This Place is Too Important

5-363 Paradise Development Guide
Compatibility Study of Biological Modules and Metal Mecha
Sharing Current Approaches to Processing Paradise Equipment
Several Precautions for Hunting Level 6 Demonic Beasts
Mind Over Matter: Transcending the Ordinary, Toward Spirit Energy Evolution—Some Initial Thoughts
One after another, these astonishing titles made Xiao Bai's electronic eyes flash.
He had initially assumed they were as humorous as the previous post, but upon actually entering the threads, he found them to be nothing but professional papers and academic reports. Even the subsequent discussions were remarkably serious and rigorous, devoid of any casual replies like "just passing by" or "first comment."
"The topics discussed here are far too advanced. You couldn't find this information anywhere else, and I can't even understand it... Who exactly is posting here?"
"Besides the Knowledge section, there are also Team Formation, Transactions, Commissions, Intelligence, and more..."
Xiao Bai flipped through the pages, found an introduction to the forum and its rules, and immediately began reading it carefully.
This forum was built by the Paradise Investigation Group as an exclusive internal platform for sharing and discussing Paradise-related content. It wasn't open to the public.
To access it, you needed to be a certified "Investigator," and the verification code required during registration was the serial number of your Investigator's License.
Normally, this forum wouldn't be discoverable through search engines. Xiao Bai had to use his smartphone's quantum communication function to forcibly hack his way in.
"Uh... my current ID is C4-621, Independent Investigator... Wait, isn't that the Ghoul's code? No, I need to change this."
After a moment's thought, Xiao Bai used the forum's rename function to change his ID to Raven.
He had initially considered something like "I Was Murdered at Mecha Academy," but noticed that all the other posters' IDs were serious and proper. As an unauthorized user, it wouldn't be wise to draw attention, so he decided to blend in.
"Hmm, now I'm Independent Investigator Raven. I shouldn't get exposed too quickly, right?"
The so-called "Paradise Investigation Group" was actually a loose coalition of various official, semi-official, corporate, civilian, and independent investigators.
The main responsibility of the Paradise Investigation Group is to pioneer, investigate, and explore Paradise, forming a "sword and shield" with the Defense Force, which primarily handles defense and large-scale combat operations.
Although Paradise has been around for 50 years, human understanding of it remains just the tip of the iceberg. New Paradises continue to emerge endlessly, making it seem like a never-ending exploration.
Given this context, relying solely on a single faction is insufficient. Therefore, the Federation vigorously promotes the "Investigator" system, rallying with slogans like "Paradise is the stage; come and make your move!" to encourage participation from all sectors of society in the exploration effort.
"If I hadn't gotten into the Mecha Academy, I probably would have become an Investigator, right?"
"Well, it's hard to say. Each path has its pros and cons. In terms of earni ng money, Investigators definitely make more—but they're literally risking their lives for it. The Defense Force just needs to fight bravely, while Investigators have to worry about things like acquiring their own Mecha and surviving all sorts of dangers."
"Getting off-topic... Anyway, this Forum is absolutely crucial for me. It fills in all the knowledge I can't get from the outside world, and that 'Transaction Request' section even lets you hire bodyguards and detectives! Doesn't that mean I could..."
Xiao Bai had been considering recruiting some helpers, but upon closer inspection, he realized the cost wasn't in Universal Currency, but in a special currency called "Contribution Points."
These points could be earned through various activities related to "Paradise," such as exploration, investigation, academic research, and completing commissions.
Contribution Points could be used to exchange for various knowledge, intelligence, materials, and services. After accumulating a certain amount of points, one could even upgrade their "Contribution Rank" and enjoy additional benefits.
"There are plenty of free papers in the Knowledge Section, but many still require Contribution Points to access. I need to figure out how to earn some points."
"The fastest way to get Contribution Points is to participate in exploration missions and submit findings to Paradise, especially Paradise Technology. A single discovery can earn you tens of thousands, even millions of points."
"This clearly isn't suitable for me. I should see if anyone wants to buy junk... Wait! This is..."
Xiao Bai frantically flipped through the posts until he suddenly saw a familiar keyword:
Large-Scale Technical Verification Plan for the 'Terror Turtle' Power Engine
Th e announcement came from the renowned Prometheus Society, dated two months prior. It detailed their plans to publicly unveil the "Terror Turtle" engine, which had been secretly developed, and their need for large-scale testing to gather comprehensive data.
Below was a dens e list of over a million testing items, ranging from compatibility with various configurations to adaptability to different environments, and performance parameters under all conditions. Xiao Bai's eyes nearly sparked with excitement as he read through it.
Fortunately, the Prometheus Society had thoughtfully prepared a data collection system. By simply downloading and installing it, testers could automatically collect data, with varying amounts of Contribution Points automatically credited to their account for each completed test task.
At first glance, it seemed like a great opportunity to earn Contribution Points. However, upon closer inspectio n, Xiao Bai discovered that the qualification review process was extremely strict, requiring either membership in a sufficiently powerful organization or an individual with the appropriate qualifications and Contribution Rank to participate in the testing.
He was about to dismiss the matter as irrelevant to him when, with patience, he noticed a subtle loophole.
"For most people, even if they spot this 'loophole,' they wouldn't be able to exploit it. But for someone like me, who knows when to yield and when to assert themselves, it's perfectly suited!"
"Professor Yang, Group 10's data has been fully processed."
"Hmm... What about the data for the Fifth Sequence?"
"Well... we still don't have it. We haven't found a location that meets both the requirements of a strong radiation environment and safety stability. Most 'Paradises' with strong radiation are extremely dangerous and unsuitable for testing."
"Then lower the standards further and increase the contribution rewards. Surely generous rewards will attract brave souls?"
"But isn't that... against the rules?"
"Ridiculous! What rules?!" The middle-aged man called Professor Yang snapped irritably.
"The faster we deploy the new engine, the more lives we can save. The project has been running for two months, but the radiation resistance specifications are still just on paper. The entire project is being held up, and you're worried about 'rules' at a time like this?"
The student, stunned by the harsh reprimand, didn't dare say another word. He quickly scurried away.
Professor Yang entered his office with a furrowed brow. He changed into a simple white lab coat, unscrewed the cap of his thermos, and took a sip of his wolfberry tea.
With a wave of his hand at the air, a floating display screen drifted into view, showing various notifications.
"All bad news. The actual test results are 20-30% lower than the lab results. Where exactly is the problem?"
Professor Yang's initial worry deepened into utter frustration, and he lost even the inclination to drink his wolfberry tea.
Just then, his unreliable student barged in recklessly.
"Professor! You have to see this!"

Chapter end