The jeep started moving. It first headed south, circled around the Huanhai Highway, and headed toward the western Forestwall District.
Luo Nan received Mo Ya's reminder in the car. He gave his aunt a call. The outside world was in a state of chaos. He had to report that he was safe no matter what.
The call didn't last long. It ended after a minute or two. Everything was normal on the phone, but Luo Nan couldn't help but stroke his brows. He didn't know when his brows had become knotted.
It must be known that the entirety of Xia City was under the surveillance of his soul cloak. Luo Nan poured his thoughts into it, and no changes in the situation at home could be hidden from his eyes.
Luo Nan's aunt and uncle were sitting in the living room at home right now. The two were silent. Luo Shuqing had been fiddling with the wristband on her wrist the entire time after the call ended. Her expression could be described as calm or repressed. She wasn't as calm as she appeared on the phone.
As for Luo Nan's uncle, Mo Haihang, he was sitting to the side. He was hugging his stupid, black, and thick mobile workstation, operating it. He even had an electronic cigarette in his mouth. Steam rose, and it made a sizzling sound.
This scene made Luo Nan think of the time when he eavesdropped on Luo Nan's uncle and aunt's conversation.
"They, and Mo Ya … … Where did their train of thought go?" Luo Nan spoke subconsciously. He didn't want to hear an answer. He just wanted to calm his emotions a bit.
Qin Yikun, who was next to him, thought seriously for a moment. He replied, "From Miss Mo Ya's behavior, perhaps she believes that your research results have been sold for a good price, or that you have a very powerful investor."
Luo Nan was stunned for a moment. He turned his head.
Qin Yikun spoke softly, "The research of supernatural powers has made quite a bit of progress in recent years. It also represents a certain trend. Therefore, there has always been a lot of active capital in the outer circles of the inner world. They will always set their eyes on some projects with potential. They will use all kinds of methods to invest in relationships in an attempt to get a share of the pie … … Of course, once capital is injected, whether ability users or capital is the leader will depend on the specific situation and analysis. "
Luo Nan went, "Oh." Qin Yikun's words reminded him of something similar. Octopus and Crag Burst had told him about this before. Octopus had yet to finalize his latest thesis, but a pharmaceutical company had already come knocking on his door. They wished to jointly develop relevant targeted drugs. It was said that the VAM agreement was quite considerable.
In this sense, it was not impossible to say that Luo Nan's research results could be sold for a good price.
"This is a good reason." Luo Nan was a bit moved.
If he could do more research on this and gradually transfer his situation in the Inner World, it would not be a problem. Instead of letting the family's imagination run wild, it was better to guide them in a controllable direction. In any case, uncle and aunt's acceptance of this matter should be better than ordinary people who had no concept.
He asked for Qin Yikun's opinion, "Brother Qin, what do you think about the topic 'Research on Targeting Drugs Based on Formatting Theory'? Do you think it will work if you use it to attract investments? "
Qin Yikun shook his head. "I'm a layman."
Luo Nan grew excited: "I think it's quite reliable. Actually, there are projects. Brother Octopus's progress is quite good already. I can ask Sister Yueyin to help draft up a plan later … …"
As Luo Nan's accumulated power was released layer by layer and soared all the way, he already possessed a prominent position in the inner world. He also possessed the corresponding right to speak.
All right. Perhaps it was his companions at the Xia City branch who were flattering him. But Luo Nan felt that the matter of pushing out a genuine Formatting Theory and giving his grandfather a proper name could be put on the agenda in the near future.
Formatting Theory itself had all sorts of problems. He Yueyin had warned that Formatting Theory deviated greatly from the mainstream research direction of the world. But Luo Nan, a living example, would attract a portion of people to join in the research of Formatting Theory and form new results … … It must be known that Luo Nan would certainly be one of the most eye-catching focal points of the inner world for some time in the future, unless he was cleanly and cleanly eliminated by someone.
Brother Octopus was a successful example. Luo Nan hoped that hundreds and thousands of such examples would appear!
In that case, his grandfather … …
Luo Nan's suddenly excited mood stopped for a moment. He couldn't help but think of the hospital's diagnosis of his grandfather's condition. He subconsciously used his soul cloak to roughly observe his grandfather's current situation.
An old man, who was already emaciated and deformed, was wrapped in a thick blanket in the hospital room. He sat on the bed and stared blankly at the pattering freezing rain outside.
