(Note: Starting with this chapter, the author will list the latest value after each system doubling in the chapter title, making it easier for readers to remember and skip ahead.)
Time flew, and three years passed in a flash.
After the new research institute was completed, Dr. Gero led his team in developing new weapons of mass destruction. Their newly developed guns and cannons were considerably more powerful than their predecessors.
Once the weapons entered mass production and were issued to the troops, the Red Ribbon Army formally changed its designation from an association to an army, launching a war from North City to overthrow the Earth Federation.
Morale in the Red Ribbon Army soared. Every soldier fought fearlessly, driving the Federation forces into one retreat after another. By now, almost all of North City was firmly in General Red's grasp.
Two years of war had also taken a heavy toll on the Red Ribbon Army. General Red-no, he was Marshal Red now-ordered the entire army to rest and regroup, temporarily halting further expansion. The Federation forces withdrew from North City, and the king in Central City reached a ceasefire agreement with Marshal Red.
Peace returned to the world, but everyone knew the Red Ribbon Army's ceasefire was only temporary. The Earth Federation also began gathering its strength, preparing for the next outbreak of conflict.
Over those three years, Jiang Nan and Doris's relationship remained much like that of a superior and subordinate at work. Still missing his family in his original world, Jiang Nan held firmly to his principles. Even though he spent every day under the same roof as a stunning beauty like Doris, he constantly reminded himself not to entertain any improper thoughts.
Jiang Nan was good at socializing and had befriended many researchers over those three years. Except for that fat man Fett, of course.
Fett had suggested starting the android experiments to Dr. Gero more than once, but Dr. Gero knew androids could not be created overnight. Meals had to be eaten one mouthful at a time, and roads traveled one step at a time. They had to respect the laws of science.
Dr. Gero had already begun developing robots and had successfully produced several models. He was now working on giving the robots self-awareness, building experience for his android research.
Jiang Nan took part in quite a few research projects. Although he mostly handled odd jobs, he learned a great deal along the way. Doris also gave him plenty of guidance in private.
The reason Jiang Nan wanted to learn all this was to solve the problem of charging the phone that had come to this world with him. That problem was now solved: he had built a compatible charger by hand.
Whenever Jiang Nan was alone, he turned on his phone and looked through its photos. As time passed, his memories of his original world gradually faded. His parents, Junjun, his friends-he felt their faces growing blurry. Forgetting was a terrifying thing. It could destroy a person's past.
Jiang Nan's power level had reached 40. His third year here had ended just a few days ago.
As a science and engineering guy, Jiang Nan understood perfectly well how terrifying his system was. If he could increase his power level early on and build up a higher base, he could greatly improve the effectiveness of each doubling.
During the first year, Jiang Nan had wanted to exercise when no one was looking and learn some fighting techniques from the Red Ribbon Army. Any increase in his power level at that stage could be amplified to its fullest by the system. But cameras were everywhere in the institute, and he could never find an opportunity to train.
Jiang Nan had tried working out in his room, but apart from putting a little muscle on him, that kind of exercise had not increased his power level at all. Perhaps he needed proper, systematic training after all.
Discouraged, Jiang Nan simply gave up trying. Training could wait until he escaped.
That was precisely why, even after three years, Jiang Nan's power level was still a mere 40.
For the first two years, Doris had not noticed much. She only felt that Jiang Nan's movements seemed quicker and more agile, but the improvement was not particularly large. She assumed he had picked up a few skills from the Red Ribbon Army soldiers.
But when Jiang Nan's power level suddenly jumped from 20 to 40 a little while ago, even he struggled to adjust. He broke several plates in a row while cooking.
One day, while Doris was at the laboratory, Jiang Nan tried lifting the 300-kilogram coffee table in the first-floor lounge. Unexpectedly, Doris returned early and caught him. Only then did she begin to realize that Jiang Nan must have some martial arts ability.
That day, Doris called Jiang Nan to an indoor training hall.
Doris took off her jacket, revealing a black, form-fitting outfit underneath. She reached behind her head and tied up her long hair, looking all the more poised and formidable. Those astonishingly long legs, in particular, were enough to stir anyone's heart.
"You know a little martial arts, don't you? Come on, attack me," Doris told Jiang Nan.
You've got to be kidding. Although he had no idea when Doris had trained over these three years, her power level had now risen to 119. What did that mean? She was almost on par with the world's greatest show-off-no, the world's greatest assassin, Mercenary Tao.
Jiang Nan hurriedly waved his hands. "You must be joking, Lady Doris. How could I possibly attack you?"
Doris wasted no more words and attacked first. Jiang Nan's vision blurred, and she was already standing in front of him, two fingers of her right hand clamped around his throat.
Too fast!
He could not react at all. Cold sweat ran down Jiang Nan's back. Was this the difference between power levels of 119 and 40? If a mere 119 was already this formidable, he could not imagine what the millions or hundreds of millions to come would feel like.
"Why didn't you dodge?" The moment Doris asked, she realized it was the wrong question. Jiang Nan was staring at her with an expression that said, You think I didn't want to?
She smoothed back a loose strand of hair beside her cheek to hide her embarrassment, then said, "Now it's your turn to attack me. Don't hold back. Let me see what you can do."
Jiang Nan was eager to try. This was a chance to spar with an expert! But then he faced another problem: where should he attack Doris?
