Bulma's Curiosity

Lin Fan had just stepped out of the contestant tunnel by the ring when a blue-haired figure rushed toward him in a flurry, nearly crashing into his chest.

"Lin Fan!"

Bulma stood with her hands on her hips, her large, deep-blue eyes sparkling with intense excitement and curiosity, as if she were trying to see right through him. "Quick, tell me! How on earth did you do that?!"

She fired questions like a machine gun, her fingers gesturing wildly. "How did that big guy just go flying? You barely even touched him! Did you use some secret weapon? Or did old Master Roshi teach you some hidden technique in secret?"

Son Goku and Krillin squeezed over as well, their heads popping out from behind Bulma, one on each side, their faces filled with the same curiosity and confusion.

"Yeah, yeah!"

Son Goku scratched his spiky hair, his tail curling in bewilderment. "It felt so strange! It wasn't like the Kamehameha, and it wasn't the Wolf Fang Fist either!"

Krillin nodded vigorously. "And when Giran used his hypnosis, how were you completely unaffected? We were all almost knocked out just watching!"

Even Master Roshi, disguised as an old man, leaned in on his cane. His eyes behind his sunglasses glinted with inquiry; though he didn't speak, his perked-up ears showed he was just as incredibly curious.

Lin Fan felt a bit helpless under this barrage. Looking at the three faces full of question marks, he knew he wouldn't get away without offering some kind of explanation.

He paused for a moment to organize his thoughts.

Simply saying "immortal cultivation" or "true qi" wouldn't work; it was too shocking and impossible to explain clearly.

He had to describe it in a way they could understand—especially in a way that would pique the interest of a scientific genius like Bulma.

"It is neither a secret weapon nor a technique of the Turtle School."

Lin Fan spoke slowly, his tone calm and carrying a composure that belied his age. "It is merely a... method of precise control over one's own energy."

"Energy? Precise control?"

Bulma immediately caught the keywords, her brows furrowing as her scientist's mindset automatically kicked in. "Are you talking about 'ki'? But your 'ki' was so weak I could barely sense it!"

The energy detector on her wrist hadn't been idle, and the readings had been pitifully low.

"It is not merely 'ki'."

Lin Fan shook his head, intentionally keeping his explanation vague and profound. "It is a more internal, fundamental life energy. By condensing it highly and releasing it at a single point in an instant, one does not seek a grand display, but rather maximum efficiency. It is like..."

He scanned his surroundings and saw someone in the audience using a needle to pop a balloon, so he pointed to it. "Like using a needle to pierce a balloon. You don't need brute force; you just need to find the right spot and give it a light touch. The hypnosis works on the same principle: guard your own mental core, and external evils cannot enter."

The analogy was simple and easy to understand, yet it left plenty of room for imagination and further inquiry.

Son Goku listened, only half-understanding, and scratched his head. "Oh... so you just make the power smaller before hitting them? That sounds really hard..."

Krillin looked thoughtful. "Guard the mental core... that sounds a bit like meditation, doesn't it?"

Master Roshi's eyes narrowed behind his sunglasses, and he muttered to himself, "Internal energy... precise control... it sounds a bit like the ancient cultivation concepts mentioned in some old texts, but how old is this kid..."

Bulma's reaction, however, was the most intense.

She didn't get hung up on what "internal energy" actually was; she was completely captivated by the concept of "precise control"!

"Precise control... highly condensed... maximum efficiency..."

She murmured to herself, her eyes growing brighter and brighter, as if she had discovered a fascinating new field of research.

As a genius who believed in science and data, she had always focused on developing higher-power energy weapons (like the Impact Gun), chasing greater energy output.

But Lin Fan's words seemed to open another door for her—if energy could not achieve an overwhelming advantage in total quantity, could extreme control and efficiency achieve unexpected results?

She grabbed Lin Fan's arm, asking eagerly, "Can this kind of control be used elsewhere? Like... like on machines?"

Lin Fan felt a stir in his heart, knowing the fish had taken the bait. He remained calm on the surface, even feigning a hint of difficulty. "Theoretically... all things follow the laws of energy flow, and machinery is no exception. It's just..."

He paused at the right moment.

"Just what?"

Bulma pressed him impatiently, her grip on his arm tightening.

Lin Fan sighed, his acting natural. "It's just that my current abilities are limited. I have the theory, but lack the means for practice. Many ideas... such as building more efficient energy circuits or crafting special items that can assist in energy condensation and conversion... are impossible to realize due to a lack of suitable materials."

He looked at Bulma with a sincere expression. "Especially rare metals or minerals that possess good conductivity or contain special energy, as well as stable and pure energy sources... these are the foundations of foundations."

"Rare metals? Special minerals? Energy sources?"

Bulma's eyes lit up like searchlights, her heiress wealth and scientific soul burning in unison!

"That's easy! If my family has anything, it's money, labs, and materials! What rare metals do you need? Adamantium? Uh... even if those are from comics... I'm sure I have something similar! As for energy sources, high-purity energy blocks? Or Z-Type Batteries? I have them all in my lab!"

She was so excited she was practically dancing, already listing her lab's inventory and procurement plans in her mind. "If you can really use those things to make something 'more fun,' I'll provide as many materials as you need! I'll cover it all!"

Lin Fan watched Bulma's excitement and felt a weight lift from his heart, his face showing just the right amount of surprise and gratitude. "In that case... thank you very much, Miss Bulma. If there are truly suitable materials, I might be able to try crafting a few small items. Perhaps they will even be of some help in our search for the Dragon Balls."

This last sentence hit exactly where Bulma was most sensitive.

"Right, right! Finding the Dragon Balls!"

Bulma nodded vigorously, already completely immersed in fantasies of high-energy control equipment. "Maybe I can make a detector even better than the Dragon Radar! Or a shield that can directly defend against a Kamehameha? Wow! Just thinking about it is exciting!"

She began dragging Lin Fan along to discuss the specific material properties they would need, completely forgetting about her earlier questions regarding the details of the fight.

Son Goku and Krillin looked at each other, listening to the two discuss terms like "energy conductivity," "energy resonance," and "purity thresholds"—words they couldn't understand at all—with blank expressions.

Master Roshi watched Bulma, who had been so easily distracted and was now even offering to provide the materials, and the corner of his mouth twitched beneath his sunglasses.

This kid... he doesn't seem as honest as he looks on the surface...

However, he also felt a strange spark of interest regarding the "more fun things" Lin Fan had mentioned.

As for Lin Fan, he dealt with Bulma's rapid-fire technical questions while silently mapping out his plans.

The first pot of gold and initial trust had been secured; now, it was time to utilize the resources of this world to refine some genuine "magical artifacts" for himself.

At the very least, he needed a robe that could automatically clean itself while providing defense against ordinary attacks.

Constantly using true qi to shake off dust was quite mentally draining.