Chapter 327: You

The appearance of Mo Yu and his son Xiao Bao, who could be called "incarnations of causality," added an indescribable… variable to the tense and orderly New Era Base. In the following days, strange tales indeed began to circulate within the Base.

During a high-difficulty material synthesis experiment, a research team failed seventeen times in a row. Just as the lead scientist was about to give up, lamenting the waste of extremely precious samples, a rusted vent cover suddenly fell out of nowhere and landed directly on the auxiliary catalyst inlet, causing an accidental overdose of catalyst. Just as everyone thought the experiment was utterly ruined, the reaction vessel emitted an unprecedentedly stable energy signal—a new composite material, far surpassing design specifications, was born through this utterly inexplicable "accident."

The logistics department, inventorying the warehouse, discovered a batch of barrels labeled "ordinary industrial lubricant," left untouched in a corner for years and nearing expiration. During transport, a shelf screw loosened, causing an entire barrel of "lubricant" to spill onto a pile of discarded mineral samples brought back from Kunlun Mountain, whose energy reactions had long since gone dormant. To everyone's shock, the minerals, after being soaked in the "lubricant," suddenly emitted faint, pure energy fluctuations again. After testing, their energy conductivity increased several-fold, becoming an exceptionally superior energy-buffering material!

Similar incidents occurred one after another, mostly harmless and even fortuitous. Though no direct proof linked them to Xiao Bao, the sheer coincidence—especially the clearly favorable outcomes—made it hard not to think of that little "grandchild" clutching his Dice.

After hearing these reports, Lei Dong could only laugh and sigh, ordering all departments to strengthen safety protocols—and silently praying this kind of "luck" would happen again.

Xia Wan treated these anecdotes as distractions and did not let them divert her focus. Her training entered a new phase: she began attempting to integrate advanced techniques from the Tiankong Guardian Inheritance involving space and energy with the Base's existing weapon systems. This was an extremely complex and dangerous process, requiring absolute control over her own power and profound understanding of technological principles.

That day, she was in a high-end laboratory equipped with the latest energy confinement fields and matter reconstruction devices, attempting something bold—injecting a strand of highly compressed Guardian Power into a specially crafted superconducting energy Chip, no larger than a fingernail, aiming to create a new type of energy core combining extraordinary properties with technological convenience.

On the experimental table, precision instruments hummed softly; holographic screens streamed data like waterfalls. Xia Wan focused entirely, a strand of condensed, solid-like pale golden energy swirling around her fingertips, like the most delicate embroidery needle, carefully guiding it past the Chip's fragile microstructures, seeping toward the core Energy Node.

This process demanded extreme mental concentration and ultra-fine energy manipulation; the slightest error would cause the Chip to instantly overload and burn out, possibly triggering energy backlash.

Time ticked by second by second; beads of sweat formed on Xia Wan's forehead, yet her gaze remained fixed, her movements steady.

Just before that strand of Guardian Power was about to successfully embed into the core node—

"Dad! Look! Shiny!"

A soft, curious voice suddenly rang out at the laboratory door!

It was Xiao Bao!

He had somehow slipped away from Mo Yu's watch (or perhaps Mo Yu hadn't been watching at all), hugging his massive Seven-Colored Dice, pressing against the lab's transparent isolation door, his big dark eyes fixed curiously on the pale golden energy strand at Xia Wan's fingertips—wriggling like a living thing!

This sudden voice and gaze shattered Xia Wan's intense focus!

The strand of Guardian Power, already at its critical threshold, trembled violently—a minuscule, almost imperceptible deviation in control!

That tiny deviation!

Whirrr—!!!

The superconducting energy Chip on the experimental table erupted in blinding white light! Its internal structure twisted and melted before their eyes; the confinement field shrieked alarms, energy readings instantly spiking beyond limits!

"No!" Xia Wan's face paled; she instantly moved to cut the energy output and activate emergency safeguards!

But someone moved faster!

In the instant before the Chip would have fully collapsed and energy escaped uncontrollably, an invisible force—bearing a sense of "denial" and "correction"—brushed over the table like a gentle breeze.

The blinding white light froze, then abruptly vanished.

The twisted, melting Chip halted at the very moment before destruction—and then, like a video rewinding, the melted portions rapidly restored themselves, the distorted structure realigned, and the spiked energy readings inexplicably dropped back within safe thresholds.

Everything returned to the exact moment before Xia Wan's focus was disturbed!

As if the terrifying incident had never happened!

Only the lab's still-screaming alarms proved it wasn't an illusion.

Xia Wan stared, stunned, at the Chip on the table—unharmed, its energy fluctuations even more stable than before—and then at Xiao Bao at the door, blinking his big eyes with an expression of "not my fault." For a moment, she had no idea how to react.

Then Mo Yu slowly appeared at the door, scooping up Xiao Bao and pinning him under his arm. He offered Xia Wan an apologetic (though unmistakably smug) smile: "Sorry, Little Guardian, didn't keep an eye on this little rascal. Almost ruined your experiment."

Xiao Bao squirmed under his arm, grumbling: "Bao… didn't mess up! Bao… helped!"

Mo Yu slapped his little butt: "Helping backwards is still helping! Almost blew up the sister's experiment!"

Xia Wan slowly exhaled, shutting off the alarm. She looked at the Chip—turned lucky, its quality seemingly improved—and felt a complex mix of emotions. Is this the power of a Probability Child? Even predetermined failure—or accident—can be forcibly "corrected" into a better outcome?

"Thank you, Elder Mo Yu, for your timely intervention," Xia Wan said. That "correction" force had clearly been Mo Yu's doing.

"A small thing," Mo Yu waved dismissively, then regarded Xia Wan with keen interest. "But, Little Guardian, that energy manipulation technique you just used… hmm, interesting. Squeezing such violent Guardian Power like embroidery into a Chip that small? Your control… is monstrous."

He used the word "monstrous," but his tone brimmed with admiration and curiosity.

Xia Wan, flustered by his blunt phrasing, opened her mouth to modestly deflect.

Xiao Bao, pinned under Mo Yu's arm, seemed to understand the word "monstrous" (who knew where he'd learned it). He lifted his little face, gazing at Xia Wan, and repeated in his sweet, innocent, curious toddler voice:

"Sister… you're monstrous?"

Xia Wan: "!!!"

Her expression froze; her cheeks flushed visibly, reddening all the way to her ears!

Being asked "you're monstrous?" by a chubby toddler, barely two or three, clutching a Dice, with the purest, most innocent tone…

This experience was simply… indescribable!

Mo Yu blinked, then burst into unrestrained laughter: "Hahaha! Yes yes! Your sister is monstrous! A monstrous little monster with control! Hahaha!"

Xiao Bao, seeing his father laugh, giggled along, waving his little hands, the Seven-Colored Dice in his arms flashing chaotic light.

Xia Wan stood there, watching Mo Yu and Xiao Bao laugh hysterically, feeling both annoyed and amused—and finally couldn't help it, letting out a soft "pfft" laugh.

The tense atmosphere in the lab vanished in this bizarre exchange and laughter.

Perhaps, when facing unknown dangers and heavy responsibilities, having such… unconventional yet powerful and amusing beings nearby is also a rare blessing.

Xia Wan looked at the "lucky accident" Chip and suddenly had a thought.

Perhaps she could ask Elder Mo Yu and Xiao Bao… to occasionally "help out"?

Of course, with thorough safety measures in place.