The Cipher of Life

On the day of the freshman opening ceremony, Xilin and his three companions sat in the back rows of the auditorium.

Xilin leaned back in his chair, asleep. Knight fiddled with a tank model in his hand. Ci Jincheng was reading a book. Long scanned left and right, looking for pretty girls. In short, none of the four paid any attention to the speeches by the freshman representative and the Seven Radiance higher-ups on the central stage. In fact, many students were like them.

However, Xilin suddenly heard a familiar voice in his sleep and woke up, opening his eyes to look at the central stage.

As expected, it was an acquaintance.

The one speaking now was one of the Seven Radiance Vice Principals, the head of the Science and Research Department, Mo Heng, the same old man Xilin had met at the train station in the Trade Zone.

As Xilin looked over, Mo Heng, who was speaking, suddenly seemed to sense something and looked towards Xilin. After a moment of stunned silence, a meaningful smile appeared on Mo Heng's face.

Vice Principal An Ting, sitting next to Mo Heng and contemplating what to eat for lunch, suddenly shivered. He looked up and saw Mo Heng's strange smile. To those who didn't know Mo Heng, this smile was amiable and kind. But to those who knew him, they knew this old guy must be up to some mischief again!

Xilin suddenly felt a chill. What did this Vice Principal want?

After finally enduring the opening ceremony, the four of them, Xilin, couldn't wait to leave. Sitting there was truly a waste of time.

After the opening ceremony, classes would officially begin.

Seven Radiance offered many courses, divided into broad categories. Literature, Economics and Trade, Theory, Engineering, Military, and several other major categories. Students could choose courses without category restrictions, only with level restrictions. However, if a student chose a course and failed the final assessment, they would not only not gain credits but would also have credits deducted.

Therefore, generally, students chose categories they were familiar with. As long as they accumulated enough credits, they could advance to the next level. If they couldn't meet the minimum requirements, they would be held back and have to repeat the year. If they couldn't advance within three years, they would be forcibly expelled. However, if they could earn enough credits, they could apply for early advancement.

The Military category was the most coveted by male students, but also the hardest to earn credits in. So, if one chose Military, they had to weigh their options carefully, otherwise, they might regret it even if they got themselves into trouble.

Of course, the academy wouldn't completely stifle students' enthusiasm. Each major category had elective courses. For those interested in a category but unsure if they could fully earn the credits, they could choose electives. Elective courses were worth only one-tenth of the credits of the original courses, but they were easier to pass, and the teachers were not very strict, making them quite popular among students.

Ci Jincheng chose some courses in the Literature major. As a special recruit, he had different standards. Long mainly chose courses in the Economics and Trade category, but he also took electives in Literature because there were more beautiful girls there. In his words, he was going to give his eyes a treat. Knight, without a doubt, chose the Military category. He had no interest in anything else.

As for Xilin, he chose some courses in every category, and none of them were electives. As long as the times didn't conflict and were within class hours, he chose them all. Xilin's schedule was quite packed every day, of course, excluding weekends, which were for rest and recuperation.

Due to different course selections, the four of them had fewer opportunities to meet during the day. Xilin bought a Flying Skateboard, as he couldn't always rely on Long's flying car, and everyone's class times were different. Special recruits like Ci Jincheng often stayed overnight in the Science and Research Department. Knight often stayed overnight in the Training Department, as it was more convenient. Long, after finishing his classes every day, would drive his flying car to the Trade Zone to "tease" senior students, making everyone, regardless of gender or age, want to run away from him in the Trade Zone.

So, considering all this, Xilin was the only permanent resident of the dormitory. But that was fine, it made it more convenient for Xilin to handle some matters.

That Giant Foot Climbing Tiger wrapped in Ecological Film would die if it wasn't dealt with soon.

On the first weekend of the semester, Xilin was alone in the dormitory.

Xilin took out a clean Tray in his room, tore off the Ecological Film, and placed the vine on it. The surrounding Nutrient Solution seemed to offer no help. The green of the leaves appeared dim and weak.

Xilin placed his finger on a leaf, closed his eyes, and felt the information transmitted from his finger.

The distribution of each cell on the leaf, the different components within the cells, the interpretation of genetic information...

Related information and data flashed through his mind. The Biochip integrated into Xilin's chromosomes acted like a precision instrument, analyzing what he touched. Xilin had a peculiar feeling. Unlike lifeless objects, the vibrant, pulsating life gave Xilin a desire to communicate with it...

Xilin seemed to have found the life Cipher of this vine. By deciphering this Cipher, he could understand the conditions for the plant's survival, or more precisely, what this plant needed most right now.

Xilin could clearly feel what this vine was craving, along with its weakness and unease.

Thoughts?

That's right, these were their thoughts.

Xilin clearly remembered Yuanye's words. Yuanye, sitting under that Fuji Tree, had once told Xilin, "Few people truly care about the lives of plants, but in fact, they yearn for communication even more. Life resonance is more likely to win their favor than rigid machines."

Of course, Yuanye's words were actually based on the Fuji Tree. The Fuji Tree was considered superior among plants; otherwise, it wouldn't be known as "Shangshu Fuji." Yuanye also said that the higher the grade, the clearer their thoughts. They were like a species between plants and animals, with the form of plants and the thoughts of animals.

Looking at it this way, this mutated Giant Foot Climbing Tiger was actually an evolved species. Xilin could accurately connect with those clear thoughts.

His thoughts, transmitted to the leaves through the transcoding of the chip in his body, conveyed his goodwill.

This vine was like a child who had just left its mother. Upon contact with Xilin's goodwill, a long-lost sense of security returned, and it transmitted its thoughts.

Xilin picked up the tray and looked at the vine on it, silently saying, "Don't worry, I'm here, right beside you."

Before going out, Xilin installed a button. This was set up by Ci Jincheng. Once activated, anyone outside would see a pre-set scene and not the actual changes happening in the yard.

Directly below the window of Xilin's bedroom, Xilin dug open the surface layer of the house foundation, revealing the soil beneath. He placed the vine there and sprinkled ordinary Nutrient Solution on it. The vine began to change at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The color of the leaves became full of vitality, and the vine began to grow and extend, climbing upwards "foot" by "foot." As it extended to a certain height, branches also began to grow on both sides, more and more.

Xilin sat on the lawn, watching it grow, extending outwards step by step.

Actually, they were easy to raise and didn't have high demands on environmental conditions. It wasn't that they didn't absorb those nutrients before; it was that this child, separated from its mother, was too vigilant. If their vigilance wasn't calmed, they would rather wither and return to dust than accept the aid offered to them.

The instruments in the Research Department Botanical Research Institute in the Seven Radiance Research Area could analyze the plant's genetic Cipher and related traits in detail, but they couldn't communicate with the plant. This was the difference between machines and life.

The wonder of life lay in its inability to be explained in words, yet one could clearly feel its living existence.

As evening approached, Xilin looked at the plant that had already covered most of the dormitory's surface and smiled. When those three guys return, they should be greatly surprised?

I had something to do today, so I'm updating late, but I'll still try to ensure two chapters every day^^.