Tower of Overturn

As he spoke these words, both Russell and Cui Que fell into silence and looked at him.

The Inferior leaned back on the sofa, elevating his right leg onto the table in front of him.

But in that instant, Cui Que's gaze turned stern.

Her demeanor changed abruptly, and she squinted at the Inferior.

This haughty Stag coughed lightly, unobtrusively lowered his leg, and wiped the shoeprint he had left on the glass tabletop.

As if nothing had happened, he sat up straight again and said in a deep voice, "Therefore on Happiness Island, behaviors that lower happiness are considered criminal, while those that raise happiness are encouraged. Thus, the Tianen Group encourages the development of industries such as idols, virtual games, toys, and outdoor entertainment."

"You know, Mr. Russell, 'idols,' 'singers,' 'actors,' 'artists,' and 'producers' have a higher status here than us Execution Officers simply because they can 'bring happiness'... Among these professions, comedians hold the highest status."

"—By the way, on Happiness Island, the so-called 'heroes' are also the highest ranked among 'idols.'"

The Inferior said, grinning, "Don't blame me for dampening your spirits at this moment, I'm telling you this because you don't seem like a bad egg. When you actually meet the other 'heroes,' you'll understand why I say this."

Hearing this, Russell seemed to faintly understand why the Inferior looked at him unfavorably.

He could also somewhat realize to what extent people would misuse the name of "hero" in such an environment.

Even if they are not fabricated but genuine heroes… under the indulgence of this environment and people's worship, they are likely to be easily corrupted or even ascended to pedestals, becoming manipulators.

But Russell now had another doubt:

"...Can happiness that is detected and converted into data also be considered happiness?"

"On the contrary. Only happiness that is detected counts,"

The Inferior scoffed softly, "The company only looks at the detected data indicators for happiness. This is a comprehensive value obtained after analyzing many data points including your dopamine, spiritual energy activity, behavior, social conditions, health status, income, and savings. If the data says you're happy, then you are happy; if it says you're not, then you're not."

At this point, Russell suddenly realized something.

Seeing Russell's enlightened expression, Cui Que's eyes softened mysteriously.

"It's somewhat similar to Chongguang Island's approach."

She whispered, "Chongguang Island uses the pretext of 'predicting crimes with artificial intelligence' to analyze unreasonable behaviors of suspected Demons. Whereas the Tianen Group uses the pretext of 'happiness detection' to check for traces of 'out-of-control spiritual energy.'

"Each month's detection report assigns people a corresponding happiness level. If it approaches a danger value, then a mandatory leave is enforced, and the individual must visit psychologists, engage in psychological therapy, or participate in fitness and virtual reality games, or take treatment medications… until the happiness value returns to green, only then is work allowed to resume."

"…Won't long leaves for treating happiness lead to termination?"

"Of course. So if you're 'not happy enough,' it often brings 'misfortune.' First, your job gets outsourced, then your income level drops, and it might even trigger a chain reaction like a snowball. Thus, everyone tries hard to maintain 'joy,' smiling from bosses to employees. If anyone complains or loses their temper, they are immediately alienated."

"Directors and managers of small companies, if they cannot explain patiently with a smile to their subordinates, might even be interviewed by the media. Following that, they could be attacked by online public opinion—if their happiness level drops as a result, they might even be barred from attending board meetings. And if employees are 'not happy enough,' forced 'vacations' to adjust their mood or even dismissals are possible."

"A person who constantly vents bad moods around others is someone his colleagues desperately wish would leave. They fear their own mood might be contaminated by him."

—It's simply unbelievable.

For the first time, Russell realized that the lifestyle on Happiness Island might be more twisted than on Chongguang Island.

Chongguang Island without Chongguang, Happiness Island without happiness… He finally understood why Bad Day had said such words.

"If a person loses their job, income, and social relationships, how can they be happy?"

"Of course, through medication, sometimes surgery, and some more drastic measures might be necessary. But I don't want to tell you about these because even if I did, you wouldn't be able to grasp it fully. It's better if you see it with your own eyes eventually."

The Inferior paused for a moment, then continued, "Of course, more often than not, people prevent issues before they arise, and if they realize their data might not meet standards, they seek 'agencies' to adjust their data beforehand. Ordinary people, before a health check, also make an effort to reward themselves… such as engaging in pleasant activities or consuming gourmet food to temporarily boost their dopamine levels."

"After all… if you're not happy enough for a long period, it's truly possible to turn into a Demon."

Inferior squinted his eyes, "So, instead of solving the causes of unhappiness, why not simply stop 'unhappiness' right there. A person whose spirit is long suppressed, if their desires are strong enough, they could still Awaken their Spiritual Energy under the chip's protection... just like you, just like us. If the Spiritual Energy is not released properly to channel desires, it could potentially turn into a Demon."

"Therefore, the Happiness Detection also detects traces of Spiritual Energy contamination in others. If there are traces of Spiritual Energy on someone with 'redshift levels significantly exceeding the levels of blue shift,' which indicates uncontrolled Spiritual Energy, then an alert will be sent to our department without alarming the individual."

