A few days later, Lin Hao contacted Ning Yu again in the familiar way.
When Ning Yu arrived at Lin Hao's office once more, she noticed that the files on his desk had significantly decreased. She had a vague suspicion about what was going on.
"Has your management system already been implemented?"
Ning Yu suddenly appeared behind Lin Hao, who was typing something on his laptop.
Hearing this familiar voice, Lin Hao turned around and adjusted his glasses:
"Yes, I finally have some free time to continue researching the serum."
"Since you called me here, there must be new progress, right?"
Ning Yu approached slowly and saw that he was already operating his laptop, running commands.
Numerous characters and charts were moving and flashing, which Ning Yu couldn't understand. But soon, an audio player popped up.
"Experiment number UT-3771, prosthetic degree 39%, failure."
The audio played a man's report, as if he was inputting information into a system using voice commands.
"This is already the umpteenth test subject this month."
The man muttered to himself. Ning Yu recognized this voice; it was the same man named William from the previous recording they had decrypted.
"Lacy, do you think I'm on the right path?"
William's voice sounded discouraged, as if he was questioning himself.
"Of course, Lord William. I am the best proof of your path."
The recording then played the familiar voice of the girl, Lacy, comforting William.
"Warning: Anomaly detected in Laboratory A13. Laboratory doors severely damaged."
A mechanical alert sounded in the recording, suggesting something unexpected had occurred.
"Damn it, this problem again."
William, already in a bad mood, couldn't help but complain.
"I'll handle it for you, you take a break."
Lacy seemed to stop William from doing something.
After that, the recording was filled with metallic noises, the sound of something exploding, and a familiar howl.
Ning Yu immediately recognized the sound; it was all too familiar. It was the howl of a zombie, a common sight in the post-apocalyptic world.
After listening to the recording, Ning Yu looked at Lin Hao and said:
"It seems the origin of the T-virus you're looking for is related to this William."
She was now convinced that this disaster was man-made, not a natural calamity.
Lin Hao didn't immediately respond to Ning Yu but spoke in a tone that was neither affirmative nor negative:
"Don't be too hasty. The serum you brought back has provided some additional information."
He input several incomprehensible commands, and another recording played.
"What are you talking about?"
The recording played William's angry voice.
"William, don't be hasty. Listen to me..."
Then came the voice of an unfamiliar man, calm and gentle, in stark contrast to William's attitude.
But before he could finish, he was interrupted.
"I'll say it again, I have no interest in your so-called rituals, origin, or magic."
William used several terms, though they were somewhat unclear, indicating his rejection of the stranger.
"William, our goals are not in conflict; we just need to adjust our methods slightly..."
The stranger seemed unruffled by William's attitude.
"If it weren't for the fact that you are your teacher's son and a long-time friend of mine, I would have kicked you out already. Do you understand?"
William clearly didn't want to talk much.
"Please don't interfere with me again."
He said decisively.
"William... don't you want to know the truth of this world? Don't you want to understand the ultimate principle? Once you reach that point, all problems..."
The stranger seemed intent on persuading William.
"I ask you, if it's really as you say, why hasn't anyone who went there returned?"
William remained unmoved.
"I have no interest in your vague claims. Stop with that nonsense."
"Lacy, show him out."
He seemed to have lost all patience and issued an order to leave.
"Yes, Lord William."
Lacy immediately responded.
The recording ended there. Ning Yu was left puzzled, looking at Lin Hao with a questioning gaze:
"Did you get any information from this?"
From the recording, Ning Yu only gathered that there was someone who disagreed with William, trying to persuade him about something.
But she heard a very familiar term: "origin."
When Ning Yu first awakened her origin ability, she had read this word from the lips of the Moon Princess but had no idea what it meant.
"I thought you might know. Magic? Rituals? Origin? What are these?"
Lin Hao waved his hand, indicating he was a rationalist and had no clue about such mystical topics.
Ning Yu had many inexplicable abilities, so Lin Hao had assumed she might know something.
"I don't know either, but I feel like things are getting more complicated."
Ning Yu narrowed her eyes, sorting through the clues in her mind.
"Alright, if there's any further progress, I'll contact you again."
Lin Hao saved the files and seemed to get back to work.
"Yes, I'll try to find more serum."
Ning Yu responded.
...
Back at her apartment, Ning Yu sat on the sofa, still pondering the information she had just heard.
"What are you thinking about, Little Yu? You look worried..."
Shen Yiyue, having finished preparing the vegetables in the kitchen and taken off her apron, came over and sat next to Ning Yu.
"Hmm? You've already prepared the vegetables?"
Ning Yu didn't directly answer the question, planning to discuss it with Shen Yiyue later.
"Yes!"
Shen Yiyue nodded, then leaned against Ning Yu for their usual snuggle.
"By the way, Little Yu, when will we train next time?"
Hearing her question, Ning Yu turned suspiciously looked at Shen Yiyue, noticing that she wasn't looking at her but seemed focused on something else.
"Why do you seem so eager for training lately? You used to be lazy and didn't want to go..."
She gave Shen Yiyue a suspicious look, finding that she still wasn't looking at her.
"No, last time Little Yu said she wanted to get stronger, so I want to get stronger too, to protect Little Yu~"
Shen Yiyue finally turned her head, smiling at Ning Yu as she explained.
"Really?"
Ning Yu asked.
"Of course~~"
Shen Yiyue nodded seriously, then glanced around, noticing Shen Qianqian was still in the room.
She quickly leaned in and kissed Ning Yu on the lips, then playfully said:
"Recharged!"
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
ver to a world of cultivation and returned invincible. Modern medicine is child's play compared to elixirs; technological might crumbles before true cultivation. My name is Qin Ning, Earth's sole cultivator!
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