Luo Nan didn't know what this rain, this city, and this world looked like in his grandfather's eyes.
The severe symptoms of schizophrenia caused everything before this old man's eyes to transform into the harshest and most realistic of illusions. In this unchangeable and distorted world, even the most rigorous rationality had to yield to the patient's instinctive feelings, creating absurd logic … … Even for the patient, it was still rigorous and thorough. It was impeccable.
Reality was just this sorrowful.
Luo Nan's soul cloak gave him an astonishing range of perception, but it also made it impossible for him to avoid this reality. He didn't even have the chance to buffer. But perhaps it was because of the continuous advancement of his cultivation and the influence of his glorious battle achievements, Luo Nan had a marvelous confidence and premonition right now. Perhaps it was a misconception … … In reality, this wasn't something that suddenly appeared. It had formed a long time ago:
If. Just if. If his grandfather always adhered to the logic of Formatting Theory, then perhaps the only person who could communicate with him would be Luo Nan himself. Even if he couldn't do it right now, sooner or later he would discover a docking window as his understanding and application of Formatting Theory deepened.
Luo Nan had once thought of using a psychic's drawing to try it out, but now that he thought about it, it was quite unrealistic. Due to the aggravation of his schizophrenia, the Heavens knew what the drawing looked like in his grandfather's eyes.
Only by truly connecting their minds could that tiny bit of possibility be unearthed.
Luo Nan turned his head to face Rui Wen when his thoughts reached this point: "It'll be a bit quieter in two days. I'll take you to see my grandfather. There's a new person in the family. I should at least let him know. "
Rui Wen listened quietly. She didn't say much. Luo Nan knew that she didn't refuse, and that was enough.
Luo Nan let out a long breath and leaned back in his chair. He slightly closed his eyelids, but when he wanted to open them again, he felt that they were strangely heavy. A deep black tide surged over in an instant, nearly engulfing him.
He did his best to open his eyes twice, but he actually couldn't open them. He nearly wanted to fall asleep. But he was suddenly startled in his daze. He suddenly exerted strength and broke out in a layer of cold sweat. Only then did his drowsiness disappear a bit.
"Mr. Luo?"
Qin Yikun noticed Luo Nan's mental state. He was a bit worried: "You should sleep in the car for a bit. You haven't slept for nearly forty hours."
"It's nothing. I was just thinking about something." Luo Nan told a completely unconvincing lie and said: "Open the car windows. Let some air in."
This didn't quite meet the security requirements, but Gaud, who sat in the driver's seat, still did as he was told. As the car windows were lowered, the air currents brought about by the high-speed travel, along with the freezing rain and cold air, surged in. This caused Luo Nan's mind to shake, and quite a bit of his drowsiness disappeared.
However, he understood very well that this was a temporary phenomenon.
Not sleeping for forty hours wasn't a reason for him to be sleepy. With his current level of cultivation and attainments, not sleeping for four days was no big deal.
However, the current situation was different in the end. The root of everything was still the Soul Cloak that he had unfurled with all his strength.
From Luo Nan's perspective, as long as the large production line of his closed system operated endlessly, the area covered by the Soul Cloak could endlessly expand outwards. The area covered by the Soul Cloak had already been pushed out nearly six hundred kilometers, not counting the area on land. Moreover, it showed no signs of stopping.
It was because of this that Luo Nan was able to accurately lock onto Jin Tong's position within the boundless ocean. He set up an ambush and killed this heavily injured Extraordinary in the shortest amount of time possible.
But the matter of expanding the range was the natural result of his closed system and his special interference method. It was just like stuffing things into a hard drive. The framework was there. It was a matter of course. Anyone could do it.
However, to sort out a logic that ran through everything from beginning to end within a hard drive that was crammed full of information, and to perform efficient calculations in a timely manner, the difficulty had risen by more than a single level.
In the Cloud World, the range of Luo Nan's Soul Cloak's expansion was much vaster than in the Cloud World. It was just that the environment there was relatively monotonous and the targets were limited. There was no need for any calculations at all.
But in Xia City, he needed to sort out and quickly process all sorts of information within this vast region … … This included, but was not limited to, twenty transportation layers, twenty four administrative districts, several dozen professional employment organizations, over a hundred dangerous targets from the inner world, and countless dangerous nodes and locations … … After all, no one knew when or how a fatal crisis would befall him or any of his loved ones.
