"To be honest, we were quite surprised when school started," Gao Xiaojie said. "We know those beasts in the School of Life Sciences. Nobody knows how incredibly strong they can become after just one summer vacation. Oh, but we heard that they didn't go back home for the entire summer. They all stayed at the school to work with Dr. Li Liangyan, and they're still working now. There are rumors that Dr. Li Liangyan thinks highly of them and plans to take them abroad to develop in the future."
“These are not the main points,” Zhan Jing said calmly. “The main point is that many people are now spreading rumors that Dr. Li Liangyan invented a drug that can make people smarter, and that this drug is what has greatly increased their IQs.”
What was said in jest was taken seriously by Chen Xu, who exclaimed in shock, "What kind of smart drug?!"
You see, Chen Xu had been thinking about the "century-long scam" for the past few days. He had figured it out: this "century-long scam" was destined to happen in history, whether he existed or not, it was unavoidable. So, Chen Xu didn't need to have any lingering doubts about whether he caused the scam. Instead, he should think about how to use this "scam" to build up his own power as much as possible to fight against the mysterious organization Xu Jiang mentioned.
Therefore, Chen Xu now has an almost neurotic sensitivity to any invention that appears or is alluded to in his article "Reflections on the Great Deception of the 21st Century".
That article clearly stated that improving people's IQ and making them smarter is an important part of the research in the century-old scam!
The most significant mistake in the "great hoax of the century" was that those scientists believed they could turn people into gods.
As mentioned before, the "great hoax of the century" began with the study of legendary "gods" and a completely new interpretation of myths. However, the initial idea behind this research was merely to create a new line of thought. But as this line of thought was opened up, human greed dominated the direction of the research—they lost their reverence for "gods" and instead hoped to become "gods" themselves!
Therefore, the "greatest hoax of the century" came first. Those scientists immersed in it called it the "God-making Project."
This kind of thing, making people smarter and developing their brains, is still only in the very early stages of the "God-Making Project." But in the later stages... Chen Xu didn't know exactly what the later stages would be like. Xiao Min's file seemed to have deliberately deleted information about the "century-long scam," but based on some clues, it seemed that in the later stages, it involved ethical and moral issues. Seeing Chen Xu's startled reaction, Gao Xiaojie said, "What's wrong? Your mental fortitude isn't that weak, is it? It's just a rumor, a rumor! There's no such drug! If there really were, everyone in the world would be a genius!"
"Everyone is a genius?" Gao Xiaojie's casual remark stunned Chen Xu.
He vaguely grasped something in his heart. It was as if an idea flashed through his mind in an instant, but when he tried to grasp it, it had already disappeared somewhere else.
Chen Xu shook his head and said, "Maybe it really is just a rumor. At least when I was Dr. Li's assistant, it didn't happen..."
At this point, Chen Xu's expression changed, and he said, "There might really be such a medicine!"
"What?!" All three women exclaimed in surprise, and even Guan Yi, who was deep in thought, couldn't help but exclaim.
“There might really be such a drug!” Chen Xu’s expression turned serious. “When I was Dr. Li’s assistant, I was doing some very strange experiments. Director Wang of the Public Security Bureau even specifically sought me out for these experiments. That’s when I met that annoying guy, Xu Jiang… At the time, the National Security Bureau also expressed a very strong interest in Dr. Li’s research, so I was responsible for helping them collect Dr. Li’s research data, including specific drug analyses and the like…”
Gao Xiaojie exclaimed, "Ah, you're a spy! Isn't that exciting?"
"Stop fooling around!" Zhan Jing slapped her: "Continue, I remember you seemed to have said something like... um, let me think about it."
"It's like injecting small animals with medicine and then making them navigate a maze or something... I think it's a test of their intelligence?" Guan Yi exclaimed, "You called me an idiot when I guessed that!"
"Calm down! Keep your eyes on the road!" He quickly tried to calm the agitated woman, knowing that the lives of four people were in her hands!
