but besides some distant traveling physicians, the only other options were urban clinic doctors.

"What else can I do now?"

With Talulah negotiating with nearby villages and Alina using her free time to teach the children how to read, Wang Zhan checked the law tree. The cooldown timer still had over ten hours.

He set an alarm for when the cooldown ended so he could immediately enact a new policy. After completing the remaining camp upgrades, Wang Zhan found himself with nothing to do.

Feeling bored, he opened his phone and messaged Mu Ye:

"Is there a way I can monitor the energy tower's status even if I'm not around?"

"Master isn't available right now~ You'll get a reply soon!"

---

"You received a job offer from Ursus?"

Dorothy took the bill her university classmate handed her. Glancing at it, she noticed the medical fees had been inflated by 10%. Considering the doctor's expertise, she figured the extra cost was warranted, especially since the illness plaguing the frontier settlers had been severe.

"Yeah, it's in the northern region of Ursus, which is practically a no-man's land." Dorothy placed the bill back on the table. Besides that, there were additional hospital fees to settle.

"That company seems to be struggling financially," Dorothy remarked, though her face showed no concern. "Although, it's not the only one—Rhine Lab's HR reached out to me too…"

"Stop right there! Let me guess—you've already got a stack of offers from top-tier companies, haven't you?"

Her classmate adjusted his glasses. Dorothy was a prodigy among prodigies, so it wasn't surprising companies were vying for her.

"You really should rein it in. Rhine Lab is incredibly promising. Its founder has been renowned across Trimount long before the company was established. Their fame even eclipses that of Loken at his peak."

Dorothy smiled in her signature gentle manner.

Her classmate scoffed. As the child of pioneers, Dorothy's idealistic compassion for the downtrodden was understandable.

"So, did you borrow money again this time?"

"He truly had no other options."

"There are plenty of desperate people out there. You can't expect to save them all," the classmate sighed. "You probably noticed I overcharged you. That was my way of encouraging you to think more about yourself, okay?"

Dorothy's amber eyes gleamed with realization. Yes, there are countless people in dire straits. The suffering on this land is unending. How can I, alone, save them all?

Dorothy leaned over the table and clasped her classmate's hands. "You're right, Anna. I can't do it alone."

With a soft yet determined gaze, Dorothy's words sent a chill down Anna's spine. Even after all these years, Dorothy remained a person who was true to herself.

---

In the northern wilderness of Ursus, Babbage reviewed a telegram from the eastern frontier. It contained a single ominous line:

[A storm is coming. Be fully prepared.]

A storm? Something this formal for a mere storm?

This communication line was rarely used, and recent reports from the Catastrophe Messengers showed no signs of extreme weather.

"Hexley, send a telegram to the eastern frontier for details."

"They've gone silent," Hexley reported.

Babbage furrowed his brows, twisting his mustache as he signaled for Hexley to continue.

"I suspect they're facing a catastrophe that's interfering with communications."

"The Catastrophe Messengers aren't incompetent. They would've issued warnings well before a catastrophe hit. Plus, mobile cities are fast enough to evade such dangers. How could they have been caught off guard?"

"Babbage, I believe it's a malfunction in their mobile city."

"I told you to call me Genius. Do you remember our agreement?"

Hexley rolled his eyes. "Maybe you should legally change your name to 'Genius.' That way, everyone except me would call you that."

Even as the chief engineer, Babbage's minor wish remained unfulfilled. How cruel, Hexley.

"Fine. I'll speak with the baron and give Captain Corvo a heads-up."

"That's 'Chief Guard,' Babbage."

"I know," Babbage smirked. "But what's the difference between what he does and what a security guard does?"

Hexley shrugged. "I can't argue with that."

---

By evening, Wang Zhan still hadn't received a reply from Mu Ye. Maybe they're only free at night.

"It's about time to start the energy tower."

The sound of a gong echoed from the screen as Alina shouted, "Workday's over, everyone! That's it for today!"

"Already?" A laborer glanced at the setting sun. "If we just keep going, we could finish tearing down this house."

Enli walked by with a scoff. "Maybe if your team wasn't so slow to gather, you'd be done. We're done."

"Whatever. I'm off to rest!" The laborer smirked, waving dismissively.

Enli grumbled and led his team toward the hunter's cabin.

At the energy tower's base, Alina counted the gathered crowd. Except for the five patrolling warriors and Talulah, everyone was present.

"Energy Tower Master, please activate the energy tower," Alina requested.

Wang Zhan, seated at his screen, waited for the crowd to assemble. Talulah likely wouldn't return soon.

He opened the tower interface and selected "Steam Level 1." With a thunderous roar, heat surged as the machinery hummed to life. The central vortex churned like a powerful melody, captivating the infected workers.

Even after a day's hard labor, the sight of the tower lit a fire in their spirits.

"Alright, everyone. Go rest now."

Standing beneath the tower, Alina watched the joyful crowd with a smile of contentment. Such peaceful days are worth treasuring.

"Miss Alina," an infected worker approached, rubbing his hands nervously. "Do you think the Energy Tower Master forgot about me?"

Wang Zhan gasped. How did I forget about this guy after planning everything else? It felt like a manager realizing too late that someone had been slacking unnoticed.

"Don't worry," Alina reassured him. "The Energy Tower Master has plans for everyone. Just accept what's meant for you."

"You're so understanding," the worker chuckled sheepishly.

---

Meanwhile, Enli stood at the northern canyon's entrance, gazing at the glowing energy tower. He sighed, "Let's move out, folks."

"Enli, going hunting again?"

A patrolling warrior emerged from the northern canyon, handing over a bag of berries. "Not sure what you did to deserve punishment, but here, take these."

Enli smiled bitterly. "Keep them for yourself."

"Don't be stubborn. Take them," the warrior said with a hearty laugh, tossing the bag to another worker.

The warrior's generosity left Enli feeling both grateful and ashamed. If only he knew the truth...

"What did you do to make you so afraid of him?"

Enli flinched at the sudden voice. He looked around but saw no one.

Could the Energy Tower Master be speaking directly to me?

Falling to his knees, he pleaded, "Forgive me! I shouldn't have plotted against Alina, trying to steal her fruit—and her life!"

"Interesting," a cold voice interrupted. An icy arrowhead pointed at Enli's head as a small figure appeared in the canyon.

"No wonder you've been working nonstop," the figure remarked.

"Sasha! You little brat—"

"Don't move, or I'll end you."