How Could She Not Be Happy

To someone who doesn't know the purpose of these Coin, these thousands of Coin are just a few thousand dollars, and spending them would be quite troublesome.

However, for those directly connected to the "Super-Sensing Item System," each "Super Coin" is a "tool" that helps them better utilize their abilities and establish connections. Just like a supercar that breaks through the performance limits for a race car driver, or a super game console with next-generation specifications for a gamer.

Therefore, among these thousands of Coin, Little Chubby Girl, Little Apple, Xia Libing, Tang Baona, and Yang the Third each possess one. These are the most powerful "tools" that Xiang Kun left for them to develop and apply their abilities within the "Super-Sensing Item System."

It wasn't that Xiang Kun stingy, only giving each person one. Rather, given their circumstances, they basically couldn't utilize the full potential of a single "Super Coin." For someone like Yang the Third, the "Super Coin" was practically useless; to her, it was more like a toy or a gift. However, if she wasn't given one, she would definitely cause a scene when she discovered that everyone else had one.

As time goes by and the connection with the system deepens, in the future, characters like Gold Glitter, Little Radish, Little Bun, and Egg Pie may also be able to reach the level of using the "Super Coin." Of course, relatively speaking, how far Egg Pie can improve depends more on Little Chubby Girl, while how far Little Bun can improve depends mainly on Little Radish.

Mr. Liang, Jiang Chun, and others need to go even further, requiring the improvement of Little Radish and the overall upgrade of the Little Radish Platform, before they can possibly achieve the level of connectivity required to use "Super Coin".

If we use a game analogy, it's like a player who isn't high enough level can't use "advanced artifacts".

As for Yang the Third, he was a person with connections; even though his rank wasn't high enough, the system still gave him a weapon to put in his backpack.

Alice is the GM who manages all the resources in the game when Xiang Kun is not around.

However, these thousands of Super Coin hold a different meaning for Alice.

In her eyes, these Coin were neither a few thousand dollars nor simply a super tool for her to use the "Super-Sensing Item System," but rather the "furnace" in which she nurtured her real body!

Seeing these Coin is like seeing her dream body gradually born, like seeing her "grand plan" of becoming a real human finally completed. How could she not be happy? How could she not be joyful?

However, it's not possible to start building a body immediately. Mr. Liang's previous situation was too special; she had to create it directly from scratch, so she needs to wait for Xiang Kun to provide her with further underlying support. Fortunately, the High-Dimensional Factor of the "Ultimate Predator" have relevant characteristics, so it's very likely that Xiang Kun will be able to provide her with relevant ability support during this phase of transformation.

The thought of having a real body, playing games with Little Bell, drawing together, eating around the table together, and secretly eating snacks together without telling Shiling's Mother or Lao Xia, made her roll the Coin around with a sense of pride, just like a little panda cub.

The door to the storage room opened, but Alice wasn't startled, nor did she immediately disappear, because she knew who had come—this storage room was her "treasure trove," and ordinary people couldn't possibly get close—not even a mosquito could get near it, let alone a person.

Lao Xia, who was standing by the door, turned on the light, looked at Alice lying on the Coin, and held out his hand, saying, "I'll get the Coin."

Upon hearing this, Alice rolled off the ground and sat up, picked up a Coin, stood up, walked over to Lao Xia, and solemnly and reluctantly placed it in her palm.

However, Lao Xia, having received the Coin, did not retract his hand; his palm remained open as he said, "I want three."

Alice was taken aback, then looked up, puzzled, and asked, "Does the boss mean one for each person?"

"I want to do an experiment," Lao Xia said.

Alice hesitated for a moment, then slowly moved to block Lao Xia's view and the Coin behind him, whispering, "Well... just ask me for them when you need them for your experiment..."

Lao Xia didn't speak, but he didn't move his hand either.

Alice continued rambling on, "The boss said he'd give you, Little Bell, Sister Nana, Zhen'er, and Little Apple one each, but suddenly it's three, a three-fold increase! I have 5,445, but that's not many. If each of you comes asking for three every day, it'll only last 363 days, and the boss will have to sleep for who knows how many more years, maybe three..."