It seems that it really is true. Combining Dr. Li's previous research with the current rumors, and more importantly, Chen Xu has been thinking about the "century-long scam" all along, so it's inevitable that he would think of this aspect. Whether it's true or false... it definitely needs to be investigated.
After arriving at Hexie University, a meal was inevitable. After all, Chinese people like to resolve everything over the table, whether it's a reunion or a farewell. Besides, everyone knows Chen Xu is rich, so wouldn't it be reasonable to treat him to a meal? However, the location wasn't too expensive; it was just the restaurant on the second floor of the cafeteria, where the food was relatively affordable.
But it was quite a coincidence that I ran into Dr. Li Liangyan at the restaurant while I was eating!
He was having dinner with his assistants, and among them was a man Chen Xu didn't recognize—a very conspicuous boy with obvious Eurasian features.
The boy was young, probably around the same age as Chen Xu and the others. When he saw Chen Xu, his expression changed, and he turned his head to talk to the person next to him.
When the people over there saw Chen Xu, they all stood up. However, apart from Dr. Li Liangyan, the others all showed a hostile expression.
hostility?
Chen Xu ignored them and greeted Dr. Li Liangyan with a smile: "Dr. Li, it's been a long time."
"Little Chen!" Dr. Li appeared very approachable, smiling as he walked up to shake hands with Chen Xu. "Where have you been lately, you little rascal? I heard you took three months off? Ha, what happened to make you so dark-skinned? Did you go to Africa?"
Chen Xu smiled, his gaze shifting to the face of the mixed-race boy. Seeing his expression, Dr. Li quickly said, "Oh. Let me introduce you. You've all worked with these people before, so I don't need to say much. This is Jimmy, a freshman in the Life Sciences Department. Ah, you see, he's mixed-race, Finnish. His sister used to be my assistant in the US. Jimmy is here at Hexie University as an exchange student, to be my assistant. Jimmy, this is Chen Xu, whom I've mentioned many times. Ah, I doubt anyone in China would dare claim to be so accomplished at such a young age in front of him."
Chen Xu exchanged a glance with the mixed-race man, Jimmy, and Chen Xu could see a hint of hostility flashing in his eyes.
hostility?
Although he concealed it well, he couldn't hide it from Chen Xu's keen senses honed during his military training.
The two shook hands casually, and Chen Xu smiled and said, "You flatter me too much. I was unable to continue my work before because I was tied up with trivial matters. I'm very sorry. I wonder if you still need people?" Chen Xu wanted to see if he could sneak into Dr. Li's laboratory again to investigate the drug solution in detail.
Dr. Li paused for a moment, then shook his head and laughed, "Little Chen, you're the chairman of a foundation worth over a billion now, you're a really busy person, where would you find the time to come work for me? Oh, Jimmy is doing your job now, and that young man is also very capable."
These words were actually a polite refusal. Chen Xu wasn't stupid; he naturally understood the meaning behind them and let it go with a smile.
At this moment, several people behind Dr. Li stepped forward. The one in the lead was Huang Chong, the guy who had provoked Chen Xu last time: "Chen Xu, it's been a long time. It's also been a long time since we've sparred. When can we find some time to play a few rounds?"
Chen Xu smiled: "What games?"
"Those things we lost to last time!"
"Even defeated opponents are getting arrogant?" Before Chen Xu could speak, the computer science students behind him were already protesting and started shouting.
Huang Chong completely ignored them, as if they were just a bunch of noisy ants. He looked at Chen Xu and said, "Martial arts expert, brain capacity, let's have a good competition. You have to get up from where you fell down, right?"
Chen Xu smiled and nodded: "Okay, you set a time."
"This afternoon!" Huang Chong said proudly, "After school! The location is the school's computer lab." Chen Xu smiled and said, "Okay." As he spoke, Chen Xu noticed that Dr. Li was watching with a smile on his face, without saying a word or expressing any opinion.
