MCL CH111

Chapter 111: [X-Ability: Pre-simulation]
 

The turmoil near the Central Research Institute had basically subsided. Looking down from Shen Nanyang’s office, one could still see supernatural users coming and going, busy evacuating the masses.

No, strictly speaking, they couldn’t be called “masses.”

Besides the staff of the Central Research Institute, many of the people on site had various serial codes hanging on them. They were clearly test subjects left here, just like the little boy’s mother.

According to the known information, the cause of this accident was the loss of control of a certain test subject, which in turn caused a synchronous disorder in other test subjects. Such loss of control often occurred within the research institute. The reason it couldn’t be controlled in time this time was clearly due to the excessively high intensity of the contamination radiation.

Once a highly mutated ordinary person began to emit contamination radiation, it meant they had become a complete contaminant. But the most interesting point right now was that the boy’s mother had clearly lost control of the contamination value on her body, yet she still retained her reason. Lin Xi had even captured a subtle fluctuation of supernatural ability on her.

It was well known that supernatural users had a resistance to contamination radiation.

Ordinary people who mutated due to contamination radiation did so because they failed to awaken enough supernatural ability to resist it.

But now, contamination radiation and supernatural energy fluctuations were appearing in one person at the same time.

Although it was not yet stable.

As far as Lin Xi knew, this situation had only ever happened to one person, and that was—himself.

But his situation was special, so theoretically, it had no reference value.

Lin Xi: “In that case, please trouble yourself to tell me the room number of that lady’s treatment room later. I’ll go visit her.”

After Lin Xi confirmed this once again with a smile, Shen Nanyang finally couldn’t help but become a little curious. “You know that lady?”

“I suppose so,” Lin Xi replied. “You should have heard about the medical incident on the flight from N City to J City. She and I were on that plane. Her son is very cute, even called me ‘pretty brother.’ Such a sweet talker, I like him a lot.”

As he spoke, he glanced at Shen Nanyang’s hesitant expression and smiled. “What, am I not a pretty brother?”

“…That’s not what I mean.” Shen Nanyang was not led astray by his words. “As you saw just now, she is now a volunteer at our research institute. The cause of her mutation was that plane accident. At that time, a total of 5 volunteers were brought in with her. Now, she is the only one left. But fortunately, her condition has been relatively stable so far.”

[How nicely put, ‘volunteer.’ Why do I feel ‘guinea pig’ is more fitting?]

[Are you humans all such hypocritical and shameless beings?]

Lin Xi listened to the complaints in his mind and a noncommittal smile touched his lips.

Shen Nanyang obviously noticed this subtle change in his expression, but his own face showed little emotional fluctuation. “Many of the Central Research Institute’s practices have indeed always been controversial, but reality is cruel. If she hadn’t been brought here, she would probably be dead by now.”

“On that point, I can’t refute it.” Lin Xi walked over to the sofa and sat down slowly, crossing his long legs comfortably in front of him. He looked up at Shen Nanyang and smiled. “So is this what Professor Shen wanted to talk to us about? You said before that you would answer any of our questions.”

“Of course.” As Shen Nanyang spoke, he glanced at Yan Xingzhou. “This was my original purpose for inviting you two here today. Right, President Yan?”

Yan Xingzhou had already sat down next to Lin Xi. He gave a noncommittal reply. “I thought you should have given me an explanation when the cooperation began.”

“I apologize. I had important matters to attend to at the time, so it was temporarily set aside.” Though he said that, Shen Nanyang’s calm tone clearly held no apology. “It’s not too late now. In fact, it’s the perfect time.”

He walked to his desk and lightly touched a few buttons.

The next second, a holographic projection appeared in the center of the office.

Lin Xi looked up and saw the busy scenes in various rest rooms.

In these images, he saw the boy’s mother who had been taken back, as well as other test subjects wearing identification codes. Among them, some were even faintly showing signs of losing their human features.

He raised an eyebrow slightly.

When he was in charge of the United Administration, he was actually aware of some of the experimental projects Shen Nanyang was conducting. But as the man had said earlier, although those people had become test subjects, compared to the fate of hopelessly becoming contaminants, being sent to the Central Research Institute was considered a glimmer of hope. So, he had turned a blind eye and didn’t ask too many questions.

It was just that in his impression, Professor Shen’s experimental projects at that time were mainly focused on the treatment of mutations in ordinary humans, that is, trying to prevent the aggravation of contamination as much as possible after being exposed to radiation. But from the images before him, this was clearly no longer the current research direction.