Luo Nan undoubtedly felt guilty for creating such a situation. This was no longer just a problem of energy and ability. It also included straightforward pressure and suppression.
Luo Nan thought about the matters of his loved ones in his mind. A considerable portion of them were precisely the deformed embodiment of this pressure. Right now, the pressure was as great as a mountain, and the exhaustion of his mental strength was severe. But he needed to maintain a calm demeanor in front of others, especially Rui Wen. Otherwise, how could he display the responsibility he should have?
However, these days could not continue for too long … ….
Luo Nan intentionally diverted his attention in order to avoid being assaulted by his fatigue once more. His eyeballs swiveled, and his gaze stopped at the front control screen. A video program was playing there. Gaud had turned it on after getting in the car.
Gaud and Qin Yikun were both professionals. Their professional standards were extremely high. Normally, when they were driving and executing missions, they would not be distracted by other matters. But right now, they were paying attention to this program because it was relatively sensitive and closely related to the mission.
Right now, the program was displaying a certain region in the outer seas of Xia City. The Hill of Bones was floating on the surface of the sea.
Luo Nan had nothing to say. "Is Zhan Ji still broadcasting live?"
Qin Yikun answered, "Right now she's only providing the live footage. The main point is still the analysis of the experts … …"
Gaud increased the volume of the program as he spoke, and he transmitted the image to the audio and video system in the back seats.
Without the stimulating, immersive scene, the appeal of Zhan Ji's live broadcast would drop by over half. Right now, they were faced with this extremely topical topic, but there was no straightforward answer to the Hill of Bones. It was the turn of the experts from all walks of life to step onto the stage and display their talent for nonsense.
It was reasonable to say that the most important question was who created the Hill of Bones. However, a large portion of the energy of the experts from all walks of life wasn't focused on this. Instead, they were focused on the Accumulating Gold beneath the Hill of Bones.
This dual-purpose ship possessed a very strong symbolic significance. Especially when the search work continued. More and more corpses and remains of the members of the Five Metal Hunting Group were found in the surrounding seas. The topic of discussion inevitably pointed towards a most crucial point.
The Five Metal Hunting Group was nearly completely annihilated. This was something that could already be confirmed. But had the true soul of the group, Jin Tong, already melted into this Hill of Bones? Not even his bones remained? Or did he rely on the inconceivable abilities of Extraordinaries to avoid death?
Whether he lived or died, whether he survived or perished. This determined the nature of this matter. Aside from this, even if the number of people who died was multiplied by ten, it still wouldn't have any decisive significance.
And for the Xia City branch, the focus of their attention was different. Qin Yikun spoke in a low voice, "Looking at the intelligence from the various airlines and various internal transportation points, I'm afraid that there will be a large number of people entering the country in the next few days. The intimidation generated by this live broadcast is lower than we expected. If Her Majesty Empress Wu could …. Sigh! "
Qin Yikun felt that it was useless to say anything more when he spoke to this point. He shook his head and shut his mouth.
However, Luo Nan already understood what Qin Yikun meant. He shook his head as well, but the meaning behind Qin Yikun's words was quite different. "Sixteen billion. Two out of a thousand. The vast majority of people will be tempted. But the ones who are tempted and have the power to act will always be a small portion."
Qin Yikun found Luo Nan's words strange. "The problem is that since these people have the power to act, they won't easily let go. If we can't stop this momentum …. "
"Then it can only prove that we haven't killed enough of these fellows with the power to act."
Qin Yikun was speechless.
Luo Nan's eyelids trembled slightly. He was still restrained by his drowsiness. His voice was a bit indistinct. "A few days ago, I participated in Charlie and Tian Lai's funerals. I thought through a problem. Since we are all part of a large network of social relationships, a certain lack will cause discomfort. People will habitually make an issue out of this network. Those people treat me like this. And if I want to counterattack, killing a few people will affect many more people. I will be exhausted from running for my life in the future. Brother Qin, don't you think this makes sense? "
"......"
Qin Yikun was unable to respond. Gaud looked over through the rearview mirror. This young genius in the eye of the storm. Has he finally revealed his worry?
Luo Nan's drooping eyelids covered his pupils. It was impossible to see what he was thinking in the end.
On the program, the 'rather diehard' faction and the 'rather lively' faction were still arguing. If they could fight, the two sides would certainly beat the brains out of each other.