"However, this detection does not confirm whether the individual is a true Demon—the devices that directly detect Spiritual Energy levels are extremely expensive, and the Demons are always on guard."

"Whether it's a Demon, an Enslaved Demon, or just ordinary people attacked by a Demon, as long as they have been affected by uncontrolled Spiritual Energy, such infection traces will be detected. Generally, Awakened Demons become much more cunning. Although they don't know the truth about the Happiness Detection, through cautiousness, many manage to avoid detection. But those who were attacked or controlled by them tend to give themselves away."

"The growth period of a Demon is usually about a month. Hence, the Happiness Detection is also done monthly, but if a Demon has consumed too much spiritual wisdom, it could hatch prematurely."

"By the time we receive the report, it means the Demon has already started attacking ordinary people or creating Enslaved Demons. And it's unknown how long after that, the traces on the victims are detected by us. Generally, the real Demon must be found within three days of receiving the report."

"If there are multiple reports, by comparing the intersections of personal relationships, it's very easy to pinpoint the Demon or narrow down the suspects to just a few individuals. In such cases, even if force is used, at least there's a clear direction."

"But if the Demon's attacks are cautious and slow, there may only be isolated reports over a few days, making it difficult to investigate the true identity of the Demon. Enslaved Demons will undoubtedly start with people close to them, but the attacked individuals might not necessarily have close ties with them. Once alerted, the Demon might stop hiding and start devouring innocent people openly to accelerate its hatching."

"So, the investigation has to be done secretly?"

Russell inquired.

Cui Que nodded, "It must be quick, and there must be no mistakes. A mistake isn't just about wrongly accusing a good person... once a Demon successfully hatches, it means the sacrifice of at least dozens, up to hundreds or thousands of people."

"So, the strength of the enemy I'm facing is...?"

"A fully hatched Demon is generally a level six Spiritual Energy User who has breached the Wall of the Zodiac," the white-haired, dog-eared girl said seriously. "You should know this, though I haven't attended college, I think colleges teach this knowledge. The boundary between level 1-2 is called the Wall of Behemoth, and the boundary between 5-6 is called the Wall of the Zodiac. Once one crosses this boundary, not only does the strength of their Spiritual Energy change drastically, but a Spiritual Energy User who has crossed the Wall of the Zodiac also finds it increasingly difficult to control their Spiritual Energy... they must use an auxiliary expansion chip to seal themselves."

"I know," Russell nodded.

Spiritual Energy Users above level six must use auxiliary expansion chips to blur the memories of their Awakened Spiritual Energy and save the memory that acts as a 'key' in a pivotal chip.

This results in their Spiritual Energy being suppressed below level five. When needed, they can insert that pivotal chip into the interface of their prosthetic bodies—just like a USB used for reinstalling a system; upon insertion, they immediately recall the key memories and remember those blurred memories momentarily, gaining the freshest emotions and the most stable Spiritual Energy, erupting in powerful and controllable bursts.

If their Spiritual Energy continues to grow, crossing between level eight and nine, the "Leviathan Wall"… they transform into bona fide monsters.

Not in the body, but in the spirit. After reaching level nine in redshift, they become 'monsters of the mind' that no human ethics, logic, emotions, memories, or laws can constrain.

Some schools also consider this as a type of 'ascension to godhood'. A process of elevation from the mortal to the divine."

But because there is no explicit mention of Spiritual Energy Users above level nine in textbooks, Russell does not know what that truly entails."

Incidentally, when Russell studied the 'auxiliary expansion chip,' he hadn't recalled his past life's memories. But thinking about it now, it seemed somewhat similar to the transformation of a Masked Rider…"

"If you choose, you can apply for an auxiliary chip at any time. Spiritual Energy Users in the Execution Department, and some Illegal Spiritual Energy Users who fear death and do not want to turn into Demons, use auxiliary chips to seal themselves. But there's no need before you complete the Shift Surge… If you don't seal your Spiritual Energy, it will grow faster. Your blue shift is at level four, and it might take a few months for your redshift to reach level four as well and complete the Shift Surge ceremony."

"You need to be at least level six to ensure your own safety and handle Demon affairs effectively. A newly Awakened Demon is always precisely level six—if a Demon appears, that represents a major oversight by the local Special Execution Department of Sky Island. We must risk our lives to immediately correct this mistake to prevent the situation from worsening," Cui Que paused and added while looking at Russell, "Of course, if something really goes wrong, you can ignore it for now. After all, you're not strong enough; you don't need to involve yourself and frankly can't partake in battles of that level."

"When the time comes, let me and the director handle it."

Inferior said in a calm voice, "You don't have to be afraid. You're still on probation and not yet official… your main responsibility is to track potential Demons."

"…Wait a moment."

Hearing their words, Russell suddenly realized an important issue, "With such a large Happiness Group and over twenty thousand employees… are there really only three of us in the Special Execution Department?"