Zhao Qiang tapped the box hard with his finger. Strangely, even the most basic physical theories on Earth didn't apply. The echo from the tapping indicated that the box wasn't hollow, or rather, tapping it to deduce its core was ineffective. Zhao Qiang then transformed the grappling hook into a dagger and stabbed the box several times. Given the hardness of 'g' matter, even steel alloy would have a hole drilled in it, but the box didn't even have a scratch.
Yang Shiyun said, "If you can extract this substance, that would be amazing. You could even use it to build a spaceship and not have to avoid meteorites and meteors."
Zhao Qiang said, "How do you know this black box isn't from the spaceship? Hehe."
Yang Shiyun said, "Master is indeed Master. Your imagination is much richer than mine. So, do you think we can dig out a spaceship if we keep digging?"
Zhao Qiang said, "It's also possible to dig out another world at the Earth's core, or to dig out a door to another space."
Yang Shiyun said, "Now that you think about it like that, I really want to go down and dig right away."
Zhao Qiang said, "No rush. If we can't even figure out this black box, then we'll be helpless even if we dig out something else."
After saying that, Zhao Qiang reached out and pressed the raised dots; he had to test the function of this black box. Previously, there were no buttons on the long black block, so Zhao Qiang had no way to study it.
Yang Shiyun quickly reached out to stop her: "Wait!"
Zhao Qiang's hand suddenly stopped on those protruding points. "What?"
Yang Shiyun said, "Do you know what the consequences will be after you press it?"
Zhao Qiang said, "We'll only know the consequences after we press the button. How will we know there will be consequences if we don't press it?"
Yang Shiyun said, "There are other people outside the cave, either because of the explosion."
Zhao Qiang said, "Then I guess I'm just unlucky." As he spoke, Zhao Qiang pressed one of the buttons, but there was no response. There was no beeping alarm, and no red light flashing. Zhao Qiang then pressed all the other buttons, but the black box still did not respond, even though those buttons were indeed pressed down, so there was no problem with the connection.
Yang Shiyun asked, "What happened? I was happy for nothing, but I was worried all along?"
Zhao Qiang said, "I think there are two reasons: one is that this is a broken device; the other is that it has no power."
Yang Shiyun said, "So there's no way to study it?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Yes, we can test what the water tastes like after passing through it."
Yang Shiyun picked up a mineral water bottle from the ground: "I'm going out to find some rainwater."
It was pouring rain outside, so getting a bottle of rainwater was a real hassle. "Try this first," Yang Shiyun said, handing the bottle to Zhao Qiang. Zhao Qiang reluctantly took a sip, then spat it out with a "pui!" Rainwater was definitely not something to drink.
Yang Shiyun found another mineral water bottle in her abandoned backpack, emptied the water from it, and handed the bottle to Zhao Qiang. Zhao Qiang placed the bottle under the black box, and Yang Shiyun poured rainwater into the black box from above. The rainwater flowed through the winding pipes into the black box and then flowed out from the funnel at the bottom of the black box. Because the funnel opening was too large, Zhao Qiang only collected a little water. He tasted it and then handed it to Yang Shiyun without saying a word.
Yang Shiyun said, "Tell me exactly what it tastes like."
Zhao Qiang said, "Why don't you try it and you'll know?"
Yang Shiyun said, "You're not trying to mess with me, are you? Just because I made you drink rainwater earlier?"
Zhao Qiang smiled but didn't answer. Yang Shiyun knew the answer only by tasting it herself. She closed her eyes, took a sip, and then exclaimed in surprise, "The taste really changes our assumptions. This is indeed a water purification device. God, this device could change the history of our Earth's drinking water!"
Volume 2 [644] Charging
[644] Charging
Zhao Qiang was curious about how it worked since it had no energy source. Was it like an activated carbon water purifier, where water simply flowed through it? But there was no reason why such a simple treatment would change the taste of the water, and it was impossible to treat such a large quantity of water for such a long period of time.
Zhao Qiang took out the long black piece again. Since it was raining heavily outside and there were two dead bodies to deal with, he couldn't leave for the time being. He decided to study the long black piece as well. These two things might be one, and he could see if he could piece them together and perhaps unlock the secret.