Luo Nan could only think in this clamorous and lively atmosphere. Fortunately, there is a phenomenon in this world. It's called, 'Birds of a feather flock together'.
*****
The freezing rain fell without end. The infrastructure of the high altitude stratum was good, but it was indifferent to this. However, the feeling of watching the rolling muddy water form a line in the Recycling Stratum as it fell from the sky wasn't that wonderful.
According to statistics, 14 of the 24 administrative districts of Xia City possessed the Recycling Stratum. The western city district and the four satellite cities had the most Recycling Stratum. This was because these places were the gates to the Wilderness. They were also the sewage outlets that poured out the city's garbage (in various senses). At the same time, they were also the flow points of gray capital.
Setting up a welfare home here was actually a very subtle matter. It was very easy for people to misunderstand. Those who knew the ropes would ask what the code of the Dark Web was. Those who were impatient would directly inquire about the price.
But then again, even in the well-ordered South City District where the Recycling Stratum didn't exist, who knew how many crimes were hidden within the Santa Maria Charity Hall.
From this aspect, Principal Wan Pagoda overseeing the Lan Town Welfare Home had at least established a pure land.
Luo Nan got off the car by the roadside outside the welfare home. Dean Wan, Papercut, and the kid Di Weiwu were waiting at the entrance. Beside them was Worker Zhai, who was sitting upright and watching the rain.
Worker Zhai's situation hadn't changed at all compared to what he had observed through the soul cloak. He was watching the rain, but he wasn't foolishly trying to see the rain as a flower. He had entered a state of selflessness, testing out his own ideas over and over again.
That's right. Worker Zhai was endlessly sketching the Condensation Ring.
He should have faintly discovered the subtle changes in the environment caused by the freezing rain. He hoped to borrow the interference scene constructed by the soul cloak to seize the opportunity to complete the Condensation Ring project.
After all, the water molecules were sufficiently interfered with. They were exceptionally lively. It was different from being by the side of a pool or the surface of the sea. This pulsating rhythm was an extremely beneficial guide.
Actually, the success rate of Worker Zhai's telepathic drawing was already extremely high. Occasionally, droplets of water would fly through the curtain of rain, showing the results of his hard work. However, these works were lacking by a thread compared to the semi-permanent structure Luo Nan spoke of, a stable carrier that carried the wonders of the interference between the mental and the material.
This thread of difference was the most torturous.
Since Luo Nan was the one who proposed the cultivation plan, he naturally had his own thoughts when faced with this situation. However, Papercut and Principal Wan Pagoda were both present, so he didn't act rashly. Instead, he asked for their opinions.
"The model you spoke of is reliable in theory, but it's lacking by a bit." Papercut also saw the doorway. He was a mental-side Awakened, so his general knowledge structure was much more solid than Luo Nan's. "Today's environment is good, and my state is good. If I can't even do this, it will be too hurtful."
Wan Pagoda said, "Although the material nature doesn't conflict, it isn't the best point of focus."
"What?" Papercut didn't understand.
Luo Nan understood. "Dean Wan means that the Condensation Ring itself isn't too compatible with the nature of Worker Zhai's ability."
"You're talking about mutual promotion and restraint?" Papercut and Gao Tianshi had a good relationship. They had been together for a long time, so Papercut was a bit affected. This description had a very traditional flavor to it.
Wan Pagoda actually expressed his approval. "It doesn't matter if it's metal, wood, water, fire, earth, or electromagnetism, heat, and other forms of expression. They are all just entry-level steps that lead to the ultimate material nature. However, everyone's temperament is different, and their sensitivity is different. Their directions should be different as well. "
"Old Zhai's ability is electron affinity. Could it be that he needs the Condensation Ring?" Papercut cracked a joke that wasn't really a joke. "Her Majesty Empress Wu probably doesn't have any in stock."
Actually, everyone understood that controlling water molecules and controlling electrons was not something that someone at Worker Zhai's level could reach. When all was said and done, this ring and that ring were just handrails. They needed a relatively stable support in the material world, allowing the illusory soul strength to function and multiply.
Hearing their discussion, Di Weiwu, who had been listening to the Heavenly Book all this time, suddenly sighed with emotion. "The mental side is so troublesome. I'll just read scriptures with the Dean …. Hey, Rui Wen. What's your ability?"
