"Son, are you sure that experiment is safe?"
Before the experiment, Chen Qing was allowed to see his mother one last time. According to the previous agreement, he would connect to the brain-computer interface with all the financial backers and enter a new simulated environment. He had actually expected this. How could those powerful financial backers entrust their lives to a few technicians?
"It's safe, don't worry," Chen Qing said with a gentle smile, looking at her anxious mother.
My mother isn't very reliable. Her previous husband went bankrupt and couldn't provide much child support. She's also getting old, and it's unlikely she'll be able to marry a rich man. She doesn't want anything to happen to her son who can make money.
"I've sent you the bank account password. Besides the three hundred million US dollars you received for participating in the experiment, your brother's share of the inheritance is also in there. Mom, if you're frugal, it'll be enough for several lifetimes."
"Son." The woman was taken aback, then quickly said, "Didn't you say everything was alright?"
"It should be fine," Chen Qing said with a smile. "It's like a minor surgery, but since it is surgery, we need to prepare in advance just in case."
"Nonsense. What if something happens?" the woman quickly replied.
"Okay, no problem," Chen Qing smiled. "Didn't Mom always want to go to the Maldives? I booked a package for you, Joali Being Island, a high-end island specializing in wellness and relaxation. It's a ten-day trip. You can relax and have fun. I should be all set when you get back."
"Really?" The middle-aged woman looked puzzled, and for some reason, she felt uneasy.
"It's alright, don't worry. I'll go on blind dates after you get back. Our family is small, and you've had your fill of wandering around these past few years. Once I've settled down, it's time for you to settle down and take care of the grandchildren."
"Dream on! You think I'd Elder Hou and kids?" The middle-aged woman rolled her eyes.
That day will come eventually.
"I've already exhausted myself taking care of you since that day came. I get annoyed just looking at kids. You'd better take it easy. I'll have to vet you when you go on blind dates. You can't afford to find some shady women. You need to be thrifty and manage the household well. We'll need a prenuptial agreement regarding your assets."
The afternoon passed quickly as the middle-aged woman continued her rambling. When she left, Chen Qing watched her go with a complicated expression.
"This is the first time I've felt time fly by while talking to this woman."
"Right?"
The response came from her hand; clearly, the middle-aged woman was unaware that she had actually been facing her two sons.
"Does my brother really think something that terrible could happen?"
You don't believe me?
"No, I don't believe it." Chen Qing adjusted his glasses and said seriously, "I've taken courses on interpersonal relationships, and I've also worked with politicians in parliament out of curiosity. I know their true nature very well, and I know how evil people can be in the face of lust for power. It's not surprising that a group of people who hold the pinnacle of power would destroy the existing world in order to continue to hold onto power, because they have long regarded the world as their private property."
"You even worked as a politician?"
"Hehe, I haven't been hanging around for long, I mainly want to broaden my horizons."
How's it going?
"Actually, it's not bad. The person I followed back then is now eligible to run for state legislator. If he wins the election, my resume is enough for me to enter politics."
"Then why did you switch to graduate school and pursue this career?"
"It's not very interesting." Chen Qing shook his head and laughed, "I always feel that the environment for researchers should be simpler."
"Is he naive?" Pu Yunchuan asked curiously.
"Now it seems... it wasn't exactly naive after all." Chen Qing gave a wry smile.
Once you enter society, you'll realize that you can't escape interpersonal relationships anywhere. People say that scientific research relies on talent, but in reality, even if you have incredible talent, you'll find it hard to achieve great things if you don't know how to interact with others. No matter how great your talent is, you still need resources. People who don't know how to showcase themselves won't be able to acquire resources.
"If only the world could be simpler, especially academia," Chen Qing suddenly said. "Brother, do you think the game world would be simpler?"
"Probably not. After all, to achieve realism in the game, the NPC personality models were collected through long-term accumulation of big data, making them very realistic." Looking at that incredibly familiar face, Pu Yunchuan felt a mix of emotions and suddenly blurted out, "But if you were inside, you could actually try to create one yourself. Create a simpler academic environment."
"In a game?" Chen Qing was taken aback, then smiled and said, "That's a good idea. It should be simpler than in real life, right?"
"Probably," Pu Yunchuan replied vaguely, his heart pounding.
Until this moment, he still didn't know whether he was Pu Yunchuan or the person in front of him.
"Those things are too far removed from our past. I want to know how to find the backup you left behind, brother, inside."
"I'll send you the coordinates once, then delete it in ten seconds. You must remember them. Once you enter the data world, your memory will be overwhelmed; whether you can remember them is up to you."
"Is there anyone else besides me?"
"Yes, there's another person who has the same information as you. Whoever gets it first will activate version four first. After that, you need to find a way out immediately. I've left you a way out, but time is limited, so remember to..."
"Good"
"The game world is vast and dangerous, so please prioritize your safety. You entered during the first version, so there aren't many monsters in the wild. Try to stay with large groups and avoid getting separated. Once you reach your destination, be extremely cautious. After obtaining the data, find that golem immediately, otherwise..."
"I know, brother. You've already reminded me three times," Chen Qing said helplessly.
Although his tone was helpless, Chen Qing felt a strange warmth in his heart. His mother had married a cold-hearted Chinese investor who was indifferent to his descendants. His mother was also extravagant when she had money. He had always had good material conditions since childhood, but he rarely received this kind of repeated nagging and care.
He had heard about his brother a long time ago, and he would sometimes wonder what it would be like to meet him one day.
No one could have imagined that the first thing the two brothers would do after getting together would be something so important.
It's truly surreal that two tech geeks are discussing saving the world!
--
In 2774, during the New Federation era, a research center at a renowned university in the Western Federation, funded by multiple conglomerates, was attacked. The entire research building was destroyed, resulting in over a thousand deaths and injuries. Crucially, the victims included not only well-known professors and highly educated students, but also some unexpected and important figures.
Laolun Ye, the patriarch of the famous financial magnate Laosi Family and a renowned Supreme Court Justice; Baike Mengduo, who served five consecutive terms and was the most successful Prime Minister of the Western Federation; and Liu, a famous military strategist.
The appearance of one name after another shocked the world. This was a major diplomatic event, the complex situation of which affected more than 30 countries across the Eastern and Western Federation and dominated all the news headlines.
And this is just the beginning.