The Choice of True Heart

The energy issue...

Looking at the USB drive, which had clearly changed from before, Chen Chen did not dare continue experimenting.

He feared that the USB drive's energy was a one-time resource. If he tested it too much, it might run out of power and become a useless piece of scrap metal.

Then he would have to do it in one shot.

With that thought, Chen Chen took a deep breath. He opened his local D drive again and found a movie he knew all too well—

Avengers 4: Endgame!

The moment he found the movie, Chen Chen, who had only just calmed down, began trembling again. His heart pounded uncontrollably.

"If I can materialize the Infinity Gauntlet in reality, then I'll be set..."

Chen Chen murmured under his breath.

"Can it be done?"

An unhealthy flush rose to Chen Chen's face. Gritting his teeth, he dragged the movie toward the USB drive!

Thud!

A "Program Error" window immediately popped up on the computer.

"It won't work?"

Chen Chen was instantly disappointed. "Why can Detective Pikachu be dragged into the USB drive, but Avengers can't?"

Chen Chen tried twice more. When it still did not work, he found several other movies of different genres on the D drive and dragged them into the USB drive one by one.

Alita: Battle Angel—success.

Godzilla 2: King of the Monsters—success.

Terminator 5: Dark Fate—success!

All three movies succeeded.

Chen Chen pondered silently for a while, then pulled up Nezha: Birth of the Demon Child and dragged it toward the USB drive.

Thud.

Failed!

Chen Chen's eyes lit up.

He seemed to understand something.

Movies that strayed too far from reality could not be placed into the USB drive...

After all, whether it was Alita, Godzilla, or even Terminator, they were all films built upon a realistic framework.

Although Avengers was also considered science fiction, everyone knew that it contained a great many fantasy elements.

"But if movies that go beyond a realistic framework can't be placed in the USB drive, then what about those horror movies?"

Chen Chen frowned.

With that in mind, he opened a webpage again, casually downloaded an animated film, and dragged it toward the USB drive.

Thud!

Failed.

Then Chen Chen tried comics.

That failed too.

Finally, Chen Chen even tried pictures and novels, but they still failed.

Chen Chen came to a conclusion: aside from live-action videos built upon a realistic framework, no other files could be written into the USB drive.

After recording this rule as well, Chen Chen began to think.

Since the shortcut of reaching the top in one step with something like the Infinity Gauntlet would not work, there was no need to try similar plans. He should try something more practical instead.

With that thought, Chen Chen opened to the second page of his notebook and wrote down three words—

"Money," "Power," "Strength."

Those were the only three things he could obtain from this USB drive.

Money?

That was actually the easiest.

As long as he watched a few treasure-hunting movies, he could materialize the priceless treasures within them.

But leaving aside how he would turn jewels into money, would he truly be satisfied with merely having money?

Professor Wang Xi's words still echoed in his ears. What was the use of having inexhaustible wealth if one could not live forever?

Chen Chen smiled and crossed out the first option.

Power?

Chen Chen looked at the second option and fell into deep thought.

If he handed this USB drive over to the Earth Federation now, perhaps this act would bring him into the heart of the establishment, setting him on a political path and launching him to great heights...

But, as he had said before, what would that really achieve?

Perhaps the entire Federation would benefit from it. Of course, it was even more likely to spark wars between the continents, splitting the Earth Federation apart and triggering the Third World War.

Besides, who could guarantee that the person in power who first obtained this USB drive would not silence him?

Chen Chen lowered his eyes and heavily crossed out the second option.

Then, the answer was already clear.

Chen Chen had never been someone willing to settle for mediocrity. If he had not obtained the USB drive, then wealth and power would both have been things he needed to spend his entire life pursuing.

But compared to power that transcended the mundane world, all of that seemed utterly insignificant!

"So, my true heart still chose power?"

Chen Chen muttered softly. The power he meant was not simply physical strength, but an abstract concept.

Technology beyond reality, supernatural abilities beyond the mundane world, and even a long life—all of these counted as forms of power.

He silently closed his eyes, countless things he could make use of flashing through his mind.

In science-fiction films, there was no end to all kinds of technologies beyond reality. From basic exoskeleton armor to enormous Pacific Rim machines—if he could materialize that kind of black technology in reality...

Well, he would probably be arrested by Earth Federation agents immediately, wouldn't he?

Thinking of this, Chen Chen realized that what he needed most right now were items that could help him reach the peak of life without being too conspicuous.

After ruling out impractical fantasy items like the Infinity Stones, he finally thought of several alternatives that fit within a realistic framework while still strengthening himself.

Chen Chen then wrote them down in his notebook.

"Compound Five, High-Energy Gene, Power Crystal, T-Virus, G-Virus, CPH4, NZT-48."

All of these were things that had appeared in film and television works.

Compound Five: From the TV series The Boys. It could alter humans during infancy, allowing them to gain power beyond the mundane world.

Of course, the drug had serious flaws, such as addictiveness and instability. It required long-term, high-volume injections to be effective.

PASS!

Chen Chen decisively crossed out the first option.

High-Energy Gene: From the film Push. After injection, it could alter the structure of the human body and thereby produce all kinds of supernatural abilities.

However, the film's theoretical basis was still genetic mutation, and once genes were involved, the success rate was simply disastrous.

PASS!

Power Crystal: From the film Chronicle. After being irradiated by this crystal, one could gain a power similar to telekinesis, and that power would grow stronger over time.

The side effect was nosebleeds when using supernatural abilities. Chen Chen did not know whether, as those abilities continued to grow stronger, the body might eventually collapse under the strain.

After all, the human body was not a perpetual-motion machine.

Not only that, Power Crystal would amplify the darkness within the human heart. In the film, the protagonist was ultimately killed by his companion after losing control of his mind.

Therefore, Chen Chen still cautiously PASSED on this option.

T- and G-Virus: From Resident Evil. But viruses already counted as living organisms, so they could not be materialized.

Direct PASS.

CPH4: From the film Lucy. In the end, the protagonist transcended time and space and became an omniscient, omnipotent god.

Of course, the price was also terrifying. Even after successfully merging with CPH4, one would only have a few days left to live. Moreover, the protagonist was merely a one-in-ten-thousand exception. If ordinary people absorbed CPH4, death would be their only outcome.

Besides, the concept in the film that "humans have only developed 10% of their brains" was itself pseudoscience. The human brain had always been developed to 100%.

In other words, even the film's central premise was wrong. Even if he truly materialized CPH4 from Lucy, would Chen Chen dare take it?

PASS!

In truth, Chen Chen still found it somewhat regrettable. After all, Marvel had a great many superpowered items, such as the Super Soldier Serum, GH325, the Heart-Shaped Herb, and so on. Unfortunately, none of those films could be stored on the USB drive.

Then only one final option remained.

NZT-48!