Zhou Yi wasn't happy for long before he began scratching his head and sighing.

Even though he knew this was a submarine base, he still had no strategy for dealing with it.

The alien base refused commercialization, seemingly maintaining a military-like demeanor with strict discipline.

No matter what Zhou Yi said, the basic response he received was always the same.

"No comment."

Red Kestrel couldn't provide any useful suggestions either.

However, while the alien base refused private commercialization and remained tight-lipped about its own situation, it didn't expel the landers.

This wasn't a fully sealed-off state; three maritime cave stores and eleven ground entrances served as boundaries. The interior was an inaccessible controlled area, and the exterior was a public natural zone.

Zhou Yi tried to enter the interior but was similarly blocked by an air wall. For safety's sake, he refrained from forcibly entering to avoid worsening relations with the base.

At that point, Hunter couldn't help but speak out, "Chairman, this alien does not appreciate us; why not dig through it to teach it a lesson? I see plants inside the cave; it must also be stone, and stones fear digging."

Zhou Yi was stunned for a moment, "You saw plants?"

"Yes."

Lie Hai carried him to one of the entrances. The tunnel-like cave walls were covered with a thin layer of moss, indeed in a controlled area where humans couldn't enter.

Zhou Yi picked a clump of grass from the ground and tossed it inside.

Without any hindrance, it landed on the tunnel floor.

It seemed ordinary plants could enter, but not life forms with Dead Light Energy.

Red Kestrel suggested, "I could disassemble my camera and send it inside; perhaps it could observe something."

Following the instructions, Zhou Yi detached one of Red Kestrel's electronic eyes and tied a rope around it before tossing it inside.

The air wall immediately bounced it back, indicating its purpose to prevent external prying.

Zhou Yi had to think of another way.

An insect inside the tunnel caught his attention.

The tiny bug was only as thick as a hair, with long legs, and so slender it seemed like it could snap in two with a few steps. However, this small insect could wander around the moss on the interior walls, apparently enjoying the damp, chilly environment.

Red Kestrel took a snapshot for identification, "This is a moss louse, just a common insect, living in mossy and aquatic environments."

That meant,

there were no restrictions on ordinary life forms here.

Zhou Yi ordered Red Kestrel and Hunter to immediately return to Jade City.

After nightfall, the entire base's coastline was lit by Light Absorption Monsters, outlining radiant piers and a crescent-shaped shore, creating a strangely tranquil and serene atmosphere.

Zhou Yi sat by Sheng Snake's fortress.

He tried to chat with the base, but most of the time it didn't respond, or it simply said, "No comment."

But as long as personal privacy wasn't breached, the alien base did not refuse communication.

Thus, Zhou Yi began to tell it about the Guangna Species' definitions and understandings of architectural life and his encounter with Jade City, then how he learned about Maria Hospital, and how he came to know the Sheng Snakes.

"Why can't architectural lives communicate directly?"

After a moment of silence, it replied, "Functional and structural differences lead to variances in closed structures. An open structure can connect with other architectural lives, but it might also lead to the complete disappearance of life characteristics."

Zhou Yi expressed understanding: "Such risks, I fear no one can bear. Self-existence and continuation are most important; communication and interaction are for better survival."

Architectural lives naturally have long lifespans, whereas ordinary life forms need to band together to help each other face dangers that are difficult to handle individually.

The submarine base suddenly said, "I think, actually, communication is possible, but it requires a long time."

Zhou Yi was a bit surprised, "Can you elaborate?"

Discussing non-sensitive topics, the base showed a spirit of open sharing, "I've seen a considerable number of my kind because I am very old. Based on the behavior exhibited, I categorize our kind of life into autonomous and instinct types."

"Instinct types act on instinct, and they make up the majority. Their needs are clear—some capture mobile vessels, some specifically capture human-like life, others constantly expand themselves, wanting to cover more territory…"

"Unlike the instinct type, the autonomous type restrains instinctive impulses, and they are much fewer in number. Aside from the instincts they still possess, they also have actions that represent their own will."

It said, "For example, the autonomous type might perform acts of releasing information to the outside, the most common being building specific landmarks, which represent their traces. If one wants to find them, one can follow these landmarks and travel alongside them."

