Chapter 1392: Fool

Fool

This was the first time Wu Tongyuan had formed a cognition of his own abilities.

The first time he felt the existence of "K" was actually on the way back to the research institute from Shennongjia. At the time, he was bored on the high-speed rail, and out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the red scrolling marquee above the carriage. It read that the high-speed rail was traveling at 347 km/h... Suddenly, he grew somewhat curious. Was the speed of the high-speed rail regulated according to some established curve, or did it change in real time?

Since childhood, Wu Tongyuan had been obsessed with all sorts of sudden, whimsical ideas. However, the difference between him and others was that he would genuinely try to find ways to verify these "whims." Thus, he directly asked for a pen and paper, intending to try and build a speed curve model for this high-speed rail. But the moment he wrote down the very first, most basic velocity formula [v=s/t], an accident occurred.

He sensed an indescribable existence, like a living creature gestating from the depths of his mind. The instant the formula appeared, it manifested along with it...

It was a freely manipulable coefficient.

When the coefficient was increased, all mathematical models within an area would be affected, and the physical laws based on those mathematical models would change accordingly.

Wu Tongyuan tried placing the coefficient on the s/t side of the equation. When he increased the coefficient, the speed of the high-speed rail directly exceeded its maximum limit, causing the alarm bells to ring madly. When he decreased the coefficient, the high-speed rail rapidly decelerated.

At first, Wu Tongyuan didn't link the adjustment of this coefficient to the changes in the high-speed rail itself. It wasn't until the high-speed rail was directly halted by the central control and an emergency maintenance team was dispatched to inspect it that he realized what he had done.

The high-speed rail continued to operate as usual. It was just that the mathematical model used to balance the physical rules of velocity, distance, and time in this area had been tampered with by Wu Tongyuan.

After that, Wu Tongyuan tried adding this coefficient into different formulas. To his surprise, he discovered that any formula humanity had already summarized could apply this coefficient. This coefficient was like a bug, a bug that could be perfectly embedded into any corner of the mathematical pyramid that humanity had built with their own hands...

Wu Tongyuan was extremely excited. He thought for a long time and gave this coefficient a name:

[Universal Constant].

But soon, he discovered that the power of the Universal Constant would often fail. Furthermore, the more Wu Tongyuan tried, the higher the frequency of failure became. Whenever he had some unconstrained idea he wanted to put into practice, reality would ruthlessly slap him in the face.

While in America, he even tried to insert the Universal Constant into probability models, attempting to use this method to earn himself some money. However, the result was that he couldn't even influence the probability of a single die, and he was even brutally beaten after being accused of cheating.

Now, Wu Tongyuan understood. Altering probability models was far more complex than altering general physical models. With his current strength, he simply had no way to significantly adjust the value of K within the formulas.

Wu Tongyuan was a mathematician, not a specialized physicist. Therefore, he needed to extensively collect and understand physical formulas in order to better unleash the power of the Universal Constant. The physical formulas he used in this battle were already all the formulas he had learned during this period.

Wu Tongyuan glanced at the two assassins who were still screaming miserably. After agonizing for a moment, he ultimately chose not to finish them off. He knew there were military personnel nearby, and he figured they would rush over soon. Leaving them alive should make the interrogation process much easier... Of course, this was also the excuse Wu Tongyuan found for himself. He simply didn't dare to kill anyone with his own hands.

"Old Lu!" Wu Tongyuan sensed Lu Xun's aura.

Still there!

Without hesitation, Wu Tongyuan hoisted him onto his back and sprinted wildly toward the direction of the scientific research camp!

...

Scratch—

Rustle—

With each swing of the shovel, a spadeful of dirt flew up from the meteorite crater. Under the illumination of the searchlight, a figure covered in sweat was digging diligently.

The continuous drizzle beat against his body, and wet raindrops rolled down the tips of his hair. The young man's gaze was full of determination and persistence.

"Damn it..."

"... Why isn't there anything yet?"

Ji Xuan wiped the sweat from his temples. Looking at the large pit he had already dug beneath his feet, he muttered softly to himself.

"Lou Yu, do you have anything over there?" he turned his head and asked.

On the other side of the crater, a figure draped in a black raincoat was also swinging a shovel. Hearing Ji Xuan's shout, he helplessly shook his head:

"No... It's all just dirt down here, there's absolutely nothing else."

"Didn't you meet someone who looks just like you? He told you to come dig here, did he say exactly which location?" Ji Xuan asked, unwilling to give up.

"... He didn't."

Ji Xuan's brows furrowed tightly.

He glanced in the direction of the scientific research camp, but still continued to swing his shovel, persevering in digging deeper downward!

Lou Yu hesitated for a moment before walking over to his side:

"I think I just heard gunshots. How about we head back? What if it's dangerous outside?"

"If you want to go back, go back first." In Ji Xuan's eyes, there was only that deep pit that had been dug into an utter mess. "I'm going to dig for a little while longer... what if it's just a little bit further down?"

"Is obtaining an ability really that important to you?"

Ji Xuan didn't answer. After silently plunging his shovel down with all his might, he glanced at Lou Yu: "Is it not important to you? If you didn't want it, then why did you come here?"

Lou Yu fell into silence.

"I just want it." Ji Xuan answered straightforwardly. "I do scientific research specifically to become a great hero who pushes human society forward, like Watt and Tesla. Now there's a better opportunity placed before me, and I can achieve far more incredible things than before... Why wouldn't I want it?"

"..." Lou Yu opened his mouth. "Is your original intention for doing scientific research truly that pure?"

"Pure? You sure know how to speak nicely. Most people just call it 'stupid'." Ji Xuan let out a self-deprecating chuckle, his tone incredibly calm.

"In elementary school, when I said my dream was to become a great hero who pushes humanity forward, I would receive the applause of my classmates and teachers... In middle school, I still said the same thing, but all I got was everyone's mockery... When I truly stepped into the academic circle and said this again, they all thought there was something wrong with my brain."

After saying this, Ji Xuan looked up at Lou Yu,

"I've heard about your situation from Lu Xun. If it's you, you should be able to understand how I feel."

Rainwater beat against Lou Yu's black raincoat, emitting a faint pattering sound. He quietly looked at Ji Xuan and did not answer.

Of course Lou Yu understood. Among the Nine Monarchs, no one understood the true bottom-tier academic circle better than him. He had walked his way up from there step by step... In this era where the vast majority of people chased after fame and fortune, treating academia as a tool to earn money and acquire power, Ji Xuan's existence was absolutely an anomaly...

Or rather, a fool.