Yang Shiyun helped Zhao Qiang place the long black block on various parts of the black box, but none of them were in the correct position. Yang Shiyun said, "These two things may not be related. You know, the black box is a water purification device, but the long black block is not. Otherwise, how could you not find the water inlet and outlet?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Then imagine what the long black piece would be used for."
Yang Shiyun said, "I think it might have been left here by someone who came to fetch water. Maybe it was once a tool like a book weight. But the person I'm talking about might not be someone from the modern civilized era. Do you think that reason is appropriate?"
Zhao Qiang said, "I think the possibility you're talking about is extremely low. It definitely has a function, and it's not as simple as a book weight. Also, I dare not make a conclusion about which civilization era it belongs to at the moment."
Yang Shiyun said, "Then what do you think it is? It doesn't even have a crack, so what use is it?"
Zhao Qiang said, "The lack of a gap might mean we haven't found a way to open it."
Yang Shiyun said, "Open it? How can you open it if there's no gap? It looks the same inside and out; it's solid."
Zhao Qiang examined the long, black block repeatedly. "Maybe we can't open it because it's out of energy."
Yang Shiyun said, "Then it should at least have a charging plug or some kind of interface, right? Do you see it?"
Zhao Qiang said, "If it still needs such low-level equipment as interfaces, it would hardly demonstrate the advanced level of the other side's civilization."
Yang Shiyun said, "You really think it's a product of prehistoric civilization? You were the one who disagreed with me just now."
Zhao Qiang said, "We can try to find out if it's a product of a prehistoric civilization." With that, Zhao Qiang separated his own energy and tightly wrapped it around the black block. It would be too easy to discover its mystery simply by surrounding it with energy, since Zhao Qiang had already wrapped it with energy once before when he stole it, but nothing had changed. So now Zhao Qiang wanted to input this energy into the black block to see if he could activate it.
Energy collided repeatedly with the black block, trying to find a crack to penetrate, producing a constant crackling and popping sound. The black block flew wildly through the air under the impact of the energy. Yang Shiyun moved her body back, afraid of being injured by the explosions caused by the collisions between the energy and the black block. In fact, under Zhao Qiang's control, there was no possibility of causing major damage.
Zhao Qiang kept ramming the black block with energy. The reason he didn't use the black box for the experiment was because he was afraid of damaging it. Since the two things were made of the same material, if the black block could be activated with energy, then the black box would naturally have its uses as well, not just for purifying water. Now, he needed to prove whether the two things could not be opened because they lacked energy, and he also needed to verify whether the energy in Zhao Qiang's body was compatible with the energy used by the two things.
Zhao Qiang had suffered a significant energy depletion tonight, which had not been replenished. Now, he was releasing some of it to test the black block's reaction. He couldn't hold on for long, and seeing that the black block showed no change, he was about to give up. Perhaps he and Yang Shiyun's imaginations were too vivid. This was just a treasure left behind by two ancient people, not a product of some prehistoric civilization. As for changing the taste of the water, although it couldn't be explained for the time being, how many magical things in history couldn't be explained by scientific points of view?
Zhao Qiang decided to make one last attempt to break through the barrier. If it failed, he would just pretend he hadn't found anything and focus on finding out who killed Section Chief Wang and Manager Hu. He would then try to get the surviving tourists out of the area.
With a loud crack, the sound of energy colliding with the black block of stone was heard. Yang Shiyun covered her ears tightly; the decibel level was so high that it hurt her eardrums. Even Li Hua and the others outside were curious and gathered around. Zhao Qiang, afraid that they would get in the way, kicked the headless Section Chief Wang on the ground to the entrance of the cave. When the group saw the corpse 'fly' out, they were so frightened that they scattered in a panic and dared not approach the entrance of the cave again.
No abnormalities occurred after the energy collision, and Zhao Qiang was disappointed. He decided to withdraw the energy and abandon the experiment. But in that instant, Zhao Qiang noticed that the energy was rapidly dissipating. The long black block suspended in the air by the energy seemed to emit a faint glow, and Zhao Qiang tracked the dissipating energy and discovered that it was being absorbed by the long black block.