"That old fox!" Chen Xu knew that this must have been at Dr. Li's behest. Well, even if it wasn't at his behest, judging from his attitude, it was tacit approval. Thinking about how he used to respect Dr. Li, but now he had to look at him with prejudice, Chen Xu felt a pang of regret.
The situation became somewhat awkward at this point. Chen Xu sensed the embarrassment and smiled slightly, saying, "Alright, I won't disturb your meal any longer. See you this afternoon."
After saying that, Chen Xu swaggered away. At this moment, Jimmy, the mixed-race man standing next to him, said softly, "Chen Xu, I heard that you are SMMH's apprentice. I am also a hacker. If there is a chance, let's have a match."
"Hacker?" Chen Xu's pupils contracted: "I'm ready anytime!"
Chapter 293: Breakthrough of the First Barrier!
Originally, Chen Xu's return and the gathering for a meal would have been a great thing, but encountering these guys made it all rather unappetizing. However, Wu Yuan and his group had unwavering confidence in Chen Xu—could Chen Xu really lose?
While Chen Xu smiled and responded to the clinking of glasses at the table as if nothing had happened, he was thinking about what had just happened.
Those three months in the military weren't wasted! You see, Chen Xu's main training focused on preventing assassination attempts! He specifically intensified his training in this area. For the last month, Chen Xu barely slept a wink, because he had to constantly guard against the relentless assassination tactics of that stern-faced Instructor Qin!
Sleeping, eating, drinking, and even going to the toilet!
Instructor Qin was training Chen Xu to have an instinctive and alert reaction to danger! There's only one way to train this feeling—to put yourself in a life-or-death situation!
Because Chen Xu had never actually been on the battlefield, although he had received training in the virtual world, it was only a basic level. The feeling in the virtual world was still quite different from that in reality, because the virtual world was not 100% perfect.
Instructor Qin's training methods were very simple... He used various means to assassinate Chen Xu, and Chen Xu later learned that Instructor Qin was the most skilled assassin in the entire Eastern Divine Sword Brigade. During the Sino-Vietnamese War, the Vietnamese deployed a large number of special forces soldiers. Later, the Vietnamese launched a brutal attack on a field hospital, massacring hundreds of wounded soldiers, doctors, and nurses. Enraged, the central government dispatched special forces to retaliate.
At that time, Instructor Qin was already an elite soldier in the special forces. In that war, at least three-digit numbers of Vietnamese special forces soldiers died at his hands!
The rumor that Chinese special forces soldiers were "too heavy-handed" spread around that time.
As for Chen Xu, Instructor Qin naturally couldn't go too far, otherwise no matter how many Chen Xus there were, they would all be dead! However, Instructor Qin had a unique secret that no other special forces soldier could achieve, and that was killing intent!
Don't think that murderous intent is some mysterious concept. It comes from killing many people and from one's own awareness of life and death.
Many people who have been on the battlefield and whose hands are stained with the blood of the enemy have a murderous aura, but Instructor Qin is the one with the strongest murderous intent!
Chen Xu understands this deeply!
While he was sleeping that night, he suddenly felt a chill run through his body. A sharp dagger was held to his neck. Faced with the terrifying murderous aura emanating from Instructor Qin, he truly believed that Instructor Qin would kill him!
In that instant, the thought of training or drills completely vanished. It was as if death was standing right beside me, and I was wondering if I would breathe my last in the next second!
Instructor Qin has an incredibly strong control over his killing intent, according to the captain of the Eastern Divine Sword team. Once, Instructor Qin was demonstrating how to subdue a hunting dog. Facing a ferocious Tibetan Mastiff, Instructor Qin simply stood there, and the killing intent emanating from him was enough to terrify the fierce mastiff, which was even capable of biting a bear, so much so that it cowered in fear. It took more than a month for it to regain some of its former power!
