"Don't worry, this isn't a volunteer reward."
Seeing that even Ji Liushuang was staring blankly at the headband in her hands, Fu Qian made a point of explaining.
"It's an instrument for testing the project."
"...That's a relief."
Ji Liushuang seemed to let out a breath. She'd clearly been worried it was still a reward.
"What do you need me to do?"
But the next moment, her expression turned serious, and she asked earnestly.
She clearly understood that Professor Fu wouldn't use something irrelevant for a test.
Especially after deliberately provoking Professor Lisha into leaving.
"Simple. Put it on and tell me what you hear."
Looking pleased, Fu Qian showed his approval of his assistant and volunteer, then gave her a concise explanation of the test.
That simple?
Ji Liushuang looked a little puzzled.
Professor Fu had been wearing it since earlier. Didn't that mean he'd been testing it the whole time?
What made her special, by comparison?
"The process will put some pressure on your mind, but after your training, you should be able to handle it."
Fu Qian didn't explain her confusion. Instead, he went over the experiment's safety precautions.
No wonder!
Ji Liushuang suddenly understood why he hadn't mentioned the project at first, and why he'd insisted on having her challenge herself.
If she hadn't succeeded at the challenge, Professor Fu would probably have postponed this test.
"I'll strictly limit the duration to one minute. But don't wait rigidly for the time to run out. If you make any progress or feel something's wrong, stop on your own."
Seeing that Ji Liushuang hadn't said anything, Fu Qian smiled approvingly and continued.
"And if things get so bad that you can't stop yourself, don't worry. At any point during the process, I can take anything off your head."