Zhao Qiang was overjoyed, never expecting to succeed. The long black block was definitely not a solid, useless object, because its ability to absorb energy indicated its extraordinary nature. So Zhao Qiang spared no effort to separate the energy outwards. The long black block, already activated by the energy, absorbed it without hesitation. As energy continued to be injected into its interior, the outer ring of light grew brighter and brighter, actually floating in the air like a lamp. Yang Shiyun was dumbfounded.
Finally, the energy Zhao Qiang separated stopped being absorbed, and Zhao Qiang breathed a sigh of relief and stopped separating energy. At this moment, the black block fell to the ground with a thud. Yang Shiyun was the first to grab it, but the outer radiance disappeared, and the black block was still the black block. Even the temperature did not change, which made Yang Shiyun very frustrated.
Zhao Qiang touched his belly, which had become noticeably thinner. He had almost used up all his energy and needed to find something to eat. So, without bothering to check the black lump, Zhao Qiang first gathered up the backpacks he had thrown in the cave, opened the food inside, and sat on the ground to warm himself by the fire and eat. There was bread and sausages. Others had worked so hard to carry them up, and now Zhao Qiang was getting a good deal.
Yang Shiyun said, "You still have the appetite to eat? Hurry up and check how it is?"
Zhao Qiang said, "I need to eat something first, I'm starving! Look how it's turned out!"
Yang Shiyun said, "I can't see anything. It seems like there's no change at all."
Zhao Qiang reached out his hand, and Yang Shiyun tossed him the long black block. As soon as Zhao Qiang took it, he felt a familiar energy. This was an energy that was closely related to him. Yang Shiyun couldn't feel it, but Zhao Qiang could. With this energy, the long black block seemed to come alive in Zhao Qiang's eyes, no longer that heavy, lifeless black object.
Zhao Qiang rubbed it for a moment, then a thought struck him. The long, black block suddenly trembled slightly, and then one side of the black wall suddenly opened, revealing a beam of light—a colorful screen.
Yang Shiyun stared in disbelief: "Ah...you, how did you turn it on? I couldn't find the switch."
Zhao Qiang said, "I haven't found it either. It seems to understand my mental commands; it just thinks about it for a moment."
Yang Shiyun said, "Isn't this similar to the equipment you made?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Yes, it seems to be a high-tech product."
Yang Shiyun leaned closer to look at the screen and said, "What is this for? Is it a computer? It's so ingenious!"
Seeing that there was nothing on the screen, Zhao Qiang tried touching it with his finger. It felt cool to the touch, unlike the hard feel of a normal screen. Instead, it had a soft feel to the finger. After Zhao Qiang touched it, a strange pattern immediately appeared on the empty screen. After seeing the pattern, Zhao Qiang immediately picked up the black box and compared the pattern under the raised dots on the black box with the pattern on the screen.
Yang Shiyun asked, "Is it the same?"
Zhao Qiang nodded: "It seems they really are related. These patterns are a kind of script that we cannot understand."
Yang Shiyun said, "If we can't understand the instructions, we can't use this device."
Zhao Qiang said, "One day we will be able to figure it out. Once we find the pattern, it will be easy to decipher the meaning of this script." With the computing power of Zhao Qiang's biochip, plus the constantly appearing patterns and characters in the black block, it would not be difficult to decipher it.
Yang Shiyun said, "Why don't we charge the black box too and see if it has any other functions? Maybe these switches have some magical functions. Since it's a product of civilization, it can't just be a water purifier."
Zhao Qiang said, "I'm really tired right now, why don't you charge my phone for me?"
Yang Shiyun said, "You think too highly of me. My storage capacity is far from enough for it, and there's no power source here."
Zhao Qiang stuffed the black box into a backpack and said, "Now that we've found a way, let's study it again when we get back."
Yang Shiyun pointed to the long black block: "Can you close it again so that no one else can see it?"
Zhao Qiang held the long black box in his mind for a moment, and the box that had been pulled down automatically pulled back up, completely blocking the screen inside. It didn't look like a box that could be opened at all; it was sealed shut.
Yang Shiyun took the long black block and tried to imagine it opening in her mind, just like Zhao Qiang did, but the black block didn't move at all. Yang Shiyun said angrily, "Does it recognize its owner?"
Zhao Qiang said, "I think it should only accept my commands, because I'm the one who charges it."
