122: Chapter 122 Inside and Outside the Classroom, Subtle Ripples Begin to Form

Ling Ye changed into a clean academy uniform, swallowed a nutrition paste, checked his belongings (personal terminal, notebook, a regular electronic pen), and left the black stone in the drawer compartment. He needed to act like a "normal" returning student as much as possible.

The first class in the morning was "Basic Physics (II)", held in a lecture hall. Ling Ye found a seat near the back, inconspicuous but with a good view. The classroom was already half-filled with students, the buzzing of conversation filling his ears. He observed calmly, his High-Dimensional Information Perception in a very low passive reception state, filtering the complex environmental information stream.

Soon, he locked onto a few people. Sitting in the front row, excitedly discussing something with the girl next to him, was a boy from the same group during yesterday's "Crystal-Armored Beast attack"—it seemed his name was Wang Hao, and he had an extroverted personality. On the other side, sitting by the window, was a quiet girl wearing glasses, looking at data on a light screen by herself. She was another classmate from the group, Sun Li, who was said to have excellent grades but was somewhat aloof.

The professor walked into the classroom on time and began the lecture. The content was about the interaction between electromagnetic fields and elementary particles, a completely new knowledge System for Ling Ye. He collected his thoughts, listened attentively, and combined the basic knowledge left by the original owner with his own powerful comprehension to absorb it quickly. However, he did not just memorize it blindly; instead, he constantly verified and compared it with his original Cultivation worldview and his insights into "Energy," "Information," and "Rules," attempting to find potential connections or contradictions between the two vastly different Systems.

During the break, Ling Ye did not leave his seat but pretended to review his notes, actually paying attention to the surrounding conversations.

Wang Hao was indeed a chatterbox, talking loudly to a few friends: "...So I'm telling you, that Crystal-Armored Beast was definitely crazy! You guys didn't see it, its eyes were red, like it had rabies! Instructor Zhao hit it with a high-potency tranquilizer dart, and it just wobbled and rushed out anyway. In the end, they had to use a concussion grenade to knock it down! When the Logistics Department people were taking it away, I snuck a peek. Damn, the color of its crystal armor was all wrong, pitch black, and it even had cracks!"

"Really? Isn't it just a normal accident?" a friend asked.

"The authorities say that, of course! What else are they supposed to say? That a mutated monster appeared in our training area?" Wang Hao lowered his voice, but the people around him could still hear. "I heard that the Security Department listed this case as 'Observation Grade.' Otherwise, why would they have called us all in to ask questions? They even asked really specifically, even asking if we had seen any strange lights or heard strange sounds nearby in the days before!"

Ling Ye's heart stirred. The Security Department had indeed questioned the other parties involved, and they had asked about "strange lights" and "strange sounds." This was consistent with the direction of the questions they had asked him. This indicated that the Security Department was indeed conducting an investigation linking the "Crystal-Armored Beast attack" to broader "anomalies."

"What kind of strange sounds could there be? Aside from the wind, it's just birds chirping." Another classmate dismissed it.

"That's not necessarily true." Wang Hao said mysteriously, "I have a cousin on the Municipal Government maintenance team. When he was drinking a couple of days ago, he said they detected some inexplicable 'background noise' at several monitoring points in the western suburbs over the last six months. The frequency was very strange, and the instruments couldn't analyze what it was. Even after reporting it, there was no follow-up."

Background noise? Strange frequency? Ling Ye immediately associated this with the "magnetic field disturbances" and "data anomalies" he had found at the public information station. It seemed these "anomalies" were not isolated, and even the grassroots level of the Municipal Government had noticed them, only to have them suppressed by higher levels as "technical issues" or "unknown causes."

He noted down "Municipal Government maintenance team" and "background noise."

At this moment, Sun Li, who had been quietly looking at materials, suddenly raised her head, pushed up her glasses, and looked at Wang Hao, interjecting in a flat tone: "The main component of the Crystal-Armored Beast's crystal armor is a biological silicon-based compound, which is very sensitive to specific frequency bands of electromagnetic radiation and energy fields. If there are persistent abnormal energy disturbances in the surrounding environment, it could indeed interfere with its nervous System, leading to loss of behavioral control. Professor Li from the academy's ecology course published a relevant preprint paper last semester."

Her words were logical and clear, directly citing academic viewpoints, instantly pulling the topic from "ghost stories" back to the level of "scientific discussion."

Wang Hao and the others were stunned for a moment, then smiled: "You really know a lot, Sun Li! As expected of a straight-A student!"

Sun Li didn't speak again and lowered her head to continue looking at her materials.