However, seeing that Lao Xia remained unmoved and expressionless with his hand outstretched, her voice grew softer and softer. In the end, she dejectedly turned back to pick up two coins from the Coin, walked back and placed them in Lao Xia's palm. She even used her fingers to adjust the Coin so that they were neatly stacked together with the previous one.

Lao Xia then withdrew his hand, stuffed the Coin into his pocket, and patted Alice's head.

Alice, who had just felt a pang of regret for having been given two Super Coin, immediately squinted her eyes and chuckled as Lao Xia patted her head.

After Lao Xia left, Alice looked at the Super Coin scattered all over the floor, moved her fingers, and the Coin, as if soldiers suddenly receiving a rallying call, all swarmed together with a clatter. Then, with another clatter, the Coin, under Alice's command, were stacked layer upon layer into Coin pillars, neatly placed in a corner of the room.

Alice stood with her hands behind her back, looking around at the pile of Coin in the corner like an old cadre. She glanced back at the empty room, feeling something was off, so she moved her fingers, making the Coin clatter and move on their own, stacking them in the middle to form a castle shape. Only then did she nod in satisfaction, and her body dissipated and disappeared.

The lights in the room went out after Alice disappeared, and the door slammed shut from the inside.

After the Antarctica Monster completely disappeared and the magnetic field barriers around Antarctica and interference with electronic devices were removed, research teams from multiple countries, under military escort, immediately landed on the Antarctica continent to begin a careful and cautious investigation and search.

Near the coast, the first thing Western researchers discovered were several enormous "footprints".

In fact, if it weren't for aerial photographs taken from above and hints from high-ranking officials of their respective institutions, the first group of researchers who landed would never have thought these craters, which were over 150 meters long, were "footprints"—they were simply too large.

If we infer from these large pits that they are "footprints," then if the human body proportions were normal, the person's height would be close to 1,000 meters.

Could such a colossal creature truly exist on Earth?

However, the first group of Western researchers to land did not raise such questions, because they all knew that such a tall giant could indeed exist.

The various Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant that have appeared around the world, although they are all illusions, are certainly not ordinary virtual existences that everyone can see.

From this perspective, it doesn't seem entirely unacceptable that an Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant, even larger than the illusions appearing around the world, could defeat the monster in Antarctica.

Moreover, these researchers and the officers leading the team had received hints from higher-ups before the landing, instructing them to look for beings similar to the eight-armed giant.

So when they saw these large craters shortly after landing, they immediately realized, after comparing them with aerial photos, that these were "footprints".

This discovery both excited and frightened everyone.

It turns out that those "Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant" were not just illusions, but real beings that could have substantial contact and influence with real matter, and even leave footprints.

However, judging from the size of the footprints, the Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant must have been incredibly heavy. Logically, the footprints it left should have been much more destructive and deeper.

Moreover, there were only a few footprints in the area where the lander had just landed, and they disappeared further inland.

Each country's initial teams proceeded cautiously, taking a step-by-step approach, first establishing temporary supply depots before gradually advancing.

Without encountering any danger or strange events, they quickened their pace a few days later. With the assistance of helicopters and high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft, they quickly surveyed the area where the strange black substance in Antarctica had first appeared.

What's incomprehensible is that they couldn't find a single trace of the black substance that was supposed to cover at least tens of thousands of square kilometers. Preliminary on-site examinations also revealed no substances that were obviously different from the norm.

It seems the only truly explosive discovery was the few enormous footprints found upon landing.

Regardless of the circumstances, Antarctica is an unavoidable place for research into what happened during that period, whether the black monster came from outer space or was native, and what kind of being the Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant really was.

So soon, countries began to establish independent or cooperative research stations in Antarctica, and for various reasons, they wanted to set up military facilities Antarctica —but due to the limitations of local geography and climate, this could not be done overnight.

However, among the many capable major powers, only China remained inactive until late January 2021, when it belatedly sent a research vessel over.

In light of the super lightning storm that converged in the center of the Pacific Ocean and swept towards Antarctica, China issued early warnings for the potentially affected areas, alerting ships and aircraft of various countries. Furthermore, shortly after rumors circulated around the world that Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant had appeared, witnesses along China's eastern coast reported seeing Humanoid Creature flying on electricity and creating a lightning storm. Many high-ranking Western officials and "insiders" speculated that the Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant might be connected to the Chinese government.