Yang Shiyun said, "In that case, I'll charge the black box when we get back."
Zhao Qiang said, "Okay, let's go out and call everyone over. They'll get soaked to death outside."
Zhao Qiang gave a call to action, and apart from Li Hua who took a few steps toward him, the others ran even further. If they could get down the mountain, they would rather die than stay on it.
Zhao Qiang said to the people hiding behind the tree, "If you don't come in now, you might become the next target of the hidden assassins."
With a loud bang, some people couldn't bear the terrifying atmosphere and finally ran over, but they still dared not enter the cave. They were still terrified of the dead bodies inside. Zhao Qiang had no choice but to "invite" the two corpses out of the cave and let them get wet in the rain before the surviving tourists dared to enter. However, they were still very afraid of the smell of blood inside the cave.
(Thanks to 罒混沌づ星辰罒 for the monthly ticket support.)
Volume 2 [645] The Doppelganger
[645] Clone
Several tourists lined up in the cave like grasshoppers, all looking at Zhao Qiang with panicked eyes, as if he were the murderer.
Li Hua said, "Zhao Qiang, please don't hurt us. We are all innocent."
Zhao Qiang said, "Why would I hurt you? I let you in to protect you. That's utter nonsense."
Li Hua said, "We thought you and Xiao Baihe were in cahoots."
Feeling it wasn't worth getting angry with Li Hua and the others, Zhao Qiang changed his tone and asked, "Has she reappeared?"
Li Hua shook his head: "I haven't seen her since the chaos. She must have fled to avoid punishment."
Zhao Qiang walked out of the cave and scanned the situation on the mountaintop. There were no other survivors. Who killed Section Chief Wang and Manager Hu? Could it really be Xiao Baihe? What was her purpose in doing this? Didn't she know that murder is punishable by death?
Yang Shiyun walked behind Zhao Qiang and said, "If it really was Xiao Baihe who did it, then what is the reason? If she really had the ability to cut off Section Chief Wang's head, she wouldn't need to kill someone unless there was a deep-seated hatred between them."
Zhao Qiang shook his head. He was even more confused, so he said to Yang Shiyun, "You stay here, I'll go and look around."
Li Hua shouted from inside the cave, "Brother, don't run around! It's very dangerous here. You could lose your life in no time!"
Zhao Qiang, of course, ignored Li Hua's excessive concern. He pushed off the ground and shot away in a flash. Even the heaviest rain couldn't stop Zhao Qiang, equipped with advanced gear. He hadn't even figured out the situation on the mountaintop yet; his X-ray vision alone wasn't enough to fully grasp it. The way down was blocked, but with the skills of the man who killed Section Chief Wang, reaching the highest peak wouldn't be difficult. He would hide there and wait for everyone to leave before emerging.
Boom! A thunderclap sounded overhead, and Zhao Qiang felt his head spinning. The hill above the cave wasn't very big, covered entirely with pine trees, which made it difficult for Zhao Qiang to observe. He scanned the area little by little, because the path to climb this hill was not one that ordinary people could walk, so ordinary tourists would never come here.
With a whoosh, a bullet shot out from the bushes. It was well hidden in the wind and rain, and was only detected when it was right in front of Zhao Qiang. Zhao Qiang had no time to dodge, so he took the bullet head-on. The armor controlled by his mind instantly activated. Zhao Qiang also separated energy from the inner layer of the armor to protect himself. This was because he didn't have much energy left, and he wanted to avoid using it if possible. Otherwise, Zhao Qiang would have distributed the energy on the outside of the armor for protection.
Boom! The impact of the bullet exceeded Zhao Qiang's expectations. Someone must have applied other forces to the bullet. Zhao Qiang was knocked down from the air and rolled down the grass on the hillside. The bullet hit the chest of his armor, leaving a deep crack. Zhao Qiang felt a dull pain in his chest. If it weren't for the energy shield that was closest to his body, this shot would have been enough to kill him.
Zhao Qiang reached out and grabbed a pine tree on the hillside, using the momentum to leap into the bushes and hide. At the same time, he took out his electromagnetic gun. His position had been exposed when the opponent attacked, so Zhao Qiang fired a counter-attack bullet with a bang.