I'm playing Frostpunk in Arknights

"That's a good name. Does it mean anything?"

Mephisto pulled out the playbook from his pocket. Talulah accepted it with a smile, noticing the spark of light in his gray eyes. She wondered if she should open it immediately but decided against it; doing so might trivialize the child's sincerity.

"You don't have to read it right away… Since Sasha chose the name Faust, I found this name from the same book," Mephisto explained.

Talulah tucked the book into her belt. "Mephisto. From this moment forward, you are Mephisto, and the past will no longer bind you."

"But I won't forget Sasha… I mean Faust," Mephisto said, looking troubled. "If Sasha has also changed his name, and we've both left our pasts behind, does that mean we're strangers now?"

Talulah felt a pang of bitterness. Was this child's line of thought… peculiar? Alina couldn't help but chuckle.

A genius?!

Mephisto's perspective left the two women silent, while Wang Zhan burst into laughter. "The Faust who's walked alongside you this far—why would you need to separate yourselves? You're already family."

Alina repeated Wang Zhan's words, and Faust's face lit up with a bright smile. "The Generator said it right. Faust is my family. And so are you, Alina, Talulah…"

"And the Generator!"

Wang Zhan was momentarily stunned into silence. Was this kid too trusting? If he were a trafficker, Mephisto might even thank him and hand over his savings.

"The Generator?"

Alina's face glowed with expectation. Did she want him to formally acknowledge himself as Mephisto's guardian? Did that mean she thought of herself as his… parent?

He'd never "adopted" a child this big before.

Wang Zhan quickly came up with a tactful response. "Under the Generator, everyone here is family. Caring for one another, looking out for each other, and making the Generator a happy home—these are all things we should naturally do."

After a moment of thought, Alina shared Wang Zhan's words with Talulah, who lowered her head in contemplation. "The Generator is right. Under the Generator, we are all family."

"We gather here, building a home together and fighting against the injustices of this land."

"We will become a refuge, as well as the starting point for rebellion."

Talulah's serious tone left no room for doubt. Though Wang Zhan only aimed to fulfill the game's objectives, he couldn't help but feel a tinge of something deeper.

A game, he thought. Just a game. Why not indulge Talulah's ideals for a while?

"Very well. I admire your courage," Talulah said, feeling bolstered by Wang Zhan's reply. The Patriarch had hesitated for so long, but the Generator's immediate affirmation was deeply reassuring.

She didn't know whether this was entirely a good thing, but with the Generator's assistance, ensuring the survival of the infected no longer felt like a pipe dream.

"Alright, why are you all standing around here? The workstation is really closing up now," a worker complained.

The three infected standing by the workstation had clearly been eavesdropping on the conversation but tried to play it off. "We were just… cold! Yes, it's freezing out here!"

"Fine. Close up the workstation and get some rest," Alina said gently. "We're counting on you tomorrow."

The trio shuffled off reluctantly, mumbling excuses.

"By the way," Talulah said suddenly, turning to Alina. "The second shipment from the black market arrives tomorrow."

Alina tilted her head in confusion. "What are you trying to say?"

The two women stared at each other, neither backing down. Talulah's face flushed red before she finally blurted, "I want to request a day off from the Generator. I can't work on the workstation tomorrow."

Asking for leave… was that really so hard to say?

Since it was for the black market deal, a small disruption to workstation operations wasn't a big deal.

"Approved!"

"The Generator says it's fine. Missing a few hours of work won't derail the plans," Alina said confidently.

Talulah let out a relieved sigh. "Will this delay the Generator's plans?"

Talulah's conscientiousness moved Wang Zhan. With workers like her, any employer would be ecstatic.

"If the Generator says it's fine, then it's fine," Alina assured her. "Relax a little!"

"And I'll try to contact Ludmilla," Alina added. It had been days since their request to find engineers; a response was due soon. "I haven't forgotten the Generator's request."

Ludmilla? Wang Zhan opened the wiki. Turns out she was a high-ranking member of the Reunion Movement, once known as the "King Slayer." While a relic of the past in the game's lore, perhaps she was still strong and reliable here.

From Talulah's tone, it seemed Ludmilla had significant connections in the south.

"Will you be gone long?"

"I'll meet the transport team at the usual spot," Talulah replied.

The infected near the Generator gradually quieted, and Alina and Talulah eventually went to rest.

Wang Zhan sent his suggestions to Mu Ye, who firmly rejected the idea of skipping the Gladiator Pit decree.

Even though new entertainment decrees were available, the boss was unwavering.

Putting aside his thoughts on storytelling, Wang Zhan set his alarm. At 2 a.m., he'd unlock Apprentice Engineers, which would slightly boost workstation efficiency.

By the time the storm hit and the guerrilla squads arrived, many would likely be injured. It seemed wise to lean into medical decrees next, perhaps even Overcrowded Wards to increase shelter capacity.

For now, he chose Radical Treatment, prioritizing life-saving amputations. Wang Zhan decided to save another decree slot for when the storm came.

The next morning, Alina announced the new decree under the Generator: children would study engineering and assist in workstation tasks.

"I think it's a good idea," one infected said, hands on hips. "It benefits everyone if we finish workstation tasks faster, right?"

The crowd nodded in agreement, praising the Generator's foresight. Now, truly, no one under the Generator would be idle.

"The Generator is powering down!"

Wang Zhan shut off the Generator on time. The infected understood it was time to work and left for their stations without Alina's prompting.

"Alina, once the workshop is built, we'll need to ramp up production," Wang Zhan noted.

Every camp had to be converted into proper workshops. By tonight, another promise would be fulfilled.

But steel—steel was running out. Depending on collection posts could only stretch so far. When the steel finally dried up, he'd have no choice but to build a Steelworks.

If not, where else could he find the steel he needed?