Ling Ye, however, took a deep look at Sun Li. This girl was not simple; her thinking was clear, her knowledge base was broad, and she seemed not to be a stranger to the topic of "abnormal energy disturbances," even being able to immediately associate it with the professor's paper. Was she intentionally guiding the conversation, or was it purely academic discussion?

He decided to find an opportunity to contact Sun Li; perhaps he could obtain more academic and rational information from her.

In the subsequent "Basic Programming and Algorithms" and "Introduction to Interstellar Navigation" courses, Ling Ye listened just as attentively. In the programming class, he paid special attention to the teacher's explanation of "Fundamentals of Data Encryption and Decryption" and "Introduction to Abnormal Signal Pattern Recognition," as these were skills that might be used in future investigations. In the navigation class, when the teacher talked about using star chart coordinates and gravitational lensing effects for deep space positioning, the fragmented "star chart algorithm" in his mind from the chip pulsed slightly, as if it had some reaction, but it disappeared in a flash.

During the lunch break, Ling Ye did not go to the crowded cafeteria but instead came to the library again, finding a quiet corner. He quickly finished his lunch (nutrition paste) and then began to search systematically.

He first searched for the "Professor Li" and "Crystal-Armored Beast electromagnetic sensitivity paper" that Sun Li had mentioned. He quickly found the preprint, titled "Potential Stress Response Simulation of the Azure Planet Crystal-Armored Beast Biological Perception System to Specific Artificial Electromagnetic Environments." The paper's content was quite professional, but the conclusion pointed out that certain high-intensity, specifically modulated artificial electromagnetic fields could produce an effect similar to "noise interference" on the central nervous System of the Crystal-Armored Beast, leading to a loss of sense of direction, anxiety, and even increased aggression. The paper concluded by calling for stronger monitoring of the electromagnetic environment around human activity areas, especially the potential leakage from "non-standard communication or experimental equipment."

This provided a mainstream scientific, relatively "gentle" explanation for the "behavioral abnormality" of the Crystal-Armored Beast—it could be caused by some unregistered or accidental strong electromagnetic interference source. However, the paper did not mention any "non-artificial" or "supernatural" energy sources.

Ling Ye downloaded and saved the paper. Professor Li might be a scholar he could contact who had researched "abnormal energy and biological effects."

Next, he searched for "Municipal Government maintenance background noise report." Public information was scarce, with only a few long-outdated citizen complaint handling results regarding noise caused by old pipe resonances or equipment failures. But he changed his approach and searched for "Dawn City environmental monitoring anomaly data unpublicized."

This time, in a corner of an academic database, he found an internal briefing summary written two years ago by an assistant researcher at the "Dawn City Environmental Science Research Institute." The briefing summarized dozens of "instantaneous data anomalies that could not be reasonably explained by known natural or human activities" recorded by multiple automatic weather stations and geological monitoring points around Dawn City over the past year, including geomagnetic micro-disturbances, short-term spikes in atmospheric ionization, and weak enhancements in background radiation in specific frequency bands. The briefing concluded that these anomalies were "statistically significant but extremely low in intensity, with no obvious impact on the environment or human health. Their causes could be deep space high-energy particle streams, atmospheric electrical processes that have not yet been modeled, or systematic errors in the monitoring equipment themselves. It is recommended to increase the density of monitoring points and sampling frequency for further research."

The wording of this briefing was very cautious, but it clearly acknowledged the existence of "anomalies" and pointed to "deep space" or "unknown natural processes." This was a step further than the simple "technical failure" explanation.

Ling Ye noted down the briefing number and the researcher's name. The Dawn City Environmental Science Research Institute might also be a potential channel for information.

He also tried to search for "Deep Space Frontier Capital" investment projects on the Azure Planet, especially those related to "mining," "real estate," and "scientific research." However, public information was scarce. He only found that this capital had seemingly participated in the bidding for the "commercial development rights" of an area near the Old Factory District through a shell company twenty years ago, but ultimately failed to win the bid. The winner was another local real estate company, and the residential area developed by that company was the current Oak Street Community and its surroundings.

This information made Ling Ye's heart tighten. The property rights of the Old Factory District were in the hands of an affiliate of "Deep Space Frontier Capital," while the adjacent land that it failed to win for development had been built into the current community... Was it a coincidence, or was there some connection? The Old Factory District remained in an abandoned state, while the community was built—had "Deep Space Frontier Capital" been secretly observing this area all along? Even, were some of the "anomalies" in the community related to the Old Factory District, or even to this capital?

The clues were increasing, but they were also becoming more tangled.

The afternoon classes were "Fundamentals of Mechanical Principles" and "Mental Health and Adaptation" (a compulsory public course). In the mechanical principles class, Ling Ye studied particularly hard because he realized that in this technological world, understanding mechanical, electronic, and energy Systems was an important aid for survival and exerting his power. He even began to conceive in his mind how to realize some simple Formation principles or energy guidance techniques using the machinery and electronic components of this world—although it was currently just a fantasy.

