Chapter 234: Hong Fu
Chapter 234: Hong Fu
Chen Chuan listened to the prompt and immediately declined, "No need."
The voice disappeared as quickly as it had come.
He washed his face and then began to organize his belongings.
After about fifteen minutes, a notification sounded from his Boundary Token, informing him that the proxy purchase staff would arrive at the building's entrance in ten minutes. They asked if he required the school's security to escort him to his dormitory, but there would be an additional fee.
He didn't want to skimp on this expense and indicated that he needed the escort.
After another fifteen minutes, a prompt tone sounded. He went to open the door, received a box from the security personnel, thanked them, and returned to his room.
He placed the box on the table and opened it. Unlike Old Qi's box, which contained ice packs, this one held only a thickly padded package.
He removed the contents, a nearly transparent eyepiece, and upon closer inspection, he noticed fine tubular veins within. At the back were slender bone tubes that could wrap around the head and face, forming a bone clasp at the nape of the neck.
At first glance, one might not even notice this device, mistaking it for a decorative accessory. Despite its delicate appearance, the eyepiece was incredibly resilient, and being made of biological materials, it could self-repair when damaged by soaking in a suitable nutrient solution.
This particular eyepiece was priced at 3,520 Jian Yuan currency, but there were others priced at tens of thousands or even more expensive. The most valuable ones were custom-made, while this one was a relatively affordable and versatile generic model, though it required a higher proxy purchase fee.
Chen Chuan removed the bone eyepiece and put it on, feeling the bone tubes extend and wrap around his ears, clasping together at the back of his neck.
With a light tap, he noticed an immediate difference. The flickering lights outside the window became clearer and more vivid, and functionally, he no longer needed to rely on the Interface Point for communication. He could now access various interfaces and services directly.
The most significant difference from the bone eyepiece was the ability to receive images. A light screen formed within a foot and a half in front of him, allowing him to browse and communicate using his fingers and voice commands. He could even remove unwanted visual distractions.
Only now did he realize that the old-fashioned bone eyepiece indiscriminately flooded the user with all surrounding information. Most people would likely experience dizziness and nausea from the overload, but some might prefer this raw, unfiltered experience.
Chen Chuan turned his attention to the contact interface, which currently displayed two contacts. Old Qi's personal contact image showed a man brandishing a short dagger and wearing fingerless gloves, exuding a cool vibe.
In contrast, Tan Zhi's image depicted a scholar in ancient attire, holding a feather fan and a flowing scarf, with the sound of a flowing water guqin in the background.
There was also a message from half an hour ago, followed by a request for a review of the transportation company.
Chen Chuan clicked on the "Good" option and then swiped away the interface to start searching for other information. He first looked up essential knowledge that every student at the academy should know and then began searching for "Bio-Awareness Interaction Linking Technology."
The results appeared quickly.
Bio-Awareness Interaction Linking Technology had emerged as early as seventy years ago, based on a massive, shape-shifting biological group. Through bio-contact units and interface devices, the individual bio-fields of the organisms within were merged and integrated into the linked bio-field.
This was a vast collection of biological groups spanning the Central City, and each Interface Point was like a neural tendril. Individuals could strengthen their connection with it, while the Boundary Token directly interacted with the human body, allowing the bio-field to recognize and confirm each individual, facilitating mutual information exchange.
The bio-awareness entity was the central processor of this vast information network, divided into active and inactive bio-awareness entities. Inactive bio-awareness entities were spread throughout the city, helping to process the daily torrent of information but were rigid and unresponsive, only acting within their predefined permissions.
The Central City's bio-awareness entity, 'Bosha,' was an active bio-awareness entity directly responsible for government and public affairs. It made optimal judgments based on external conditions and had a massive body resembling a hybrid of plant and animal, protected by the government's security department.
Each company in the Central City had its independent active bio-awareness entity, each with its own code name. One of them was Wu Yi's 'Hong Fu.'
Hong Fu's body was buried deep within the Mystic Palace's "Yan Zhou," but her tendrils reached every corner of Wu Yi. She could defend against invasions from other bio-awareness entities and launch proactive attacks when necessary.
Hong Fu could disconnect from Mother Shu to form an independent bio-field entity, ensuring uninterrupted service within Wu Yi. In reality, daily operations within Wu Yi did not rely on Mother Shu.
The public-facing introduction in the interface ended here. These entities and technologies had a long and detailed development history, but the interface did not provide specific details.
Further queries required higher permissions.
Most people probably wouldn't be interested in such details, as these technologies seemed distant and irrelevant to their daily lives. They were content with the conveniences these entities provided without questioning their origins.
