224: Chapter 225 Cultivating Immortality for All? No, it's Strengthening the Body for All!

On the internet, the hype was like spilled oil.

Before everyone could recover from the shock of "the square dancing aunties causing a wall to collapse," a video announcement released by the authoritative Longke Academy pushed public opinion to its peak once again.

In the video, the white-haired Academician Zhong Guodong sat before the camera with a solemn expression.

Standing beside him was a team of experts whose movements were perfectly synchronized, whose eyes were piercing, and whose muscular builds were visible even through their suits.

"Regarding the reports on social media recently about our citizens in the Long Kingdom experiencing improved vision, increased strength, and other phenomena after practicing the '10th Set of Radio Calisthenics - Foundation Building Chapter'..."

Dean Zhong pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, his tone extremely rigorous, even carrying an unquestionable sense of academic authority:

"We must solemnly declare: This is not cultivation!"

"We ask the vast number of netizens not to believe every rumor they hear, and certainly do not spread superstitious terms like 'Foundation Building,' 'Golden Core,' or 'Ascension.'"

"This is a scientific physical fitness routine based on 'human potential activation' and 'biological magnetic field resonance.'"

"The reason you see these effects is entirely because the movements are precisely designed to promote blood circulation, thereby stimulating the trace bio-electrical energy that already exists within the human body."

In front of their screens, tens of millions of netizens watched the sincere-looking (and seriously spouting nonsense) Dean Zhong, and the chat comments instantly exploded.

[Scientific fitness? I believe that! I finished practicing yesterday and accidentally pulled the security door off its hinges; is that also blood circulation?]

[God Jiang: I sold a cultivation technique. Dean Zhong: No, that's science. This crossover is perfect!]

[Don't talk, I want to buy the technique! How much? I'll buy it! Where can I download the full version of the 'Foundation Building Chapter'? Official, give us a link!]

[I also want to develop Qi sensation! I don't want to go to Mars to lay bricks; I want to go to Mars to be a hero!]

The authorities clearly underestimated the public's desire for "supernatural" power.

That debunking announcement not only failed to dampen the hype, it actually added fuel to the fire. The logic now is simple: since even the big shots at Longke Academy have personally come out to debunk it, then this matter must be real!

Otherwise, why would they bother to debunk it?

"Jiang Chen, what do we do now?"

In the Chenxing Technology office, Supervisor Li Guoqiang looked at the background private message box that was almost bursting, laughing helplessly, "The netizens aren't listening at all. The forums are full of people asking for techniques, and some are even willing to pay one million to buy a tutorial on entry-level Qi sensation."

Jiang Chen put his feet on the desk, playing with a remaining spirit stone in his hand, laughing heartlessly:

"If they don't listen, they don't listen."

"As long as they don't practice themselves to death, let them practice. I've refined the movements of the Foundation Building Chapter; at most, they'll just be a bit stronger and have faster reflexes. They won't actually be able to fly on swords, so what's there to be afraid of?"

"It's actually perfect."

Jiang Chen tossed the spirit stone to Academician Chen Shuyin beside him, "In the future, recruit those who meet the physical standards directly into the base. Our underground city expansion project is just short of these 'human bulldozers' who have practiced Qi sensation."

Academician Chen Shuyin helplessly caught the spirit stone, looking at this man who made her team of top scientists want to resign out of frustration, yet whom they couldn't help but admire with absolute reverence.

Sometimes she really felt that what Jiang Chen had in his head wasn't quantum mechanics, but some sort of extremely high-end, yet extremely shameless, thinking model called "dimensional reduction strike."

"Alright, stop spouting nonsense here."

Academician Chen Shuyin put down the spirit stone and adjusted her collar, the expression on her face suddenly becoming a bit strange, "Just now, when I was doing routine body monitoring in the lab, the data was a bit off."

"How so?" Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow and asked nonchalantly, "Did the genetic diseases of those alien laborers flare up?"

"No."

Academician Chen Shuyin shook her head, looking at Jiang Chen, wanting to say something but hesitating.

Those eyes that usually only stared at experimental data were now flashing with a rare hint of shyness, and even a bit of panic.

"The data indicates that my hormone levels..."

She paused, her voice as quiet as a mosquito's hum, "The HCG value is a bit high."

"What does that mean?"

Jiang Chen was busy replying to General Qin Weiguo's call about payment, his mind not clicking, "High? Do you need to supplement some trace elements? Take some calcium pills?"

