I, the only superpower on earth

6:30 p.m. American Standard Time.

In the central square of the virtual world "forum", tens of millions of user models are stacked in the same public scene.

But all users who enter it can only see the crowd rubbing shoulders around them, as well as the boundless figures.

Because it is a virtual world, you can adjust the value, whether it is the volume or the picture, if you are the kind of person who likes to be quiet, if you choose to block all, then the figures and voices of other people will disappear completely in an instant, and only you will be left standing alone. The scene above the empty square.

But if a person who likes to be lively and wants to simulate reality not only does not block other people's relevant information, but instead follows the highest simulation level, then at this moment, he is like a tourist in Times Square on New Year's Eve, or It's like the young men and women who came to Itaewon during Halloween. What they hear and see are only human beings, and only human beings are left.

——However, no matter whether any user chooses to block other people's information or not, there is always one thing that cannot be removed.

That is the wordless stele in the center of the square, which is composed of virtual digital signals, but looks so real, with a height of thousands of meters.

This is the "scene concentration point" preset by "forum", and it is the unavoidable center of the picture.

"Ah... that is..."

When Penny came to the "forum", she saw the huge stone tablet in the center at a glance, and the retro grandeur immediately attracted her attention.

Although the signal towers created by Navalli in reality are also towering into the sky, those giant towers cover an area that is too large, like mountains, and from the outside they look more like ultra-modern compound factories with extremely complicated appearances , and is always in a slow transformation, when others look at it, they will only lament the horror of technology, and there is not much room for romance.

On the contrary, this stone tablet, with its thin and simple body, looks like an ancient stone slab or the product of a tombstone enlarged tens of thousands of times. However, it is this simplicity and retroness that gives it a magnificent and lonely beauty.

"oops……"

Although the stone monument in the center of the square is so eye-catching, before Penny could feel too much emotion in her heart, she was already affected by the voices of people and dense figures around her. What he said was stuck in his throat, and when he looked around, there were strange humans everywhere, and no familiar figures could be seen.

"I……"

Petunia still wanted to "squeeze" through the crowd, looking for the person who came in with her, but the gentle voice from her ear reminded her that this was a surreal virtual world, so she didn't have to spend such effort.

"Select the independent scene mode, enter the private channel, id: 572013343, password: penny."

Penny suddenly realized, and did as she said. The next moment, there was a wave of water in the public scene in the virtual world around her, and the figure disappeared in an instant, replaced by a dense and misty space.

The whole space is like a bubble suspended in the fog. Outside the transparent barrier, the only thing that can be seen is the stone tablet in the center of the square, which is firmly fixed there like a road sign.

"Wow……"

Petunia's hand was covering the transparent barrier at the edge of the bubble, and just about to say something, her mother's scolding came from behind her:

"Hey, Petunia, why did you disappear as soon as you entered the 'forum'—be careful, didn't there be such a big commotion yesterday?"

Petunia shrank her head, turned her head, and was about to say something, but was suddenly stunned.

In her eyes, her parents were standing in front of her, looking at her seriously.

——This is not the reason for her surprise, the key is the appearance of the two of them at this time.

I saw that the images of the two of them appearing in the "forum" at this time have obviously been beautified and adjusted. They look as if they are ten years younger, just like a young couple who just got married.

Moreover, the styles of the two people's clothes are quite different from those in the past.

With a cape over his shoulders, a cowboy hat, and a revolver tucked into his waist, the father looked like a cowboy in an old-fashioned western.

And the mother is even more outrageous. She is submerged in a long skirt from head to toe, just like a Victorian princess.

Noticing the surprised look in Petunia's eyes, the mother's eyes twitched, and she exchanged a glance with her father. There was a moment of silence, and the two of them instantly turned into the same home clothes as before.

Petunia was sure that the two people must have said something through private chat just now, but unfortunately she had no evidence.

And after changing the clothes on her body again, and changing back to the image of the housewife in the past, the mother coughed lightly:

"...Okay, Petunia. Continue talking about what you just said, you—"

"I didn't take the initiative to disappear, or because I didn't find you after I entered the 'forum'! There are too many people in the public scene..."

Penny said innocently.

"You have been playing in the 'forum' for so long, you should also block public scenes, right?"

Her father pointed her out, but Petunia shrugged:

"...I don't remember those operations very well, anyway, 'Lucy' will help me."

"You..."

There was a tearful expression on his father's face.

"Although the AI ​​is easy to use, don't rely too much on it. 'Lucy' can't do everything for you after all. Like the operating habits of 'forum', you should be familiar with it right away... just like every time I drive a truck Every now and then I check the oil level.”

"Yes, Mom and Dad really got started very quickly. They have become cowboys and princesses."

Petunia laughed and teased.

Hearing this, the father let out an "uh" and immediately fell silent in embarrassment. On the contrary, the mother, as if she had broken some psychological restrictions, smiled, and the gorgeous and complicated princess dress immediately appeared on her body.

"Petunia, when I was your age, I also bought dresses for Barbie and played dress-up games on my mobile phone every day-for me, everything in the virtual world is nothing to be shy about."

The mother's momentum increased overwhelmingly, Petunia no longer dared to talk back and tease, she obediently walked to her mother, and hugged her:

"It's okay, mom looks beautiful in this dress!"

The mother who had regained her momentum was about to continue to teach Petunia, but at this moment, changes in the outside world interrupted her teaching.

Because of the stone tablet on the square, the whole body suddenly lit up.

"Seven o'clock is approaching, which is the hour mentioned yesterday—"

Father stared at the stele closely and said.

"...So it seems that this is a sign that the voting is about to start?"

Mother had already forgotten about teaching Petunia a lesson, and looked at the stone tablet as nervously as her father.

Petunia was a little grateful for the changes in the stele for helping her escape a lecture, but her mood was very complicated, and she silently cast her gaze on the stele.

Just yesterday, after telling my parents what happened to me in the "forum" and the subsequent impact, as expected, both of them were very nervous about it, and almost didn't want Penny to enter the "forum" again.

Fortunately, in the several sets of provisional regulations implemented by Navalli, every standard citizen has the right and obligation to use the "forum", so they gave up their ideas.

Of course, even so, her parents asked Penny to follow her as long as she entered the "forum" in the future, so as to avoid any accidents. Naturally, this crucial moment when all the people entered the "forum" was no exception.

However, because she is only in her early ten years old, although Penny is a standard citizen, she has not reached the voting age, so the next part can only be watched. However, being able to personally come to the scene of this era that determines the fate of "New America" ​​and opened a new page in history still makes Penny feel the invisible dignified atmosphere.

It also made her think involuntarily

"... What will happen to the world next...?"