That's right. This little mischievous fellow was sighing with emotion because he wanted to strike up a conversation with Rui Wen. He wanted to probe her background. A new person had entered the orphanage without rhyme or reason. She was older than them by a head, and she was a backdoor entrant. He couldn't help but be curious.
Unfortunately, Rui Wen remained silent. She just stood quietly by Luo Nan's side.
Luo Nan wasn't interested in children's tricks. He observed Worker Zhai's work from a close distance during the course of their conversation. He came to a preliminary conclusion … Worker Zhai's work was much more meticulous than his when it came to the Condensation Ring.
The overall structure outlined by Worker Zhai's soul strength manifested the rigor and precision of engineering drawings. Luo Nan could see that Worker Zhai's outline seemed to divide the Condensation Ring's structure into many fulcrums and boundaries. Worker Zhai broke it down into blocks and steps that could be pieced together.
Luo Nan was enlightened as he watched for a long time. He gained a deeper understanding of the subtle details of the interference between the mental and the material.
This method was undoubtedly the most labor-saving and optimal solution. But behind the precision was an unsustainable predicament. Luo Nan would probably never be able to experience this sort of feeling.
Luo Nan admired Worker Zhai's meticulousness, but the situation was different now. It would be too much of a waste … a waste of an opportunity.
He thought for a moment and silently stepped forward. He abruptly bumped into Worker Zhai, interrupting Worker Zhai's state of oblivion.
Worker Zhai was stunned for a moment. He turned his head to look and saw Luo Nan simply sit on the ground, ignoring the dampness. He took out the split-page notebook that rarely left his side and turned on the flexible e-ink screen and drawing software.
Rays of light shot out and diffused outwards, reaching the boundaries of the notebook. Luo Nan chose the rarely used three-dimensional drawing mode. He didn't hesitate at all. He simply put his pen to paper in the work area.
The structure of the Condensation Ring was like a smooth donut. The center was empty, and the overall rules weren't complicated. However, this sort of three-dimensional curved structure was extremely difficult to draw by hand, compared to forming it with one's thoughts. Smooth and smooth lines required considerable professional skill.
Luo Nan and Worker Zhai both had this. Worker Zhai could see that Luo Nan's composition, lines, and so on were beautiful, but they weren't particularly precise. They were more like freehand strokes.
It was undeniable that this method was exceptionally smooth. Soon, the projection area was filled with over a dozen similar structures. Luo Nan even turned on the animation effects, causing these donuts to flip back and forth.
Then Luo Nan crooked his finger at Di Weiwu. "Come, Weiwu. I'll show you a magic trick."
"Huh?"
"Blow on these donuts. There'll be a surprise!"
"Are you trying to coax a child!?"
"If you don't come, I'll have your Sister Rui Wen blow."
"Tch …. Ah, Sister?" Di Weiwu was shocked. This was a situation he never imagined. He instinctively looked at Rui Wen's chest.
Luo Nan flicked a raindrop with his finger, and it hit Di Weiwu on the forehead. "Are you going to blow or not?"
"Blow! Watch me blow your cowhide off!"
Even though Luo Nan said this, Di Weiwu still moved forward with great interest. He puffed his cheeks and fiercely blew on the painting area.
It was at this moment that the dozen or so donuts in the work area seemed to be brushed by the airflow. They floated out from the bound light of the work area. They seemed to be stained with special light powder, and they transformed into glowing bubbles that changed shape and scattered outwards.
"Wow! This is cool!" Di Weiwu praised loudly. He was completely unaware of the difficulty of producing a similar scene.
Luo Nan's method was inspired by the Order of Justice. Back then, the Order of Justice had used a projector to construct the structure of the sacred space. There was also the Myriad Towers. They had used a similar method to test Xie Junping and Du Yong's attainments in the mystic arts.
Compared to the projector array, Luo Nan's method embodied the interference effect of soul strength turning the void into reality. His method of using interference strength to draw in light was even more breathtaking.
Of course, the magic trick was just a gimmick. The true value of this method was revealed later. The glowing bubbles rapidly shrank at a visible rate. A small portion of them collapsed due to structural instability, but most of them shrunk to the point where it was hard to see with the naked eye. This was because the work area of the flexible screen was loaded with the glimmering energy of the glimmering screen. It released rays of light that were like the eye of a needle.
Two seconds later, these rays of light transformed into resplendent pearl-like light. This was because the structure of the Condensation Rings had successfully gathered water molecules. The water droplets refracted light.
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