Osiris did not pursue an absolute, deathly silent order.
Complete control and ultimate order, if achieved at the cost of thoroughly suppressing free will, would not bring about true maximum efficiency.
The complexity of human nature far exceeds simple models; excessive suppression, just like excessive indulgence, leads to the distortion of both individuals and systems, causing efficiency losses that are difficult to detect.
Just as a spring constantly held taut will eventually lose its elasticity, a system without any redundancy or buffer space will inevitably lack the resilience to adapt to change.
He believed that only through a combination of reasonable management frameworks and appropriate autonomy could individuals maintain a relatively stable and creative state.
This dynamic balance was precisely the key to achieving higher overall work efficiency at the macro level.
In contrast, the practices of certain extremist factions within the Adeptus Mechanicus, who placed all behavior under the absolute dominion of cold calculations, squeezed humans dry of every second, and even viewed them as standard, interchangeable parts, seemed to him to be another form of rigidity and inefficiency.
While pursuing absolute control, this model also ruthlessly stifled the unexpected sparks of inspiration that might emerge outside of strict frameworks.
And one of the deeper purposes of the social experiment he was conducting in Night City was to explore the optimal efficiency boundary that might exist between absolute order and chaotic freedom.
As the transport vehicle left the relatively relaxed districts and passed through the municipal center, Osiris' observations were validated by reality.
This area, once the vortex of power struggles, now presented an unusual tranquility.
The defensive fortifications on the exterior of the buildings had been dismantled, replaced by overt and covert sentries and uninterrupted electronic surveillance.
Pedestrians quickened their pace unconsciously as they passed, not daring to linger.
The symbol of power had never been so concrete, but it no longer manifested as ostentatious violence; instead, it was internalized as an omnipresent, silent deterrence.
The vehicle finally entered a relatively quiet district near Charter Hill.
This area had once been designated as a high-end residential zone, but it had inevitably fallen into disrepair during the past chaos.
Now, under the allocation of the administrator, this area was designated as a priority protection zone, with complete infrastructure, the highest security level, and suitability for establishing temporary research stations.
Osiris chose an independent building with a reinforced underground structure as his temporary workshop and residence.
When the vehicle stopped, Sekhmet was the first to disembark to perform security checks.
Osiris then stepped out of the cabin, his metallic limbs making a slight sound as they touched the clean sidewalk.
He looked up; the sky of Night City was still dyed an ambiguous purplish-red by the neon lights, and giant holographic advertisements continued to flash tirelessly.
But upon closer inspection, the advertisement content had subtly changed: the previously prevalent sexually suggestive, violent, and extremely inflammatory content had significantly decreased, replaced by public service announcements, standardized job recruitment information, and commercial advertisements that had undergone content review and adopted a relatively "healthy" style.
The city's soundscape had also undergone a noticeable change.
The gunshots of gang warfare and the clamor of street thugs were almost nonexistent, replaced by the low hum of regularly operating vehicles, the occasional official broadcast, and a faint undercurrent of whispers suppressed beneath the surface.
In the air, the intense mixture of garbage stench, exhaust fumes, cheap alcohol, and desire that was once present had noticeably faded.
While far from fresh, it was at least no longer as suffocating as before.
The city's sensory experience was being redefined; a calculated order was reshaping every corner of it.
He walked into the temporary workshop, and the servo-skull immediately activated from its standby state, beginning to take over this temporary residence and workshop.
Sekhmet directed the Guard Corps to establish a tight cordon around the building.
Osiris stood before the temporary main control console, connecting to the data stream of the city's management system.
A vast amount of information flowed into his processing core like a docile river—energy consumption curves, traffic flow statistics, job matching rates, basic material allocation status, crime incident reports, public health data... everything was operating according to his established "contribution-guarantee" model.
Efficiency indicators were steadily rising, and chaos was effectively suppressed.
But he also saw what was hidden beneath the data.
Resident satisfaction surveys (though such surveys had limited meaning under the new system) showed widespread tension and repression.
The circulation of certain non-essential consumer goods had sharply declined, indicating that people's freedom of choice beyond basic survival was being compressed.
Sensors in some peripheral areas occasionally transmitted abnormal energy fluctuations or brief communication interferences, hinting that activities unwilling to fully submit still existed in the shadows.
This was precisely what he wanted to see.
A system forcibly integrated into a rational framework, yet internally still possessing dynamic tension.
Complete stillness signified the beginning of death; moderate, controllable "noise" was, on the contrary, a manifestation of system vitality.
Preserving "artistically valuable" graffiti, allowing limited, non-destructive personal expression, maintaining a small degree of choice beyond basic survival—for example, excellent performers could receive slightly better allocations or limited entertainment time—these were all "pressure relief valves" and "activators" he deliberately left within the system.
Night City itself was a grand social experiment.
It would first operate under the principle of "control-oriented, with limited freedom retained," observing its long-term effects and collecting data on social evolution under different parameters.
If problems arose, adjustments would be made, and new data points acquired.
This was the meaning of the experiment.
To verify hypotheses, refine models, and explore the boundaries of human tolerance and the optimal output equilibrium that could be achieved while ensuring absolute control and core efficiency.
He shut down most of the real-time data streams, retaining only basic monitoring.
His current priority was to complete the design and preparation of the large-scale dimensional teleporter, which was crucial for the final resolution of Arasaka and for supporting future, grander plans.
As for this city, he would let it operate under these new rules for a period, allowing data to naturally settle and contradictions to slowly evolve under control.
He turned to the hovering servo-skull, its crimson optical lenses locked onto the structural blueprint of the dimensional teleporter.
"Begin preliminary energy circuit simulation for the large-scale teleporter array," he calmly commanded, fully immersing his attention in the next critical task.
Outside the window, Night City continued to operate along the trajectory he had set, between the cold logic of the AI administrator and the lingering glimmer of human nature, and he awaited the abundant fruits that this experiment would yield to his satisfaction.