Chapter 27

Research Institute.

The research team Sheng Jing belonged to was engaged in a crucial study: the data analysis of Black Cloud Stone.

Black Cloud Stone was the only known mineral unaffected by galactic storms and black hole gravity. To build a spaceship capable of traversing galactic storms or resisting black hole gravity, it was essential to use Black Cloud Stone as a metallic coating on the spaceship's surface. However, the mineral properties of Black Cloud Stone could not be accurately analyzed by technological instruments; it required manual assistance through Mental Power to obtain precise values.

In the interstellar era, civilizations were ranked in levels. After humans awakened their Mental Power, they barely qualified as a Level Three Civilization. Whether humans could master the technology to leap through black holes was a crucial criterion for advancing to a Level Two Civilization. For nearly sixty years, the Research Institute had been working to overcome the challenges of Black Cloud Stone.

"I still stand by my opinion. I disagree with the Research Institute conducting a mental probe on Black Cloud Stone right now," Doctor Choi said. Besides overseeing the mental state of scientists in the Research Institute, he was also responsible for the preliminary review of every mental probe experiment. Simply put, any research involving Mental Power in the Research Institute had to be evaluated by Doctor Choi's team to ensure the risk factor was low before proceeding.

"Probing Black Cloud Stone requires not only strong Mental Power but also an extremely stable Mental Sea. Our Mental Sea is forcibly expanded through postnatal activation, which is inherently unstable. Forcibly probing Black Cloud Stone would be extremely dangerous," Doctor Choi explained the pros and cons.

"Doctor Choi, we understand all that. We also know that naturally awakened Mental Power is more stable, but Water Blue Star can't wait any longer," said a middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties or fifties but already had a head full of white hair. "Although Water Blue Star has gained independence, we know better than anyone that without mastering advanced technology, Water Blue Star has no voice in the Interstellar Alliance. Twenty years ago, a merchant ship from Microstar hijacked our resources within our star domain. We reported it to the Alliance, and what did they say?"

The middle-aged man spoke with a heavy heart, "They said, 'Yes, we took your things, and we're willing to return them, but you must come to Microstar to retrieve them.' But twenty years have passed, and have we retrieved them? It's not that they don't want to return them; it's that we can't even reach their planet. Our spaceships can't withstand galactic storms and can't reach Microstar. Since then, any Level Two Civilization's spaceship can rob our resources. They don't even bother with us reporting to the Alliance anymore; they just send a message to our foreign affairs department, telling us to come to their planet to retrieve them. When we are weak, anyone can trample on us. If we don't resist, we'll be trampled to death."

"The Interstellar Alliance Conference is only six months away. If our leader can attend the conference in a spaceship we developed ourselves, Water Blue Star will officially enter the ranks of a Level Two Civilization. Those planets that once casually plundered our resources will no longer dare to provoke us," the middle-aged man said with determination. "To be honest, this is also an order from above."

Doctor Choi's expression was equally grave. He understood these reasons, but an experiment with a high probability of failure would only be a futile sacrifice: "Director Yuan, the probability of success is only 10%."

Yuan Xinlei, the middle-aged man who had been speaking, was the deputy director of the Research Institute, the chief designer of the interstellar spaceship, and Sheng Jing's mentor. Yuan Xinlei's expression remained calm as he said, "Even if there's only a 1% chance, we must try. If we waited for a sure thing before acting, Water Blue Star would never have gained independence. Our ancestors dared to try activating the Mental Sea even knowing they would only live five years. What do we have to fear?"

The history of Earth's immigrants arriving on Water Blue Star was the darkest period for Water Blue Star. If not for the ancestors who risked their lives to awaken Mental Power, Water Blue Star might still be a slave to other planets, not even having the privilege of being bullied as it does now.

Although centuries have passed, and most residents of Water Blue Star, under the Alliance's advocacy for peace, have forgotten this history, believing that Water Blue Star is already quite good now, there are always some who maintain a sense of crisis. Only by being strong can they truly protect themselves and strike back when bullied.

