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墨書 Inktalez
The Feng Tower absolutely does not allow anyone without a registered account to enter, not even someone with a position comparable to General Wang. Without an account, there is no right to enter; the access control system has always been this way. However, access rights are set by individuals, so in order for An Xiaotian to enter the Feng Tower, Dr. Liang was in contact with his laboratory robot assistant, Tsongtsong, throughout the journey, requesting it to log into his computer and create an access account for An Xiaotian. Having worked at the Military Base in City S for so many years, he had already earned everyone's trust and had the authority to set permissions for the Feng Tower.
An Xiaotian had certainly heard of this sacred and mysterious name, and now this place that once seemed completely out of reach was suddenly within grasp due to the words of the tall, slender middle-aged man before him. He suddenly realized that anyone who could walk alongside General Wang must be a formidable character who had made significant achievements in some field.
Liang Muqi... As they reached the entrance of the Feng Tower, An Xiaotian suddenly recalled that he seemed to have heard this name before; his abilities were indeed outstanding, making him a public figure.
"By the way, let me introduce myself." Just as they were about to enter the Feng Tower, Liang Muqi turned around and extended a hand to An Xiaotian. "I am Liang Muqi, the Chief Scientist for General Wang, a member of the Ming Family, and a science and technology advisor. To put it simply, I am involved in most of the research projects and equipment designs within the base."
"You are the one hailed as one of the Twin Stars of the 21st century, Dr. Liang Muqi?" An Xiaotian exclaimed.
"That's right," General Wang nodded in affirmation for Liang Muqi. "So this is also a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for you; at least you have entered our radar."
"However..."
Seeing the two seniors stride into the interior of the tower, An Xiaotian chose to swallow his words. He had no interest in admiring the interior of this building he had never seen before; instead, he kept running his fingers over the edges of the energy module on his chest through his clothing. He wanted to say: But I just want to be a normal, outstanding soldier.
An Xiaotian could not accept the sudden change in his fate. The lights on the elevated platforms were suspended in mid-air, allowing An Xiaotian to even see his own shadow. Following the direction of his shadow, he looked past the backs of the two seniors toward the pale blue avenue ahead. The path leading into the unknown felt like the uncertain fate he faced after stepping through the door; where to go became a matter of drifting along with the current and accepting whatever came his way. He felt like someone who once chased dreams, but now that his dream of being a soldier had become unrecognizable, and with opportunities presenting themselves before him, he was no longer willing to grasp at so-called beauty. Instead, he could only pretend on the outside that everything was going smoothly.
What will he become in the future? Will he be able to live up to the comrades who died in the battle because of him? He knows nothing.
"Xiaotian?"
Seeing An Xiaotian standing in the center of the azure hall, looking down at the path beneath his feet, General Wang turned around and reminded him, "If you're interested, I can show you around later."
"Oh, no need, I'm just thinking about something." An Xiaotian quickly caught up, looking around as he walked.
Level 1 Restricted Area 818 Laboratory
Dr. Liang pressed the control button at the front desk, An Xiaotian looked up at the sound, and a set of red and white humanoid armor with a metallic sheen slowly stood in front of An Xiaotian with the support of a mechanical arm. Its orange windows seemed to have the eyes of a living being, staring at An Xiaotian.
"The Fierce Eagle level humanoid wearable integrated armor is my companion for many years," General Wang introduced to An Xiaotian. "It is truly your lifesaver."
This was An Xiaotian's first encounter with the Fierce Eagle Armor. He stepped forward, and after receiving the silent approval from Dr. Liang and General Wang, he placed his hand on the armor's sharply defined chest plate. In that moment, it felt as if he had connected with it. He looked up and met the gaze of the orange viewport of the Fierce Eagle Armor, and in its reflection, he saw his own surprised expression.
"Xiaotian, it can save you. It may also be that it needs you."
"General Wang said, placing a large hand on An Xiaotian's shoulder, nearly overwhelming him. 'Or perhaps, we all need you.'
'No!' An Xiaotian exclaimed, as if waking from a dream, pulling his hand back as if shocked. He shook his head in agitation. 'General, this is happening too fast. Do you understand? It's like a woman who has never seen you before suddenly talking about marriage on the first day... What exactly do you need me to do, General? I can't accept this.'"
"Stay calm, Xiaotian," General Wang's tone was steady like a father's. "It wasn't my choice for you; this is your destiny in life. I need you to undergo a physical test. If you don't pass—which is highly likely—I promise I will send you back to the unit. You will not be treated differently; you will still be that outstanding Special Forces Soldier recruit."
"What if I succeed?"
"You will be my successor."
An Xiaotian, appearing restless and anxious, suddenly stopped. He stood between Fierce Eagle Armor and General Wang, looking back and forth.
"Why me? There are so many in the army who are more experienced and capable than I am. Why?"
"That's true, there are indeed many who are more outstanding than you among the Special Forces Soldiers in the base. We could even hold a nationwide selection to find a warrior to operate the original machine."
"Yeah, why?"
"But, child, in this place, what matters is not strength, but... potential."
Dr. Liang dragged the holographic panel from the air, connecting General Wang's words while searching for An Xiaotian's personal data.
"Let's analyze it simply from two aspects. In terms of endurance, in the basic four-kilometer test, you successfully entered two and a half minutes with a time of nine point three seconds. This is still far from enough. In the three-kilometer weighted run, you were the first soldier to achieve a time without entering double digits, breaking the best record since the recruitment training at this base."
An Xiaotian couldn't help but glance at the mechanical wings retracted behind "Fierce Eagle's" armor.
