Deep Dive

Chicago, Kairi Technology Creative Company.

Jay arrived in Chicago around 9 AM. Finding the company's headquarters wasn't difficult; it was quite conspicuous in the city. The 108-story modern skyscraper rose from the ground, its dark brown glass exterior making it stand out dramatically against the surrounding buildings, almost impossible to ignore.

He walked into the ground floor lobby. A holographic screen in the center of the lobby was assembling the company's electronic logo in 3D. Above him, a clear, synthesized female voice melodiously recounted the company's glory and history in a gentle tone. At the front desk sat a dignified young lady. Every employee entering the company had to clock in at the machine in front of her.

Jay looked around, his gaze falling on a fat man lounging on a sofa in the lobby with his legs crossed. He was wearing a decent suit, but it seemed to be on the verge of bursting from his plump belly. The man himself hadn't given up on his efforts in that direction, as he was currently stuffing fried chicken, seemingly bought from a fast-food joint across the street, into his mouth.

However, what caught Jay's attention wasn't the man's eye-catching physique, but the name tag clipped to his waist. The fatty had his name tag hanging from his nearly-breaking belt, the lower half dragging on the seat. Jay casually ambled over to his vicinity, glancing around to confirm no one was paying attention. In less than half a second, he moved at super speed to the fatty's side, snatched the name tag, and then returned to his original spot, whistling as if nothing had happened. The fatty continued to focus on his breakfast, completely oblivious.

Jay lowered his head and blended in with other employees to swipe his card, luckily not encountering any of the fat man's acquaintances. As he took the escalator to the second floor, he saw from a distance the fat man in the lobby finishing his breakfast and walking to the front desk. Then, with a surprised slap of his backside, he discovered his name tag was missing.

Sorry, old man, Jay thought. Emergency situation. You'll have to do me a favor and take a day off.

Mr. Reynolds had specifically marked "Quantum Research Department" at Kairi Technology Creative Company in his notes. He hadn't provided any explanation, but Jay felt it might be a good starting point for his investigation. He paid close attention to the navigation map in the lobby. This so-called "Quantum Research Department" seemed to be on the fortieth floor, so he took the elevator directly up to the fortieth floor.

The elevator stopped at the fortieth floor with a "ding." The doors slowly slid open, and the scene that greeted him was somewhat different from what he had expected. Outside the elevator was only a straight corridor, with metal doors set into the walls on either side, each equipped with what looked like a high-tech electronic lock. But the strangest part was the lighting on this floor—a long strip of blue light was neatly embedded in the ceiling of the corridor. The dim, mysterious blue glow covered the entire passageway, inevitably bringing to mind the lighting effects in old horror movies.

Jay stepped out of the elevator and tried scanning left and right with X-Sight, only to find that the walls on both sides were filled with lead. This made him even more suspicious. Besides Lex Luthor, who else would do something like this in their own company?

As he hesitated about whether he should use a more forceful method to break into any of the rooms to see what was inside, the elevator brought another person up to this floor.

A Black man wearing round-rimmed glasses and a white researcher's coat appeared behind the door with the elevator's "ding." He paused when he saw Jay and asked with a frown, "Who are you?"

"Uh, a new intern? I guess I just got lost."

"No unauthorized personnel are allowed in this department," the other man said, scrutinizing him suspiciously for a moment. "Show me your work ID."

Showing his ID was definitely not an option for Jay. He knew how different he looked from the fat man on the ID he held. He hesitated for half a second, wondering if he should just knock the guy out, but quickly dismissed the idea. There should be surveillance cameras here, and he didn't want to cause too much of a stir yet.

"Okay, actually, I'm... uh... a reporter." Jay fumbled in his jacket pocket and produced the temporary work ID Perry had given him, handing it over. But a second later, he felt the reason sounded a bit foolish.

The Black man took the ID and examined it for a moment. "The Daily Planet? From Metropolis? You've really come a long way."

"I've heard a lot about your company's reputation for a long time and always wanted an opportunity to visit, so I took advantage of my summer internship to come for a tour," Jay said. He paused and changed the subject. "Is this your 'Quantum Research Department'? I've heard you're industry leaders in this area, and it's what interests me the most."

The Black man returned the ID, a kind and friendly smile spreading across his face. "That's right, I'm the head of this department. Kevin Morgan, you can call me Kevin. You want to interview about quantum research? You've come to the right person."

"Well, then I guess I'm very lucky."

"Extremely lucky." He affectionately put an arm around Jay's shoulder and pulled him into the elevator. "You must be wondering why our department's floor looks so strange, but it's because we don't usually work here. It's just that the navigation map in the lobby says this floor belongs to us. Since we're getting along so well, I can make an exception and show you our real workplace."

Jay noticed he pressed the button at the very bottom of the elevator, two levels lower than the first-floor button. Even for someone with no experience, the current development was clearly very strange. This man, who called himself the department head, had practically dragged him into the elevator without any explanation, his enthusiasm bordering on excessive.

Jay remained outwardly calm for the moment. He had a feeling he might be getting close to the most crucial part. Perhaps this Black man had ill intentions, but whatever awaited him below, he wasn't afraid.

The elevator descended to the basement, and a crisp "ding" indicated they had arrived. Kevin enthusiastically took his arm and led him out, revealing an extravagantly large laboratory. Countless researchers bustled about, and an array of high-tech equipment, the names of which Jay didn't know, filled the space. Compared to the upper floors, it was like an entirely different dimension.

This wasn't to say Kairi Technology Creative Company itself lacked a strong sense of technology. In fact, the company's growth since the Doomsday Crisis event had been meteoric, practically soaring in six years. The entire building exuded an aura of futuristic technology, but compared to the laboratory hidden underground, it was nothing. Jay felt as if he had walked into a sci-fi blockbuster with top-notch special effects, as the equipment didn't seem like anything that could exist in reality.

However, among all the impressive devices, the arched metal structure in the center of the room stood out the most. Its shape resembled an arched doorway, with purple electrical currents flickering and pulsing in its center. Each pulse seemed to vibrate space itself, leaving faint cracks in the air.

Kevin Morgan grinned, revealing a set of neat white teeth. "You want to see the Quantum Research Department? You're here."

Two researchers in white coats suddenly darted out from behind them, skillfully and nimbly each holding a syringe and aiming for Jay's neck. As the sharp needles touched his skin, they snapped in two with a "crack."

The two attacking researchers froze, and the Black man named Kevin also froze.

Jay rubbed his neck, a slightly apologetic smile on his face. "Sorry for breaking your syringes, but I don't think they were too expensive. You don't mind, right?"