The teacher for the mental health course was a gentle middle-aged woman, and the content was mostly about regulating emotions, handling stress, and building healthy interpersonal relationships. Ling Ye listened absent-mindedly, but noticed that Sun Li, who was sitting not far away, was listening very attentively and even taking notes.

The bell for the end of class rang, and the students filed out. Ling Ye deliberately slowed his pace, waiting until Sun Li had packed her things and was walking towards the library alone (she seemed to frequently hang out in the library) before he sped up a few steps and caught up from behind.

"Classmate Sun Li." Ling Ye called out when he got a few steps behind her, his tone calm.

Sun Li stopped, turned around, adjusted her glasses, and seeing that it was Ling Ye, her face showed no expression, just a slight nod: "Classmate Ling Ye, is there something?"

"During the break this morning, I heard you mention Professor Li's paper about the Crystal-Armored Beast and electromagnetic sensitivity." Ling Ye walked to her side, maintaining a polite distance, his tone carrying appropriate confusion and a thirst for knowledge, "I went back and checked it out, and I was very inspired. I was wondering, could the attack we encountered really be related to the 'abnormal electromagnetic environment' mentioned in the paper? You... seem to have done a lot of research in this area?"

Sun Li glanced at Ling Ye, her eyes calm and waveless: "I just happened to have read the relevant literature. Professor Li's hypothesis has his basis, but it needs empirical evidence. The academy and the Security Department should already be investigating the environmental data."

Her answer was very official and cautious.

"I heard that the Municipal Government maintenance side also detected some strange 'background noise'." Ling Ye tried to throw out another topic to observe her reaction, "I was thinking, if this 'noise' isn't just electromagnetic, could it be something else... an energy form? Or, information interference?"

Sun Li's footsteps paused imperceptibly, but her expression still didn't change: "Energy forms are diverse, and information interference is an even more complex cross-disciplinary field. Without specific data and spectral analysis, it's hard to draw conclusions." She paused, looked at Ling Ye, "Why are you so interested in this issue? Because you are a victim?"

Her counter-question was very direct, carrying a hint of scrutiny.

Ling Ye met her gaze calmly, a bitter smile and lingering fear appearing on his face: "I suppose so. I always want to know why this kind of thing would happen to me. Besides, my parents... they also disappeared for 'unknown' reasons. So, when it comes to 'inexplicable' things, it's hard not to think too much."

He mentioned his parents again, this time in a more personal and emotional way, hoping to trigger some empathy, or at least, make Sun Li relax her vigilance a little.

Sure enough, upon hearing "parents disappeared," Sun Li's eyes flickered slightly. It was a very faint, almost sympathetic emotion, but it was quickly covered by her habitual rationality. She was silent for a few seconds before saying: "The unknown and accidents are indeed unsettling. Focusing on controllable things in the present, such as academics and recovery, might be more helpful."

A typical psychological counseling-style suggestion, but the tone was a bit softer than before.

"You are right." Ling Ye nodded, not pestering, "Thank you. Then I'll head to the library first."

"Mm." Sun Li responded, and also turned to walk towards the book depository area in the other direction.

From this brief contact, Ling Ye didn't gain much information, but he confirmed a few points: Sun Li was indeed knowledgeable about related fields and had a rigorous attitude; she remained vigilant about the topic of "anomalies" and did not easily express personal opinions; when he mentioned his parents' disappearance, she had a trace of instinctive emotional fluctuation, indicating she was not completely cold-blooded.

More importantly, he used this contact to leave a reasonable impression on Sun Li as someone who was "confused and concerned about anomalies due to his own experiences." In the future, if he "ran into her" again and discussed related topics, it wouldn't seem too abrupt.

When he left the library, the sky was already at dusk. Ling Ye walked on the road back to his apartment, sorting out the day's gains in his mind.

The clues in the academy were increasing, the fog of the Old Factory District remained, but the direction of his own exploration was gradually becoming clearer. He needed to continue to take root in his studies, observe in his interpersonal relationships, and salvage valuable fragments from the ocean of information.

At the same time, his own "Cultivation" could not stop. Physical training had to continue, and the exercise of "Spiritual Sense" and long-distance analysis of the "sense of disharmony" in the Old Factory District also had to be advanced cautiously.

He felt that he was slowly weaving an invisible net, trying to capture the hidden truth of this strange world.

And the first key node of this net might be tomorrow—he planned to go to the Municipal Government service hall, as a "community resident," to try to query the formal complaint records about the "community night strange sounds," and... see if he could make contact with the cousin of the person Wang Hao mentioned who was "on the Municipal Government maintenance team."