“If such images were to be leaked, it would probably cause an uproar internationally.” Yan Xingzhou’s objective evaluation voiced exactly what Lin Xi was thinking. “Professor Shen, you could be nailed to humanity’s pillar of shame at any moment.”

“Mhm, I know.” Despite the severity of the topic, Shen Nanyang’s tone remained unwavering, as if it all had nothing to do with him. “After all, the premise of nailing me to the pillar of shame is that—humanity still has a future.”

His gaze fell on the holographic projections, but it seemed to pass through the void, looking towards a more distant future. “You know what my ability is, Yan Xingzhou.”

A brief silence fell over the room.

A few seconds later, Yan Xingzhou’s voice sounded again. “[X-Ability: Pre-simulation].”

Shen Nanyang didn’t look at Yan Xingzhou, but glanced at Lin Xi out of the corner of his eye. He didn’t capture much emotional fluctuation on the man’s face when Yan Xingzhou stated the ability. “Director Lin doesn’t seem surprised by my ability.”

[Huh, could he be suspecting you?]

“Of course. President Yan and I have talked about it privately many times. He told me about it long ago.” Lin Xi lied without batting an eye. “Of course, the files of X-rank supernatural users are a state secret, so I didn’t dare go around spreading it. Professor Shen, you wouldn’t report me, would you?”

Shen Nanyang: “…I won’t.”

Lin Xi gave a sincere smile. “That’s good.”

He made a “please continue” gesture. “Then let’s continue. So what you mean is, the current direction of the research institute is the conclusion drawn from ‘Pre-simulation’?”

Shen Nanyang replied, “I suppose so.”

A glint of light flashed in Lin Xi’s smiling eyes, which made him look at the man with even more curiosity. “You suppose so?”

Based on his understanding of Shen Nanyang, this professor had always only done things he was certain about. He couldn’t recall him ever using such an ambiguous term.

“Among dream-system supernatural users, there are also some who possess the ability to foresee the future.” As if he hadn’t heard Lin Xi’s question, Shen Nanyang just continued slowly, “But these abilities are only speculations based on current events, that is, the result of our current timeline’s development. Although it has not been made public, various countries have long since gathered these supernatural users to predict the future of humanity, and all have obtained the same result.”

Lin Xi shifted into a more comfortable position on the sofa but didn’t interject.

On this point, Shen Nanyang was not wrong. Hua Country had also done such a foolish thing back then, right when he was serving as Executor. The conclusion drawn at that time was—in the near future, all of humanity would be finished.

Once such a thing was announced, it would definitely cause turmoil throughout human society, so it was naturally suppressed.

What followed was a marathon to find a way for humanity to survive. After every period of effort, they would find someone to make another prophecy. Although the outcome had some slight differences, the essence remained the same.

The fact that more and more contaminants were coming to Earth was an irresistible reality.

Shen Nanyang’s words continued: “But a foreseen outcome is not unchangeable. Once some ‘accidents’ occur during this period, this timeline will have a new development. The reason ‘Pre-simulation’ became an X-Ability is precisely because of its fundamental difference from those foresight abilities. Just like a program in a quantum computer, I can preset the existence of these ‘accidents’ to deduce the outcomes behind the other timelines that arise from them.”

At this point, he turned to look at the two people in the room. “As of now, I have conducted 99,564 ‘Pre-simulations’.”

Yan Xingzhou: “The conclusion?”

Amidst this somewhat low voice, Lin Xi glanced at the man beside him out of the corner of his eye.

Clearly, they had both already guessed the probable result.

Shen Nanyang’s voice settled in the enclosed office, falling clearly into their ears. “I have only seen, in one timeline, the only possibility of continuation.”

Nearly 100,000 pre-simulations, and only one “possibility” of a viable outcome was found.

This probability made even Lin Xi laugh.

Why did it always feel like this human world was doomed?

He couldn’t help but recall many years ago when this Professor Shen had been hospitalized for several months on multiple occasions for overusing his ability.

Looking back now, since that time, this person had probably already been driven to madness by countless pre-simulations.

A slight smile touched the corners of Lin Xi’s mouth, his tone three parts playful and seven parts teasing. “So you’re saying that everything you’re doing now is to seize this one and only chance?”

Without waiting for an answer, he continued to ask, “Then according to the results of this pre-simulation, what is the probability of success?”

His current identity was only one of the directors of the United Administration, and a newly appointed one with not much real power at that. This was clearly not a secret he was privy to, so he had just asked casually, not expecting an answer.

Unexpectedly, Shen Nanyang spoke without any hesitation. “Zero point zero one per thousand.”

Lin Xi: “.”

At that rate, there didn’t seem to be much difference between trying hard and giving up.

Support me on Ko-fi