Interestingly, despite such advanced technology, the upper echelons still valued fighters highly. Wu Yi Academy was located in the second-largest district of the Central City, occupying its own dedicated area surrounded by national enterprises and cooperative companies.
After Chen Chuan found no further information, he casually crossed out an opportunistic advertisement and began browsing the news of Central City. Most of the reports were about violent incidents in the Lower District.
The Lower District was a general term and not a specific area. Most of its residents lacked official identities and only had temporary ones, making up a significant portion of Central City's population. The true "Lower District" was a vast slum located underground in Central City.
At that moment, he noticed a news report. At around 4 pm that afternoon, the Algae Oil Power Plant in the northern industrial zone had been bombed, causing a large-scale power outage in the area. The City Security Department had blocked off several main streets and city exits, and the blockade was still ongoing.
This was probably why he had encountered patrol vehicles on the road earlier.
However, the news and the scenes he witnessed showed many company security forces, indicating that the situation was not as simple as it seemed.
After a thorough search, he realized it was already 9:30 pm. He took off his Interface Token, went to the shower, had a bath, changed his clothes, and went to sleep. Soon, he entered deep sleep.
The next morning at 5 am, he woke up on time. He opened the curtains, went to the bathroom to freshen up, and took out a few tubes of nutritional paste from the refrigerator to eat.
After stepping out, he walked to the window. From his current position, he estimated the height to be around 300 meters, offering a panoramic view of most of the city. The sky was not yet fully bright, and the lingering sea fog enveloped the sides of some tall buildings, making them appear hazy and mysterious. Broken clouds scattered across the sky, and a golden-red glow hovered at one end of the horizon.
The morning sun was about to rise.
This was a world without Interface Tokens, as Old Qi described it—a false Central City, not its true face.
Chen Chuan recalled that when Jing Lin met him, he kept emphasizing the 'real world,' which probably referred to what lay beyond the Interface Token. Immersed in this bio-centric field, he enjoyed conveniences that were difficult to find outside, which indeed gave him a sense of psychological superiority and a bird's-eye view of the outside world.
However, this situation was actually very abnormal.
Cheng Zitong had told him that the world was divided into circles, both in reality and due to human-made factors.
He could sense that behind this so-called real world, there were deeper, hidden things unknown to others.
In a 6-9-1-9-1 book, there was no mistake!
However, he had a premonition that as his strength increased, these things would eventually be revealed to him, even if he didn't actively seek them out.
After watching for a while, he began the most important task after enrollment.
He took the Interface Token from the table and entered the 400-square-meter private training room. He connected to the Wu Yi Academy's Biological Consciousness Entity and started searching for the courses he needed to study after enrollment.
Upon entering the Wu Yi Academy's interface, a voice sounded in his ear:
"The student, Chen Chuan, is detected to be in the freshman enrollment period. The academy needs to conduct a basic test and potential assessment for this student to confirm if they meet the learning standards and have the ability to complete their studies during their time at the academy. Would you like to proceed with the test now? If so, please call out 'Hong Fu'."
After hearing this, Chen Chuan said, "Hong Fu, I need to take an entrance test now."
At that moment, the red-clothed woman he had seen standing on the roof ridge the previous day appeared in the training room. Her eyes, visible through the veil, were even more lively, and unlike the day before, a Wild Goose Feather Saber hung at her waist, with a red tassel tied to its hilt.
Although they shared the same entity, her voice was completely different from what he had heard through the Interface Token. It was vibrant, pleasant, and full of emotion.
She seemed to be a more independent individual, almost like a real person.
Chen Chuan politely said, "Thank you."
Hong Fu's eyes fixed on him for a moment. With a slight wave of her hand, the surroundings transformed. Clouds billowed, countless mountain peaks rose and fell, and a brilliant golden light shone from one side.
Chen Chuan found himself standing atop one of the peaks, with Hong Fu not far in front of him. The two faced each other across the void.
"Draw your sword," Hong Fu said.
Chen Chuan was a little surprised. Could this virtual scenario detect his skills? But since she had made this choice, there must be a reason.
He nodded slightly and held the Xuejun Blade horizontally in front of him. With a flick of his wrist, the entire scabbard flew out, revealing the cold, gleaming blade.
When Hong Fu saw him draw his sword, she grasped the hilt of the Wild Goose Feather Saber with her slender white fingers and drew it out with a clang. A red shadow flickered, and her skirt fluttered as she instantly appeared in front of Chen Chuan, slashing her sword towards him.
This time, Chen Chuan did not use his Second Self to overlap. However, he could still clearly see her movements. He raised his sword to block, and the clash of metal rang out, accompanied by a powerful force that made his feet sink slightly.
His eyes narrowed slightly, and he felt that this sensation was not a simulation. Was the person he was facing at this moment truly real?
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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