Yuan Xinlei, Sheng Jing, and the people in the Research Institute were such individuals.

With the conversation reaching this point, Doctor Choi could no longer argue. Faith is something that allows people to disregard life and death.

"During the experiment, if I call for a stop, you must stop." This was Doctor Choi's final insistence. If the timing was right, at least lives could be saved.

Yuan Xinlei saw that Doctor Choi agreed and nodded readily, "Alright."

"I'll go prepare. The experiment will start in an hour." With that, Doctor Choi led his team to make preparations.

In the laboratory, after Doctor Choi left, Sheng Jing once again volunteered, "Teacher, let me do it. You are the chief designer, and the lab can't do without you. It's too risky for you to personally probe Black Cloud Stone."

Yuan Xinlei replied, "You're wrong. It's not me the lab can't do without, it's you."

Sheng Jing protested, "Teacher…"

Yuan Xinlei waved his hand, interrupting Sheng Jing, "Sheng Jing, you're still young. Your teacher is already getting old. With my mental state, I can work for at most three more years. After three years, even if I don't go insane, I won't be able to continue researching. But you're different. You're only in your twenties and can work for the lab for at least twenty more years. Moreover, your Mental Power, though strong, is not stable…"

Sheng Jing insisted, "I've been in excellent condition lately."

Yuan Xinlei asked, "Can you have your Contractor come here to assist you?"

Sheng Jing hesitated for a moment before saying, "I can do it alone."

Yuan Xinlei continued, "Although you've never talked about what happened between you and your Contractor, it doesn't mean I know nothing. Over the past year, your mental state has been very poor, and you've only undergone Mental Cleansing once. You don't want to go home during holidays, and even when you're in excruciating pain, you just lie in the Medical Pod to recover. You even submitted an application to dissolve the contract, although I don't know why you withdrew it. But one thing is certain: your relationship with your Contractor is very bad. You know that the nature of our work requires a good relationship between Contractors and Awakened because your relationship directly affects your mental state."

Sheng Jing's face turned pale. This was the last thing he wanted anyone to know.

Yuan Xinlei said, "I'm telling you this today not for any other reason but to hope that in the future, whether you continue with your current Contractor or find a new one, you must maintain a good relationship with your Contractor. Only when your relationship is good can you fully devote yourself to your work, understand?"

"Yes, Teacher, I understand," Sheng Jing replied, his head bowed in shame.

Although he didn't think the problems between him and Tong Yu were his fault, he felt it was his mistake to have worried his teacher.

Yuan Xinlei smiled and patted his student's shoulder, comforting him, "As for Black Cloud Stone, I'm the one who understands it best in the entire Research Institute. With Bai Sheng here to assist, my chances of success are still high."

Bai Sheng was Yuan Xinlei's Contractor and partner. They were originally classmates and fell in love during university. Because Yuan Xinlei had greater talent in research, Bai Sheng willingly became his Contractor, taking on administrative work at the Research Institute. Over the years, Yuan Xinlei had maintained a good mental state because Bai Sheng was always there to share his mental burden.

This time, Bai Sheng would also participate in the mental probe of Black Cloud Stone. With Bai Sheng, Yuan Xinlei effectively had two Mental Seas, reducing the probability of mental collapse by half. But similarly, if not controlled well, Bai Sheng could also be affected, and they might both go insane together.

An hour later, the experiment began.

Yuan Xinlei glanced at Bai Sheng, who said nothing but gave him a gentle smile before putting on the Virtual Helmet. They were so close that they didn't even need a Psychic Connection device to transmit Mental Power. Bai Sheng wore the Virtual Helmet to better deplete his Mental Power.

