Blue Cocoon

After practicing driving three times, Du Ke took his father home.

Then, Du Ke told his father about his published paper and his subsequent recommendation for graduate studies at Xiake University.

"Is that true?" Du Ke's father couldn't believe it.

Although every father hopes their son will succeed, he knew his own son quite well. Du Ke had been an average student, not exceptionally gifted or brilliant, but he was obedient and hardworking, which was why he managed to get into Anhui University, a second-tier university. After graduation, Du Ke didn't mention applying for graduate school, and neither did his father. Perhaps subconsciously, they both felt Du Ke didn't have what it takes.

Who knew that the past year would bring such drastic changes? Not only was Du Ke making a lot of money, but he had also quietly secured a recommendation for graduate school at Xiake University.

"Is it really Huaxia University of Science and Technology?" Du Ke's father asked again. People from Anhui Province generally referred to Huaxia University of Science and Technology as "Keji Da" (University of Science and Technology), not "Xia Ke Da." "Didn't you say you were starting a business? How did you suddenly get recommended for Xiake University?"

"The professor admired my paper, so he gave me a recommendation spot. It's basically a diploma, and it won't interfere with my business. Besides, my paper is related to the direction of my startup. Professor Tao Xun will be my master's advisor, and Dean Chen Yang will be my doctoral advisor. In a few years, I'll be Dr. Duke Ke," Du Ke said proudly. "So far, the highest academic achievement in our Old Du family is a bachelor's degree. I'm elevating our family's academic standing by two levels."

Although the Du family wasn't a prominent clan, they had many cousins, and Du Ke had quite a few siblings in his generation. However, including Du Ke, there were only three bachelor's degree holders, and they benefited from the expansion of university admissions.

"A doctorate!" Du Ke's father was shocked again. "Are you sure you weren't tricked? How did a doctorate even come up?"

"Dean Chen Yang is the dean of Xiake University School of the Young Class. He achieved fame twenty years ago and was selected for the Hundred Talents Program. Why would he trick me? What's in it for him?" Du Ke said. "Of course, if my future performance is poor, and he has to supervise my doctoral studies, it probably won't count."

"Then you need to perform well. Study hard in graduate school and don't waste this opportunity. This is a doctorate! If you can become a doctor, your mother and I will have no regrets in this life."

At noon, the family of three had a happy meal together.

In the afternoon, his mother went to work as usual, while his father, who had planned to learn to drive, decided not to. Instead, he took the Journal of Chemical Physics and his single-page paper to visit friends. As for Du Ke, he returned to Luzhou City after lunch. He needed to discuss his fourth paper with Tao Xun and Chen Yang and revise it as soon as possible to submit to Physical Review B. Although he had left, his name echoed continuously in his hometown.

"Did you hear? Du Laosan's son, Du Ke, got into Xiake University for graduate studies!"

"He didn't get in; he was recommended. That's even harder than getting in, and it's for Xiake University!"

"He even published a paper in a foreign journal. He's capable."

"Didn't he buy a house and a car in the city last year? What kind of work does this Du Ke do in Luzhou, studying for graduate school and earning money at the same time?"

"He's probably doing research. Researchers make money these days. Developing a new technology and selling the patent can earn a lot."

"I also heard that he's pursuing a master's and doctoral program consecutively and will be a doctor in a few years."

"Does Du Ke have a girlfriend?"

"I really didn't see anything special about Du Ke before. He was just an ordinary kid. Didn't he get into Anhui University for college? That's not very good either. Do you know Lao Zhou's son? He got into Fudan University. And there's a student from Qianwei who got into Zheda University."

"Where are there no geniuses? Our town also has quite a few students who got into universities of science and technology. In today's society, a diploma is a stepping stone. There's a gap between graduates from ordinary universities and those from key universities. Du Ke getting into Xiake University for graduate studies, whether he becomes a doctor or not, will ensure he has a comfortable life forever, and any employer will hire him. The competition now is for talent!"

Du Ke no longer cared about how his fellow villagers evaluated him or how his parents boasted about him.

After communicating with Chen Yang and Tao Xun, he officially submitted his fourth paper, "Overview and Practical Application of Electron Flow Theory." This paper was largely a review, introducing and supplementing his previous three papers and looking ahead to the next stage of research on electron flow theory. The total word count remained Du Ke's preferred six thousand characters, neither too long nor too short.

"Dean Chen, Professor Tao, I need to go out of town for a while. It will be short, three to five days, or at most half a month before I return."

"That's not a problem. The review process for Physical Review B takes at least two months. Even if it's rejected and sent back, a month will have passed."

Everything was settled.

On a clear May day, Du Ke woke up early, had a delicious meal, and then activated the location coordinates in his Mind Armor. He instantly felt time stop, and his consciousness extended to countless light-years away. Before him was the familiar scene of the Fantasy World, the very place he first transmigrated to – the center of the Great Blue Forest. Behind him was his villa on Earth.

Stepping across, the energy of the Mind Armor dropped by a third. His consciousness returned to reality, and he was already in the Fantasy World.

"Phew, I'm back!" Du Ke smiled slightly, looking up at the sky. The weather was a bit gloomy today, with clouds obscuring the two suns. There was a slight breeze, not exceeding level 1, and the thermometer showed a temperature of 36℃. It was likely summer in this Fantasy World. "According to the original plan, the first step is to collect Bomb Caterpillar samples."

Wearing his titanium alloy Nano Armor, he quickly approached a large Blue Maple tree, trying to find Bomb Caterpillars. However, to his surprise, he found none.

He moved to another Blue Maple, still no luck. Instead, under the branches, he saw spindle-shaped objects hanging: "These look like cocoons. Could it be that the Bomb Caterpillars are starting to metamorphose into butterflies?" Caterpillars undergo complete metamorphosis, passing through the stages of larva, pupa, and adult. It was uncertain whether the Fantasy World followed this biological pattern.

Thinking this, he plucked off a grayish-white cocoon, about the size of a child's fist. He carefully cut it open, revealing a pupa inside – a strange, pure blue pupa. Du Ke cautiously touched the blue pupa with tweezers. The moment he made contact, the blue pupa exploded with a loud bang. The immense explosive force quickly destroyed his reinforced titanium alloy Nano Armor.

Some corrosive substance continued to eat away at the armor.

"This should be the pupa of the Bomb Caterpillar," Du Ke wasn't flustered. He was fully prepared. Inside the Nano Armor, he continuously materialized new protective gear, layer by layer, to resist the attack. Soon, he neutralized the explosion from the blue pupa. "The explosive power is much greater than the Long-Haired Bomb, and the corrosive energy is similar to the high heat generated on Earth. Perhaps there's a substance here that Earth lacks."

The Long-Haired Bomb couldn't explode on Earth, but here, it detonated violently with a mere touch. Clearly, some substance was catalyzing it.

Du Ke had previously speculated that this substance might be related to "Magic." He even irresponsibly fantasized that it might be "Magic Element." The magic shield of the Shield Crow and the fire resistance of the Horned Roc all involved manipulating magic elements. The Long-Haired Bomb also seemed to mobilize some magic element to produce a violent explosion. Perhaps by studying the Bomb Caterpillars, he could unlock the secret of magic.

"Now that the Bomb Caterpillars are gone, I'll collect more cocoons to take back for experiments. With a comparative study, it might speed up the research progress on the Long-Haired Battery," he happily collected ten cocoons and sealed them in a box.