So, under Instructor Qin's training, Chen Xu's sense of killing intent became exceptionally sharp during that month! And just as that mixed-race Jimmy walked past him, Chen Xu clearly sensed a fleeting killing intent emanating from him!
This person is definitely not simple!
It seems I still can't let my guard down. I never expected such a small university like Hexie University to be so full of hidden talents. Dr. Li... what exactly are you doing?
Because Chen Xu had a competition after school in the afternoon, no one forced him to drink alcohol at noon. He just had a couple of beers to tide him over. But Chen Xu, who hadn't drunk alcohol in a long time, still felt a little dizzy, so Xiao Min helped him fall asleep.
Half an hour of nap time was enough for Chen Xu to recover. But when he woke up, he found that all the guys in the dormitory were asleep, so Chen Xu thought for a moment and then entered a virtual reality world.
As soon as you entered, Xiaomin prompted you: "According to the test, your physical fitness has reached the C-level standard in real combat. Do you want to pass the test?"
"An assessment?" Chen Xu was taken aback, but then he remembered that this was the assessment required for the second level of supercomputer access!
One is to pass the C-level exam in the virtual system "Real Fighting", and the other is to break the 128-bit password set by Xiaomin!
The first level of access granted Chen Xu access to many secrets and allowed him to acquire a great deal of knowledge... The firearms and even the simulated driving of tanks and airplanes that emerged in "Real Combat" originated from this, as did the infrasound weapons.
So what lies behind this second layer of permissions?
Chen Xu entered the "Real Fighting" system. This time, the person in front of him was not the one-eyed instructor, but a dark-skinned Asian man with bandages on his hands.
This guy wasn't particularly tall or muscular, his build was similar to Chen Xu's, but his muscles were very well defined. Xiao Min's voice rang out: "This is Chaiman, the 2034 Thai University Muay Thai League champion, a C-level fighter. If you defeat him, you will pass this test."
"A Muay Thai expert?" Chen Xu wasn't afraid at all now. He nodded and said, "Come on."
Muay Thai is a style of combat that emphasizes close-quarters fighting and ruthless attacks. It uses the hardest parts of the body, such as the elbows and knees, to strike the opponent. It is a very mature fighting style, and many of its moves have been incorporated into military combat techniques because of their simplicity and practicality.
Because Muay Thai is so ruthless, Muay Thai fighters generally have high physical fitness—it's all thanks to being hit. Their elbows and knees are specially trained and are very powerful; an ordinary person would be unable to withstand even one hit from them.
Chen Xu assumed the starting stance of Baguazhang (Eight Trigrams Palm). He absolutely dared not underestimate this future university champion. Muay Thai was incredibly popular in Thailand; as the saying goes, "Nine out of ten men are boxers," highlighting its prevalence. Xiao Min's introduction of Chaiman only intensified Chen Xu's fear… because Chaiman was born in the countryside, where people were more honest and simple, unlike the superficiality and commercialization of the city, where the boxing world had become corrupt and morally decadent. Chaiman came from a Muay Thai family and was hailed by the Thai media as a "true boxer."
Xiaomin announced the start, and Caiman immediately charged forward, throwing a vicious straight punch straight at Chen Xu's face. Chen Xu dodged to the side and followed up with a kick to his opponent's lower body. Unexpectedly, Caiman neither dodged nor avoided, taking the kick head-on, and then unleashing a barrage of attacks.
Chen Xu inwardly groaned. This kind of fight wasn't like a martial arts contest in a ring. There were no fouls, no restrictions; the sole objective was to defeat the opponent! Chen Xu's sweeping kick just now was actually a feint. He only used half his strength, intending to force the opponent to defend, but who knew this guy wouldn't dodge or evade, taking the blow head-on, and then charging in with a fierce attack!
