"Master Xiao Lin, pray, exercise caution. Though the departed has long since turned to dust, peril may yet linger in the shadows," Lin Nian Nian warned from the side.
Her voice served as an anchor, pulling Xiao Lin back from the abyss of his reverie. "Fear not. He bears me no malice."
"You appear... burdened by sorrow."
"Do I?" Xiao Lin traced the contours of his own visage. In that fleeting moment, a tempest of thoughts had raged within his mind; he knew not if grief was amongst them.
"Your brows are knitted inwards, the corners of your lips droop, and the orbicularis oculi contracts. These are the telltale sigils of human melancholy."
Lin Nian Nian began to expound with the confidence of a scholar.
"However, were you a great ape or a primate, such an expression might signify sheer ecstasy."
Xiao Lin pressed his lips together, rendering himself utterly silent. He failed to comprehend how a maiden of such fair appearance could be cursed with a tongue so ceaseless.
"Master Xiao Lin, did you know? I once devised a methodology to discern humanity through facial expressions."
"And then, one day, Zhou Zheng sketched a smiley face upon the wall, and I conversed with it for two hours."
"It remained silent the entire time. I presumed it was simply a being of innate joy, averse to speech."
A spasm twitched at the corner of Xiao Lin's mouth. "Did you manage to talk it into weeping?"
"Master Xiao Lin, you possess a certain... simplicity. A painting cannot alter its countenance; it is but pigment and paper!" Lin Nian Nian retorted with lively irony.
Xiao Lin descended into a profound silence. He concluded that this maiden was likely a simpleton... and yet, he had been outwitted by said simpleton. A deep sense of helplessness compelled the ancient being to release a long, weary sigh.
He abandoned his resistance and steered the discourse elsewhere. "Aside from this spectacle, are there other sites worthy of pilgrimage?"
Lin Nian Nian gnawed upon her finger, lost in thought. "Master Xiao Lin, can you surmise why our settlement is christened 'Satellite Town'?"
"Is it because you exist in the orbit of a metropolis?" Xiao Lin recited the definition of a satellite town.
Lin Nian Nian shook her head. "Nay."
"Surely it is not because you possess a literal celestial satellite?"
Lin Nian Nian blinked.
"By the Heavens, surely not? You possess a satellite?"
As they traversed the thoroughfare towards the Town Hall, roughly two blocks hence, Xiao Lin beheld the satellite. It was a charred monolith, fractured and broken, a hollow husk remaining.
Exposed wires and piping bore witness to the pillaging it had endured; it was now devoid of all glory.
Its main body was driven askew into the earth, leaning against the ruins of a pierced dwelling, encircled by rubble and wild weeds.
Turbid sunlight pierced through the breach, casting a beauty that was both desolate and absurd.
"The Pupil of the Deep Void," Xiao Lin identified the satellite.
It was the dedicated observation satellite of the Tianyan Institute, one of the apex creations of the world. Fifteen meters in length, a wingspan of nine, weighing twenty tons—forged by the alliance of twenty nations.
Its primordial design was to capture a hypothetical particle, the "Mystery Particle," which may or may not have existed. Thus, it was armed with surface mapping and dynamic surveillance apparatus, alongside varied particle detectors.
Xiao Lin had attended its ascension ceremony. At the Jiuquan Launch Center.
He still recalled that preposterously massive rocket ascending amidst a sea of raging flames.
The emblems of twenty nations glittered upon its hull, and the air was thick with the acclamation of the masses.
Now, all glory was interred by history, and it lay here, a mere skeleton.
"How is it? Magnificent, is it not? Rumor has it there were attempts to restore it, but they ended in failure. Thereafter, the grave robbers stripped its innards bare."
Lin Nian Nian chattered on beside him.
But Xiao Lin remained deaf to her words. Gazing upon the colossal ruin, a notion quietly blossomed within his heart.
If his power could resurrect the Institute, could it not also resurrect this satellite?
The ground control center resided within the Tianyan Institute. Should he revive this satellite, he could comprehend this world with far greater clarity.
He stepped over the fallen bricks, approaching the face of the wreckage.
Closing his eyes, he steeled his spirit and extended his hand, making gentle contact.
Silently, he perceived the ancient ruin, sensing the faint heartbeat deep within its slumber.
"Awaken. Return to this realm," Xiao Lin murmured.
The surroundings were hushed, save for the whisper of the wind threading through the ruins.
Long moments passed until a voice suddenly rang out beside his ear.
"Master Xiao Lin, I have observed a peculiar habit of yours: you have a penchant for touching everything indiscriminately."
"First the corpse, and now this. This object has sat here for ages; it is quite filthy..."
"Do remember to wash your hands later."
Verily, that was not the voice of the satellite. It was the voice of Lin Nian Nian...
It seemed his hopes were but a whimsical fantasy. Xiao Lin withdrew his hand, offering an explanation: "I was not touching it without cause. I was merely conducting an experiment."
"An experiment? Surely you did not intend to resurrect this contraption?"
"I saw your lips move. You said, 'Awaken, return to this realm.'"
"Hahahaha, Master Xiao Lin, you are somewhat childish."
A sudden, violent urge to strangle the maiden seized Xiao Lin.
She was vexing. Truly vexing. Conversing with her felt akin to having a thousand needles prick one's skin.
He silently retracted his hand and, holding his breath, spoke: "Let us proceed to another location."
"Very well! Let us tour the commercial district!" Lin Nian Nian exclaimed with gusto.
"Are you certain this is an orientation, and not a shopping excursion?"
"It is a serendipitous combination~"
Just as they emerged from the ruins, a small white shadow drifted down from the firmament.
It was a paper airplane, white as snow. It glided lightly through the street, circling Lin Nian Nian as if it were a living creature.
"Ah, the Mayor's paper aircraft!!" Lin Nian Nian cried out, snatching it from the air.
"What... manner of artifact is this?" Xiao Lin asked, surprised.
"Oh, merely a communication tool. This stationery is known as 'Swallow Script.' It can track a specific individual within a certain range, used for short-distance communion."
As Lin Nian Nian explained, she unfolded the plane. Upon the paper, large characters were scrawled: "Return to work immediately."
Four simple words. Lin Nian Nian's countenance shifted dramatically. "Doomed! I have a crucial matter this afternoon, and I have forgotten! Salvation!!"
Watching her panic-stricken state, Xiao Lin felt a surge of delight. It seemed that even in this transcendent era, the slaves of labor were still bound to their duties.
"What matter is so urgent?" Xiao Lin inquired idly.
"I am tasked with contacting Mr. Bai on the web for our Mayor today."
Xiao Lin froze. The world had crumbled into such a state, yet the Internet persisted?
But before he could inquire further, Lin Nian Nian spoke: "Ah, in any case, I must depart. Master Xiao Lin, explore on your own for a while."
"Wait. I shall accompany you."
"But this is internal labor. I know not if the Mayor permits me to bring you..." Lin Nian Nian hesitated.
"If I attend, I can bear witness that you were not idling away the morning. Otherwise, he may dock your wages."
Lin Nian Nian fell into contemplation.
Lin Nian Nian ceased her contemplation. She abruptly raised her head and declared: "Indeed. Logic dictates this. Master Xiao Lin, remember to sing my praises later."