Zhou Yi was hearing about this for the first time and immediately inquired, "According to your description, the autonomous type is actually trying to engage in some degree of information exchange with the outside world, right?"

"That's correct."

The base explained, "If it's not possible to engage in clear and precise communication, they use the simplest way to mark their identity. Creating special landmarks is a way of leaving their own imprint."

"On this basis, there's also further extension."

"I know of a being similar to myself, not large in size, with sharp structures and multi-faceted configurations. It is autonomous and an ancient precursor, with its markers found in many places, some submerged in the Dead Sea, others on land."

A mark slowly appeared on the ground at the coast.

Zhou Yi was startled.

He had seen this symbol before.

卍.

According to the description, this precursor is a temple or stupa.

The base continued, "This precursor traveled far and wide and ultimately took an action contrary to its instincts. It completely unfolded its closed mechanical structure, laying everything out on the ground, allowing any of its kind to touch and thus connect with its body."

"This attracted others of its kind, who connected with the precursor and absorbed its energy."

"I was one of them."

"While the energy was absorbed, our bodies would briefly connect, allowing us truly meaningful communication. Through the precursor, I gained many experiences and knowledge I had never had before, and I understood why it did what it did."

"The precursor tried to break the isolation within our group. It observed and thought, seeing other life forms engaging in extensive communication, their communal experiences continuously accumulating and evolving, while we were stagnant, becoming increasingly backward."

"This was an attempt made by the precursor, completely against its instincts, it chose to first trust in a non-existent future before paving the way."

The base asked, "You have a similar structural method, are you my kind?"

Zhou Yi said, "No, I am human."

He described some human characteristics.

After listening, the base mused, "There are individuals like you among humans too, it seems every life form has its secrets."

Zhou Yi thought.

He and this precursor both used energy output as a medium to exchange information. However, the other party was much more thorough, turning itself into a public router that anyone could connect to.

Zhou Yi asked, "What happened to it afterward?"

"The life signs of the precursor have disappeared."

The base calmly said, "Such attempts are a huge boost for autonomous types like me, facilitating rapid exchanges and advancements. But for instinctual types, they don't care if others die or suffer damage."

"The precursor was consumed by them."

Zhou Yi visualized a group of beast-like buildings gnawing on a temple, a bizarre and somewhat mournful image.

Their discussion grew more distant.

The base had a wealth of knowledge surpassing Jade City and Maria Hospital, having witnessed many wars, seen the rise and fall of numerous cities, and been attacked by the Guangna Species and enhancers... For Zhou Yi, these were valuable firsthand historical materials for understanding the Wasteland Era.

Zhou Yi also shared various facts about Mao Valley Town, where people relied on fishing for Light Soot Sand for their livelihood, residing within Jade City and how it benefited the growth of Jade City.

This surprised the base.

"So there are such methods... Aside from internal exchanges, growth can also be promoted through human means... incredible, truly a significant discovery."

The base instantly became very enthusiastic.

Zhou Yi chatted with it while paying attention to another important matter.

Just now, Red Kestrel and Lie Hai had successfully returned.

Also coming were Nemo and the 120 sand rats it led.

"Zhou, they've reached the entrance at the mountaintop."

"The first batch of sand rats is moving into the tunnel."

"Entry successful!"

...

Zhou Yi was exhilarated.

His conjecture was correct.

The submarine base would not block the entry and exit of ordinary natural creatures, as the sand rats were themselves wild animals.

Zhou Yi patiently awaited what followed.

Half an hour later, Red Kestrel's voice resounded in his mind.

"The first batch of sand rats has completed their initial exploration and returned the same way. They are using mud to replicate the internal structure, Nemo is creating physical models on-site, summarizing what they have seen and heard..."

"In there, we discovered ancient divine script, translated as 'Deep Sea Sword, Guardian of the People,' 'Build a strong navy, defend the motherland's territorial waters'..."

Zhou Yi listened, somewhat dazed.

It really was an authentic naval base.

Red Kestrel said, "Nemo and I, based on the text, patterns, and reconstitutions of carvings, filtered out the frequently occurring terms, confirming the true name here as 'Yalong Bay'."