"In terms of strength, during the VR test last September, you delivered a punch with a force of two hundred eighty-seven kilograms against a simulated target. Meanwhile, our international Special Forces Soldier, the king of single KO in combat competitions, who broke the Asian punching power record and officially entered the top-secret unit as an ace warrior, has a punching power limit of five hundred ninety-one kilograms without any equipment enhancement."
"How long have you been in the military, and you already have nearly half of his strength." An Xiaotian rubbed his fingers, hoping to exonerate himself. In fact, he didn't want to suddenly take on such a big role. On the contrary, he was more worried about whether he could accept his transformed life. "Is there really no one else? Like, someone with strength comparable to mine, like Lei Ao?"
"He? Such an arrogant and self-righteous person, he is simply not worthy of my attention in the first place." General Wang decisively rejected An Xiaotian's evasion.
"Data is only a secondary aspect. If it is combined with top-secret technology, the mental strength must be unparalleled. There is no doubt about this." General Wang walked up to An Xiaotian with his hands behind his back. His manner of speaking always commands respect from others.
"Your potential is not limited to physical qualities. To ensure the safety of the main force, you decisively led a small team to intercept the enemy. Although your actions went against the orders at that time, the spirit of sacrificing oneself for the greater good, along with your calm judgment, decisive execution, and impressive charisma, all showcase the leadership qualities hidden within you," General Wang said. "I do not want you to be overlooked, to serve a few years in the military and then return to the crowd, living a life of waiting for retirement. For you, this will be a turning point in your life."
An Xiaotian listened quietly; this was indeed the truth, but it was not what he wanted to hear.
"Furthermore... Xiaotian, the unprecedented illness within you is the most direct reason we thought of you. After Dr. Liang took over your research, he gathered all relevant researchers at the base for discussion. Unfortunately... there was no conclusion."
An Xiaotian looked up, and a hint of disappointment was evident in his eyes.
"But Dr. Liang believes that since it's an electric current, it definitely requires a variable resistor to suppress it. And the ready-made high resistance is this set of armor with the code name 'Fierce Eagle'."
Following General Wang's finger, An Xiaotian carefully examined this set of armor once again.
"Your chest's pure platinum cluster box is both the summoning core of the armor and an auxiliary device that sustains life. When you and armor are separated, it maintains the strength of the Variant current within you. However, once you are able to merge with armor, the probability of the electrical surge occurring will drop to below 1%."
"So, does that mean I can't live without this suit of armor in the future?" An Xiaotian summarized.
"It's not certain yet," General Wang said. "Whether you can pass its test is still a question. And it's not up to me to decide, it all depends on your abilities."
"How do we test it?"
"Merge with it."
An Xiaotian turned to look at Fierce Eagle Armor, and when the time was right, Dr. Liang awakened Fierce Eagle Armor. The armor's various parts began to connect, merge, and contract, eventually forming a vacant humanoid space. He stared at the dark entrance, and with encouragement from General Wang, he stepped inside. He closed his eyes, feeling the cold, tight layer of the armor enveloping his entire body. Mechanical sounds came from all directions as the entire armor began to transform, and even with his eyes closed, he could clearly sense the world turning dark. Finally, the armor behind his ears began to assemble, and the head armor was quickly wrapped up, with the sides of his cheeks tightly pressed together.
Various holographic data panels finished loading, displaying in front of An Xiaotian's opened eyes.
"Identity verification complete, human compatibility 98%. Welcome, Mr. An Xiaotian. Backup of second-generation driver completed."
"Backup?" A buzzing sound echoed in An Xiaotian's mind—did General Wang and the others already notice him? In that moment, he locked onto General Wang, who was frowning outside the armor's orange visor. He was the comrade of this armor, and now he was passing this position to An Xiaotian. Suddenly, An Xiaotian realized that the general was like a mentor quietly watching over him, while he himself was a student unwilling to change and content with the status quo. He gradually became aware of how fortunate he was to have such an unnamed hero guiding him toward another path at the crossroads of fate.
"General, why has my identity already appeared in this?" Although he had a feeling about it, An Xiaotian still wanted to ask. This time, General Wang did not respond; he simply locked eyes with him. Dr. Liang turned and asked, "Can we begin?"
General Wang felt both fear and anticipation. He hoped that this newcomer truly had the potential to succeed him, but he was also afraid that the upcoming test would yield unfavorable results—something that had often been the case in the past. Next came the final trial, the most critical question. If An Xiaotian's brain was unwilling to accept the intelligent neural interaction of the armor, then everything that had come before would be meaningless.
"I have processed all programs and am ready to submit the neural link to your brain. Once you are ready, you may allow this operation request," a gentle mechanical voice echoed again.
"I..." An Xiaotian locked eyes with General Wang, "allow any further operations."
Instantly! He felt his entire brain start to vibrate, the sudden external interface causing a sharp decrease in brain processing speed. An Xiaotian's thinking became extremely difficult, with more and more black spots appearing in his eyes. Finally, even if he tried to open his eyes, he couldn't see clearly anymore. One minute passed, and the control panel of Dr. Liang already clearly showed that An Xiaotian was suffering from insufficient blood supply and extremely unstable heart rate. Inside the armor, An Xiaotian's painful groans could be heard.
"What do you think?" Dr. Liang looked at General Wang. As long as General Wang gave the order, he could immediately terminate the interaction.
"Not yet," General Wang said, glancing at Dr. Liang's outstretched hand. On the display screen, An Xiaotian's brain was still showing a yellow indicator. "I believe in this child."
However, as soon as he finished speaking, the indicator suddenly dropped to red. The transmission rate of the neural link became very unstable, and An Xiaotian's brain was resisting the external connection! Within the orange window, even sparks of electric arcs appeared.
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