In the virtual world, Bai Sheng faced the most terrifying and horrifying images and experiences collected by the Research Institute. Simply put, he did whatever depleted Mental Power the fastest. For example, if being tortured in a game depleted Mental Power the most, Bai Sheng would let himself be tortured. Compared to the depletion of Mental Power, a Contractor needed strong Mental Power.

After adjusting the instruments, Doctor Choi looked up at Yuan Xinlei, indicating that they could start. Yuan Xinlei immediately placed his hand on the black stone in front of him, and his Mental Power began to probe into it.

"Pay attention to the intensity of your Mental Power, the smaller the better," Doctor Choi reminded while monitoring the instruments.

The probe of Black Cloud Stone was a very long process, and the smaller the initial Mental Power input, the lower the risk of losing control. But ideal states are often just wishful thinking, accidents are the norm in life. The experiment had only been going for twenty minutes, and the probe of Black Cloud Stone was only one-tenth complete when Yuan Xinlei's Mental Power reached a dangerously high threshold.

Doctor Choi repeatedly reminded him to control his Mental Power, but Yuan Xinlei couldn't control it. If the Mental Power weakened, it would be pushed away by the energy inside Black Cloud Stone, rendering the probe futile.

As the deputy director, Yuan Xinlei had one of the strongest Mental Powers in the Research Institute, reaching S-level. His Contractor, Bai Sheng, was one of the few naturally awakened B-level Mental Power holders. But as Yuan Xinlei's exploration time grew longer, and the probe of Black Cloud Stone reached 70%, Bai Sheng was the first to falter. Bai Sheng was almost drenched in sweat, and the instruments connected to him were constantly alarming, with his mental values repeatedly breaking through an incredible limit.

Doctor Choi's face changed drastically, "Director Bai, disconnect, break the Psychic Connection!"

Doctor Choi couldn't forcibly close the mental contract between the two, but as a Contractor, Director Bai could block it unilaterally. However, no matter how Doctor Choi shouted, Director Bai didn't respond and maintained the Psychic Connection.

"If this continues, Director Bai's Mental Sea will collapse." Mental Cleansing wasn't about the Awakened flooding their Contractor's Mental Sea with their Mental Power all at once, but rather flushing it in batches at a level the Contractor could accept or slightly exceed. At this moment, Yuan Xinlei's Mental Power was out of control, and to save himself, it was uncontrollably flooding into Bai Sheng's Mental Sea through the mental contract. Bai Sheng's Mental Sea had reached its limit, and if the connection wasn't severed, his Mental Sea would be directly overwhelmed.

At this moment, Bai Sheng still had some rationality, but he gritted his teeth and refused to disconnect because he knew better than anyone that if he disconnected, Yuan Xinlei would be ruined.

"Bai Sheng, if the probe doesn't reach 95% when the Mental Power reaches the critical point, disconnect." This was what Yuan Xinlei had told him before the experiment began, because if the probe didn't exceed 95%, it meant the experiment had failed, and it was better to sacrifice one person than two.

Bai Sheng had agreed at the time, but he also had his own decision in mind: either they would live together or die together.

"The probe of Black Cloud Stone is only at 85%, it's impossible to complete. If you disconnect now, Director Bai can still be saved. If this continues, both of them will…" The researcher didn't finish the sentence, but everyone knew what it meant.

"Director Bai!" Doctor Choi was so anxious that his eyes turned red, but he was helpless. When Mental Power reached a certain level of excitement, even sedatives were useless.

"Beep, beep!"

The probe reached 90%, but the alarm sounds grew sharper. At this point, none of the instruments in the lab were silent. Sheng Jing had been closely watching the mental probe path of Black Cloud Stone. He tried to keep calm, but he couldn't hold back any longer.

He suddenly raised his hand and placed it on the Black Cloud Stone, letting his Mental Power surge forth.

Meanwhile, Tong Yu, after bringing lifelong honor to many salespeople, suddenly felt a wave of dizziness.

"Is it low blood sugar from shopping too long without eating?" Tong Yu muttered, deciding to pause shopping and find something to eat.