The Allure of Science

The steel base loomed grimly.

Zhu Zhuqing's expression was grave. Her instinct for danger told her this place was extremely hazardous.

And it truly was. As the base of Core Flame, every entrance was packed with all manner of traps and prepared firepower.

Core Flame's master—Su Xuan—suffered from a severe fear of insufficient firepower.

In the steel corridor, Uncle De walked at the front, with Zhu Zhuqing close behind him. Oscar and Ma Hongjun followed after, looking around curiously. To them, this was an absolutely rare sight.

Tang San and Xiao Wu brought up the rear. Tang San had been trying to strike up a conversation with Xiao Wu, but she was obviously in a bad mood and had no intention of speaking.

After walking for about the time it took to drink a cup of tea—

The view suddenly opened up.

This was an enormous underground base, stretching several kilometers in both length and width, with a height of fifty meters.

Uncle De turned to the group and said calmly, "Stand here and don't move for now."

Zhu Zhuqing stopped and began observing her surroundings. Nearly everything was made of steel. There were strange tables, glowing instruments, and all kinds of tools. Zhu Zhuqing frowned. Was this what Su Xuan had been spending all his time making?

Oscar and Ma Hongjun secretly swallowed. It took tremendous power to carve out such a vast and enormous space underground.

Covering his mouth, Oscar whispered into Ma Hongjun's ear, "Do you think the dean could do something like this?"

Ma Hongjun rubbed his eyes and said bitterly, "Only a god could do this, right? The dean definitely can't."

Tang San was deeply shaken by the sight as well. Once again, he marveled at what an extraordinary person Su Xuan was, capable of accomplishing even something so nearly impossible.

Xiao Wu, meanwhile, showed little interest, as though she had lost all enthusiasm for everything.

Before the five of them could inspect the place for long, Uncle De returned, bringing along a man in a white lab coat.

The man's beard was unkempt, and he wore large-framed glasses. Yet the eyes beneath those lenses were frighteningly bright. He swept his blade-sharp gaze across the five of them, while blue ripples flickered over his glasses as they conducted a simple scan.

Zhu Zhuqing met his gaze steadily, entirely unafraid. Tang San's eyes were as deep as an abyss, like black holes swallowing every gaze directed at him. Oscar and Ma Hongjun were somewhat intimidated by those terrifyingly sharp eyes, while Xiao Wu could not even be bothered to raise her head.

After only a brief examination, the middle-aged man in white said in disappointment:

"Other than that little girl in black and that little brat in blue at the back, what kind of trash are the rest of you?!"

Uncle De smiled. "Dr. Zhang Wei, it is His Highness's order. At least conduct a basic data test."

Dr. Zhang's expression was cold. "It would be a waste of time for me to inspect them personally, and an even greater waste of precious computing power. Have the girl in black and the brat in blue come with me. Let my robots test the other three."

Uncle De smiled. He knew Dr. Zhang Wei fairly well—a research fanatic whose dream was to create the strongest and most beautiful explosion. He was one of His Highness's most valued talents. Since Dr. Zhang Wei had been transferred here, Uncle De felt a weight settle in his heart. It seemed there were secrets behind this visit that even he did not know about.

Ma Hongjun and Oscar were somewhat displeased by the difference in treatment between themselves and Tang San and Zhu Zhuqing. However, a single look from Dr. Zhang Wei scared the two inexperienced brats into silence. Xiao Wu remained dejected throughout, looking as though she had something on her mind.

Dr. Zhang Wei led Zhu Zhuqing and Tang San away. Tang San could not help giving Xiao Wu a worried glance.

After the two left, a man dressed like a servant came over and asked mechanically and coldly, "Xiao Wu, Oscar, Ma Hongjun?"

The three nodded.

"Follow me."

Under the male servant's guidance, the three arrived at a place resembling a training ground.

"Use every machine once."

The male servant took out three white cards. "Keep your own card safe. Swipe it before using a machine. Once the tests are complete, I will come to take you away. Remember, your authorization level is very low. Do not leave this area. If you do and enter a place beyond your clearance level, you will be attacked. Whether you live or die will be none of our concern."

After saying that, the male servant hurried off. He still had an experiment to finish and needed to speed up his progress.

"Th-this is?"

Tang San looked doubtfully at the capsule chamber before him.

"This is a great miracle!"

Dr. Zhang Wei stared at the chamber with fervent eyes.

This was one of the finished products Su Xuan had brought back. It was extremely difficult to replicate and could be called one of the rarest and most precious treasures in the world.

Dr. Zhang Wei took out two purple cards and said emotionlessly:

"Insert the cards yourselves, then lie inside. No matter what happens next, use every ounce of your ability to survive until death."

Tang San looked puzzled and turned to Dr. Zhang Wei. "Death?"

Zhu Zhuqing, on the other hand, did not ask a single question. She took the purple card and lay down on her own. The cabin was filled with thick nutrient fluid, which made her, with her obsession with cleanliness, slightly uncomfortable. Still, she did not care. She lay down and closed her eyes as the hatch shut.

Zhang Wei pointed at Zhu Zhuqing, who had already lain down. "Are you a coward? Even a girl lay down without hesitation, and you're still standing there asking this and that?"

Tang San looked sullen. He was just curious.

"Even if I explained it to you, your pig brain wouldn't understand."

Dr. Zhang mocked him mercilessly.

"If you're not testing, then get the hell out. Do you know how expensive this place is? I'm giving you a free test. If it weren't for His Highness's order, don't even dream of getting such a good deal in this lifetime!"

Tang San was speechless. He felt as though he was getting some sort of bargain, yet also as though he was not. It was simply baffling.

Tang San said no more. Soldiers came, generals blocked; water came, earth dammed. He lay down stiffly.

Tang San's consciousness drifted into a strange interface filled with all sorts of options.

Tang San tried to select one. He did manage to press them, but naturally, he could not choose any of them. The interface displayed—"Insufficient authorization."

Cardholder mission detected: "Beginner Tutorial"—Strength Test.

Randomly assigned scenario—Desert.

Preparing enemies.

Loading...

Progress 121...99 loading complete.

Tang San looked on curiously. What was this thing?

The world spun around him, and Tang San arrived in a desert of yellow sand.

An ugly, revolting-looking man stood before him.

Without a word, the enemy charged straight at him. Tang San's gaze sharpened.

Danger. Purple Demon Eye! Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, Blue Silver Grass!