Academician Chen Shuyin was so angry her teeth itched, wishing she could throw the reinforced pen in her hand right at his face.

This man, who usually had a million ways to flirt, how could he become such a complete blockhead at a critical moment?

"Jiang Chen."

Academician Chen Shuyin stood up and walked over to him, her eyes carrying a hint of annoyed reproach:

"I mean."

"I..."

"I might be pregnant."

"..."

The entire office instantly entered a superconducting state—absolute stillness.

Jiang Chen's hand holding the phone froze in mid-air.

On the other end of the line, General Qin Weiguo was still roaring: "Consultant Jiang! Consultant Jiang, are you listening? The training grounds for the troops have been demolished by those soldiers who developed Qi sensation! You tell me how to change this gymnastics routine..."

Click.

Jiang Chen hung up the phone directly.

He suddenly raised his head, staring fixedly at Academician Chen Shuyin's cold, clear eyes, feeling his brain stop functioning at that moment.

"You... what did you say?"

Jiang Chen suspected he had misheard, even suspecting this was some prank mental attack being played on him by Hill.

"I am pregnant."

Academician Chen Shuyin looked at his foolish expression, both angry and amused, and simply slapped the medical report she had just brought back from the hospital, stamped with a red seal, onto Jiang Chen's face.

"See for yourself."

"I am absolutely not taking the blame for this."

Jiang Chen grabbed the report, dumbfounded.

On it were a few bolded, thickened words that were more glaring than any alien black technology:

[Early Pregnancy Diagnosis: Positive.]

Jiang Chen looked at the thin piece of paper, feeling his heart rate instantly break through the "curvature limit" of the aircraft from earlier.

He was a transmigrator, a profiteer, and a technological hegemon.

He had hand-crafted nuclear fusion and fished for aircraft carriers.

But at this moment, he felt like... a little kid not yet twenty-one years old, standing messy in the cold wind.

"I... am going to be a dad?"

Jiang Chen held the report, his hand shaking, his voice floating, and his eyes even carried a hint of panic he hadn't noticed himself, "This is just... too sudden, right? This is a union between a human and... uh, our level of existence..."

"Will you feel pain?"

He wanted to touch Academician Chen Shuyin's belly but was afraid his hand strength was too great and would break something, so he could only extend one finger and carefully poke her flat lower abdomen.

"Stop it."

Academician Chen Shuyin rolled her eyes, but the shyness on her face couldn't be hidden, "The most critical problem now is—this child hasn't even been born, and there are already two 'stepmothers' waiting outside."

"You tell me, how are we going to raise it?"

"In the future, will this child go to the Wasteland to learn how to hack people, or go to the research institute to learn how to dismantle things?"

Jiang Chen looked at Academician Chen Shuyin's contradictory expression of anxiety and anticipation, and suddenly laughed.

He reached out and pulled her into his arms, his movements as gentle as if he were holding the only treasure in the world.

"It's not that complicated."

Jiang Chen leaned in to her ear, his tone becoming gentle and overbearing:

"Regardless of whether it's a boy or a girl."

"If they dare to grow up twisted, I'll throw them onto Mars and let them fight with those robots."

"If they dare to grow up as bad as me... then that's perfect."

He gently stroked Academician Chen Shuyin's hair, his eyes filled with a reassuring doting:

"It just so happens that in this vast universe, no one would dare to bully them."

Academician Chen Shuyin nestled in his arms, listening to that powerful heartbeat, feeling this rare moment of peace, and gently closed her eyes, a smile playing on her lips.

"Whatever you say."

"As long as it's yours... no, ours."

"Anything is fine."

At this very moment, the bright full moon outside the window seemed to soften a little.

And just as they were immersed in this moment of warmth, the black phone that had been sitting on the table let out a heavy, jarring vibration, as if coming from the abyss, completely ruining the mood.

Jiang Chen's expression changed instantly.

He let go of Academician Chen Shuyin and picked up the phone.

It was an emergency communication from the Wasteland.

Jiang Wanqiu's voice appeared in the holographic projection, no longer the usual coquettishness or complaining, but a desperate scream:

"Father God! Forget about the cultivation gymnastics!"

"Those 'The Sweepers' not only dug through the ruins! They... they have forcibly opened the star gate!"

"There are hundreds of warships currently... initiating warp towards your coordinates!"