At this point, Chen Xu didn't even know what kind of boxing he was using anymore, and was just defending. Speaking of Baguazhang, its body-moving techniques are indeed the nemesis of Muay Thai's close-quarters combat, but Chen Xu was really not familiar with them, and in this panic, it would be strange if he could even use them.
His arm was burning with pain. Chen Xu felt like his bones were about to crack!
This kind of fight isn't like the brawls of young people these days, where you can just rely on your strong fists and good physique. With every punch Nachaman threw, Chen Xu could feel his bones vibrate! The fists of these martial arts practitioners are incredibly hard. An ordinary person's punch hurts the flesh, but a punch from them hurts the bones!
It was truly excruciating!
Fortunately, Chen Xu performed well despite the panic, at least not giving Caiman a chance to get close, because a fist is not as powerful as an elbow or a knee. If Caiman had landed a heavy blow on him with those two points, Chen Xu would definitely have been crippled.
The attack was swift. Chen Xu seized an opening, rolled to the ground, and as he fell, kicked Cai Man in the shin!
Chen Xu didn't hold back this time, kicking Cai Man hard in the shinbone, causing Cai Man to lose his balance. Chen Xu rolled on the spot, then jumped up with a somersault, and then did a beautiful mid-air spin, delivering a whip kick to Cai Man on the ground!
That Caiman was no pushover either; he rolled away to dodge Chen Xu's attack. But Chen Xu wouldn't let up. After falling to the ground, he suddenly pushed off the ground and bounced back up like a spring. He punched Caiman in the stomach with both fists as Caiman stood up. The blow was hard enough to send Caiman staggering back several steps!
It's important to know that the stomach is the most vulnerable part of the human body. Even if these boxers have developed very strong abdominal muscles, it's still very uncomfortable to be hit hard without warning.
Because the abdomen is different from other parts of the body, there are many internal organs underneath. When the abdomen is hit hard, the chain reaction caused by the internal organs can lead to nausea, vomiting, and so on, which is quite different from ordinary pain.
Virtual Reality is a very realistic game, so when an opponent is attacked, they will naturally react like they would in real life. In fact, most of the time, Chen Xu would think he was in reality in Virtual Reality because it was so realistic.
Chen Xu and Cai Man each took a few steps back. In their previous exchange, Chen Xu had unintentionally suffered a slight loss, but Cai Man hadn't gained any advantage either. Chen Xu let out a long breath and resumed his Baguazhang starting stance. This time, Chen Xu kept his eyes down, his mind focused. If Nangong Lan were nearby, she would be quite surprised, because just by standing there, Chen Xu already exuded a rather righteous air.
Nangong Lan was unaware that Chen Xu's second training instructor in the Eastern Divine Sword Brigade, the ever-smiling Instructor Zhang, was actually a master of Baguazhang.
This is actually quite simple. Many martial artists in China have joined the army, and much of the research on combat techniques within the military was done by these martial artists. During the Sino-Vietnamese War, many "martial arts masters" were among the Chinese special forces. One of them, known as the "Iron-Leg Death," was a master of Tan Tui (a style of Chinese martial arts). It is said that he once killed three Vietnamese special agents in an instant with just three kicks. The nickname "Iron-Leg Death" was truly well-deserved!
Chen Xu learned only the basics and introductory techniques from Nangong Lan, but he learned a great deal from Instructor Zhang, especially the most important foundation of Baguazhang—practicing footwork every day, also known as the "mud-walking step." Footwork is the essence of Baguazhang, which is also called the "Swimming Dragon Baguazhang," with the emphasis on the word "swimming."
The mud-walking step teaches leg strength and coordination, which, when combined with palm strikes, enables striking skills—the so-called "power originates from the ground." This is a fundamental rule applicable to all martial arts. The power and coordination of the legs in actual combat determine the importance of mastering balance and power generation during striking. Chen Xu is quite talented in this regard; although he only practiced for a month, he was already able to vaguely grasp some of the underlying principles.