Chapter 546

Calm down, Hu Zhang.

Doctor Zhadeweike

But what's there to research about that kind of large-scale lethal weapon? Even if the company gets hold of it, it will only harm others!

Hu Zhang... your kind of thinking won't do. Mingming pursed her lips and smiled, "Weapons are weapons; they have no thoughts, and what results they bring entirely depends on the people who use them, just like a knife—a chef uses it to chop vegetables, a murderer uses it to kill... but you can't blame the knife's sharpness itself, can you?"

But... Hu Zhang was momentarily at a loss for words.

Moreover, your mindset is completely that of a bystander; they wouldn't know the far-reaching consequences of their actions. What if the company really used this weapon to strike down countless legions of people—what would the outcome be then?

"——" just a separator line; we need to output 【7】 with translation? The line is just "——". Should we translate as "——"? Probably keep as is. It's a punctuation line. We'll output same.

Zhadeweike and Du Deli et al. quickly arrived below the space station; along the way, Du Deli regretfully said: "Sorry, I can't tell you the exact coordinates of this planet—orders from above. This is to prevent you… uh… giving up halfway; I hope you can understand, Cha."

"But I can tell you this: you will absolutely not be disturbed here."

Zhadeweike nodded: "… I see. But you should also understand, right? As long as I want to, I definitely can figure out where I am. This isn't difficult."

"It seems the company doesn't fully trust Zhadeweike either."

And as Xing Jixu Xiang Qian walked, time also seemed to have changed; several academy scientists were surrounding Du Deli, standing in front of a door.

"Beyond this door, ladies and gentlemen, is our back kitchen where we cook the Miracle." Du Deli said with a smile.

"Is Dr. Zhadeweike inside?"

"I never imagined I'd get to work with that 【Genius】 one day…" Several young scientists couldn't help but feel nervous.

"Hahaha, don't rush. Before you all become official comrades with the doctor, I still have a few things to say." Du Deli wiped the smile from his face, "Crossing this door means you have chosen your second life. From now on, for a long time to come, this laboratory will be your entire life. You will work, research, entertain, and confide here; you will be cut off from the world until the project fails or is announced. If you're not ready for this life—while the gate hasn't opened yet, you can still leave."

One scientist fell silent for a moment, his eyes revealing near‑infinite fervor: "… I've been researching imaginary number theory since I was fifteen; being able to work with Dr. Zhadeweike is my lifelong wish."

Another scientist immediately responded: "Yes… this is an opportunity others could only dream of in a lifetime. What's a door? We are scientists; we have long devoted our lives to science."

"Hahaha… well, you two are really like him. I'm sure your time working with the doctor will be very pleasant. So, ladies and gentlemen, please come in—"

Du Deli laughed, stepped aside, and made a "please" gesture.

"Here, you can shake the world."

——

Twin Cities War.

"Look at that gaze, Mei Er…… so pure it's moving. No political calculation, no interest weighing, only a thirst for truth. Nuoxikasisi needs such spirit."

On the terrace of a high‑end room, An Beisa was holding a wine glass and gazing up at the group of scientists on the sky screen; Mei Er sat gracefully behind her mother, raising an eyebrow: "Mother, you wouldn't be thinking of imitating the Interstellar Peace Company, also 'inviting' a few scientists from the City of Progress to Nuoxikasisi, would you?"

She knew her mother too well; ever since the sky screen announced the appearance of weapons of mass destruction, she could no longer sit still.

"Why not?" Anbeisa turned, her eyes sharp as a knife: "Here, they are bound by outdated notions, bossed around by the council's mediocrities. In Nuoxikasisi, I will give them full support—resources, funding, complete research freedom. They only need to focus on realizing their dreams."

"And then, as an aside, develop new weapons for the Midarada family?" Mer's voice dripped with sarcasm: "You make it sound like you're giving them freedom, but it's just swapping one cage for another."

Anbeisa snorted: "Cage? Nuoxikasisi will give true talent the respect and reward they deserve. Look at that Interstellar Peace Company—they understand one truth: controlling knowledge, controlling technology, is controlling the future."

Mer let out a light laugh: "Mother, do you really think you're the Interstellar Peace Company? They control the whole galaxy, they have that ability, but you haven't even fully controlled Nuoxikasisi yet."

As soon as she said that, Anbeisa's gaze shifted, becoming dangerous and deep: "The Midarada family is never limited to a time or place. Piiertewofu is too small… Mer, so small it makes you narrow-minded. The Interstellar Peace Company in the heavens has the entire Star Sea and galaxy as its stage, while our stage is the whole Rune Continent. We need to set our sights farther, not be confined to just one or two city-states."

She turned and walked to the railing, looking down over the whole Piiertewofu: "Scientists deserve a better stage. The Midarada family can become their 'company,' providing them with 'safeguard'—protecting their research from interference, protecting their ideals from corruption."

"Using Nuoxikasisi's way?" Mer countered, "Using blade threats to 'protect'?"

"By necessary means!!" Anbeisa almost shouted, dead serious: "You think that Interstellar Peace Company maintains its 'safeguard' through goodwill alone? Any powerful organization needs strength and resolve to uphold its ideals!"

Mer fell silent.

She knew her mother had her reasons for doing this, but she also clearly understood how Nuoxikasisi would taint the scientists' purity of truth.

"They will resist, Mother… truly wise people won't tolerate being used."

"Then I'll give them terms they can't refuse." Anbeisa wore a bound-to-succeed smile: "Everyone has a price, Mer. Even the purest scientist longs for someone who understands and supports their dreams… I can be that person."

—

Star continued forward into the lab's interior, seeing a group of scientists gathered around Zhadeweike.

"……The thirty-seventh test explosion experiment failed. The energy wave from the collision couldn't successfully tear open an imaginary-number rift; the detonation capsule didn't reach critical state."

"……"

Zhadeweike fell silent.

The scientists beside him wore worried looks: "Why on earth……"

After a long period of contemplation, Zhadeweike slowly said: "…Lift the safety agreement. Increase the collision rate to 1.3 times the default threshold—let's start from here."

"Huh?! But, but… this action is too risky… it could even endanger the experimenters' safety."

"Yeah! We can try once more, there's no need……"

Zhadeweike calmly shook his head: "…We've tried too many times already. It's obvious that continuing as before won't bring progress. Over the past three years, we've overcome nearly every theoretical hurdle. The scientific achievements born in this secret lab are enough to shake the entire universe."

"But if we can't successfully produce an Imaginary Number Collapse Pulse… all our efforts will go to waste. The company won't let us take any results out of here—not even a single page."