Her face? No. That face was so beautiful it seemed like a gift from heaven. I couldn't bring myself to hit it.
Her chest? Look at those magnificent peaks. No, no. That would be far too sleazy. No gentleman would do that.
Her stomach? Doris's slender waist and flat stomach looked so delicate. The moment Jiang Nan pictured her clutching her stomach and frowning in pain, he lost the nerve again.
Any lower? Filthy!
Seeing Jiang Nan hesitate, how could Doris fail to guess what he was thinking? After three years of living together, she knew exactly what kind of man he was. She said at once, "Stop holding yourself back. Just attack. I'm not as fragile as you think, and you're probably not as capable as I thought."
What? She thinks I can't perform?
You could call a man a lousy fighter, but you could not say he could not perform. Jiang Nan took a deep breath, called out, "Watch out!" clenched his fist, and punched straight at Doris's stomach.
Jiang Nan's physique was already several times stronger than an ordinary person's. His sudden attack was like a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey. The move looked impressive; the outcome was humiliating. Doris raised a leg and kicked him in the chest, sending him flying more than ten meters.
Doris had held back, so the kick would not hurt Jiang Nan. But being toyed with like a child by an adult got him worked up. He scrambled to his feet and charged at her again.
This time, he flew more than thirty meters!
By the time Jiang Nan tried to get up again, Doris had flashed to his side. She planted a foot on his back and applied a little pressure, leaving him sprawled on the floor like a turtle, unable to rise.
Having roughly gauged Jiang Nan's ability, Doris did not make things difficult for him. She reached down and pulled him up.
Burning with shame and indignation, Jiang Nan cursed the system hundreds of times in his mind.
Other people transmigrate and start out invincible, having the time of their lives crushing weaklings. Me? A woman pins me under her foot, and I can't even get up. Trash system. Absolute trash.
"Your moves aren't bad. How did you train?" Hearing Doris's praise only made Jiang Nan wish the floor would swallow him.
"I picked them up by secretly watching the Red Ribbon Army instructors. They're nothing impressive. You're the true martial arts prodigy, Lady Doris. I thought your beauty was unmatched under heaven, but it turns out your martial arts are unrivaled in the world too. My admiration for you flows like an endless river..." Jiang Nan launched into a flood of flattery.
Although Jiang Nan often praised Doris this bluntly, he still managed to embarrass her this time.
Jiang Nan seized the opportunity to ask a question that had been on his mind for a long time. "Lady Doris, I've never seen you train. Why are you so strong?"
Doris looked down at her hands, clenched them into fists, then relaxed them. She said slowly, "Honestly, I can't explain it either. I seem to have been born stronger than ordinary people. And I can feel the strength inside me continuing to grow with time."
That only left Jiang Nan more confused. He asked, "Could it have something to do with your family's genes? I've never heard you mention your parents..."
Doris hesitated, then let it go. Jiang Nan was now one of the few people she could trust. She stopped agonizing over it and said, "It's not that I don't want to mention them. I'm an orphan, just like you."
You're the orphan! Your whole family are orphans! Jiang Nan cursed inwardly.
Doris continued, "I can't remember things from that long ago. Dr. Gero adopted me. Back then, he was just a destitute, frustrated middle-aged scholar. I'm sure you can imagine how difficult it was for a single middle-aged man to raise a little girl. To me, he's both a teacher and a father, so..."
Doris paused, then continued, "So even though I know he's changed, that he's doing bad things now, that he's helped the Red Ribbon Army cause so much bloodshed, I can't stop him. Can you understand that?"
That explained it. No wonder Doris held such a special position in the institute and did not even have to show Fett any deference. So this was her connection to Dr. Gero.
Seen that way, when Kid Goku destroyed this military base in the future, Doris had the ability to stop him but did not intervene because she loved peace and wanted the Red Ribbon Army to disband too.
There were some things one could not refuse to do simply because one disliked them. Dr. Gero had raised Doris, and she could only follow his wishes against her own conscience.
But when Dr. Gero's enemy destroyed this place in the future, she chose to stand aside.
Following her train of thought, Jiang Nan said, "I understand how you feel, Lady Doris. I don't like war either, but I can't concern myself with things that far beyond my reach. I have to make sure I'm safe first. I once read an old saying in a book: when you prosper, help the world; when you struggle, preserve your own integrity."
Doris had not expected Jiang Nan to say something so philosophical. Looking at him seriously, she asked, "Then, Jiang Nan, if one day you could help the whole world, what would you do?"
That really stumped Jiang Nan. It was also a question he would have to face sooner or later. Once he possessed absolute power and stood above everyone else, would he still be able to stay true to himself?
"I believe," Jiang Nan began, borrowing a line from a superhero movie in his previous life, "with great power comes great responsibility. If I truly gained that kind of ability, then it would surely be power granted to me by heaven, in the hope that I would take on the responsibility of protecting the weak."
That was what he said, but Jiang Nan knew perfectly well that he could think this way now only because he did not yet possess that kind of power.
Human nature was complicated. Absolute power could be intoxicating. Even if he exercised enough self-restraint, the flattery of those around him might still lead him astray.
When that day truly came, he would count as a saint simply for not turning into the sort of tyrant who said, "I don't eat beef."
Doris, however, was so deeply shaken by Jiang Nan's words, "with great power comes great responsibility," that she could not calm down for a long time. After a lengthy silence, she picked up her jacket and left the training hall.
Before you continue