With this suspicion in mind, tracing back to the earliest location of the "Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant illusion" further strengthens the connection between the "Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant" and China. Although the first giant illusion appeared in Myanmar, judging from the circumstances at the time, its appearance seemed to be aimed at Chinese tourists and merchants in Montamira.

However, China has not made any public statements on the international stage, nor has it indicated any connection with the Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant. Instead, it has actively participated in global environmental governance and protection issues, and after the Antarctic Crisis, it took the lead in providing assistance to some countries or regions that had been affected by severe weather.

For reasons unknown, whether it's a reluctance to acknowledge a direct connection between China and the Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant who saved the world and averted the "Antarctic Crisis," or a fear of the Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant's unknown power, even with some suspicion, the Western world hasn't discussed the relationship between the Eight-Armed Eight-Eyed Giant and China much. Even a major Western power whose ships were severely damaged and attacked during the super lightning storm at sea has unusually remained silent.

After entering 2021, the villagers of Chongyun Village found that the village suddenly became lively. Many of the houses that were left vacant by villagers doing business or working outside were rented out at high prices for long-term leases under the coordination of the village committee.

Many people from other places entered Chongyun Village in batches and stayed in the villagers' houses. Their usual workplace was the "breeding Research Base" built by Mr. Xiang and Dr. Xia.

In fact, more buildings are already under construction around that "Research Base," some of which will likely be used as dormitories.

The villagers also noticed that these newcomers all looked like scholars or highly educated researchers.

When Director Liu first told them that Chongyun Village would be transformed into a high-tech research center, attracting many talented individuals and providing various supporting facilities, including schools, hospitals, and high-rise buildings, and that the villagers would all benefit and prosper, they thought he was just rambling on and on. But now... judging by this trend, it really seems poised for takeoff?

Not only Chongyun Village, but also Tongshi Town and even the entire Jianzhou City have felt a significant influx of personnel and resources.

Large numbers of people and equipment were transported there, some under the guise of establishing branch laboratories for several research institutes, and others under the guise of investment by some technology companies and private enterprises. Resources and manpower quickly began to operate in the mountainous area of northern Haixi Province.

Old He and Mr. Liang also frequently visited the Research Base in Chongyun Village to inquire about the research progress from Xia Libing, and to communicate with her on behalf of the authorities regarding major policy decisions.

Currently, almost every field of research related to "Mutated Creature" requires Xia Libing's approval. She decides the degree to which relevant data is made available, determines whether research samples of "Mutated Creature" are needed, and allocates them accordingly.

Even though some people in China now know that the restrictions and threats posed by the "Ultimate Predator" have been completely lifted, they have tried it and found that even without the "Ultimate Predator," research on "Mutated Creature" still seems to be controlled by an invisible force. Apart from Xia Libing and the researchers she authorized, anyone else who tries to obtain data or conduct research on "Mutated Creature" through any experiment will be subject to severe interference and bizarre "warnings."

Having secured the supply of "Mutated Creature" samples, it can be said in a sense that Xia Libing, the Research Base in Chongyun Village, the "Non-Normal Biology Research Center," and "Shenxing Technology" have grasped the fundamentals of "Mutated Creature" research.

Xia Libing is currently in charge of conducting basic research on "Mutated Creature," assisted by Fang Pingfang, Zhou Rui, and others. They then divide the basic data into specific project directions that may lead to breakthroughs. Next, they recruit, review, and train elite candidates from various research institutions, establishing project groups. They then provide data that may lead to breakthrough research to relevant experts in China, inviting them to establish secret projects. Based on specific needs, they decide the extent of the other party's participation, the connection between sub-projects and the main project, and whether to relocate to Tongshi Town or Chongyun Village, etc.

Although the Research Base in Chongyun Village is making explosive, groundbreaking discoveries about "Mutated Creature" every day, there is still a lot of work to be done and a long way to go before these discoveries can be translated into specific disciplinary breakthroughs. Therefore, from the outside perspective, there is not much of a stir.

Of course, Old He and Mr. Liang, who knew what they were doing and what it meant, were well aware that these "research findings" would inevitably lead to an explosive breakthrough in science and technology.

The true "Fourth Industrial Revolution" will inevitably begin in China.