28: Upon entering the virtual world, Long Weiguo was terrified!

A month later.

Kunlun Mountain Underground Base, the pangu, core laboratory.

This was no longer the empty hall it once was.

Hundreds of Xia Nation's top scientists and engineers, like the most precise gears, revolved frantically around an absolute core—Lu Chen.

Countless unimaginable instruments were created from scratch, filling the entire laboratory, glowing with a faint blue light that represented the future.

The atmosphere was tense and fanatical!

Because, after a month of intense, sleepless work, the first prototype of the pangu system was finally completed!

Today was the day of judgment to test this 'Second World'!

And the only 'judge' was the iron-blooded general, Long Weiguo, who had not spoken a word since entering and exuded an aura that warned others to keep their distance.

"Boss, all equipment self-checks are complete, and the neuron signal synchronization rate is stable at 99.99%!"

Academician Zhao Min, an authority in the field of AI, was reporting data to Lu Chen like an ordinary researcher. Her eyes gleamed with uncontrollable fanaticism!

Over the past month, she had witnessed too many 'miracles'!

Lu Chen's seemingly endless, era-transcending knowledge had completely shattered the pride of this 'local genius'!

Now, she only wished to follow behind the 'God' as a devout believer, to personally witness the birth of a new world!

"Very good."

Lu Chen nodded, his face calm, without a ripple of emotion.

He picked up the newly designed, streamlined, silver-white head ring from the experimental table and slowly walked to Long Weiguo.

"Director Long."

A meaningful smile appeared on his face.

"Do you remember the 'little game' I invited you to play last time?"

Long Weiguo's body trembled violently!

An extremely complex expression flashed across his resolute face instantly!

Of course he remembered!

That 'Operation Falcon' that allowed him to make up for a lifetime of regret!

Although it was just a 'dream'.

But that 100% real, soul-stirring experience still often appeared in his dreams!

"This time..."

The silver-white head ring in Lu Chen's hand seemed to flow with a layer of dreamy radiance under the light.

"I've prepared an... upgraded version."

"A truly meaningful..."

"Second World."

He handed the head ring to Long Weiguo.

"How about it?"

"Are you interested in... experiencing it again?"

Long Weiguo fell silent.

He looked at the silver-white head ring, which seemed to contain a magical world, and a rare... struggle flashed in his eyes.

Even... fear!

Although the last experience allowed him to make up for his regret.

But that strange feeling of his soul being extracted and his consciousness being digitized also left him with lingering fear!

He was afraid.

He was afraid that he would completely sink into that false world where he could do whatever he wanted!

However... when he met Lu Chen's deep eyes, which seemed to penetrate everything.

He knew he had no right to refuse.

Because he was not just Long Weiguo.

He was also the 'Shield of the Nation' for Xia Nation!

He had to personally experience the... greatness and... terror of this technology!

"Good!"

He took a deep breath, took the head ring from Lu Chen's hand, and put it on his head without hesitation!

"Buzz—"

This time, it was no longer a tingling electric sensation!

Instead, it was an indescribable, warm, comfortable feeling, like being gently enveloped by a mother's hands!

His vision didn't turn black again!

Instead, a vast galaxy appeared before him, composed of countless soft, colorful lights!

[Welcome to the pangu world.]

[Identity authentication in progress... Authentication successful, highest authority: Long Weiguo.]

[Synchronizing neuron signals... Synchronization rate 10%... 50%... 100%!]

[Synchronization successful!]

[Building an exclusive world for you based on your deep consciousness...]

[Construction complete!]

The next second!

That vast galaxy instantly disappeared!

In its place was an incredibly familiar scent of food and deafening noise!

Long Weiguo suddenly opened his eyes!

He found himself in a bustling army mess hall, full of life!

Around him were countless familiar faces, dark, young, and wearing honest smiles!

The air was filled with the scent of cheap white wine and the crude yet affectionate laughter and curses of his brothers!

"Captain Long! Captain Long! What are you spacing out for! Hurry! Come drink!"

A strong, calloused hand slapped heavily on his shoulder!

Long Weiguo suddenly turned his head!

He saw it!

He saw a young face that he had cried awake to countless times in his dreams over the past thirty years!

That was... "Xiao... Xiao Liu?!"

Long Weiguo's eyes instantly turned red!

A hot stream of tears uncontrollably poured from his resolute eyes!

"Damn it! Captain Long, what are you crying about, you big man!"

Xiao Liu grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellowed, smoke-stained teeth, laughing carelessly!

He forcefully shoved an enamel mug filled with white wine into Long Weiguo's hand!

"Our 'Operation Falcon' team has made a great contribution this time! Everyone came back alive!"

"Happy! We must be happy!"

"Come! Brothers! Let's toast our hero captain!"

"Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

The entire mess hall erupted!

Long Weiguo stared blankly at this incredibly real, incredibly warm scene before him.

He reached out, trembling, and touched Xiao Liu's smiling face.

It was warm.

He picked up the enamel mug and sniffed it.

It was the pungent smell of cheap Erguotou.

He listened to the deafening cheers around him.

Everything... was real!

He had really returned!

Returned to that moment he most yearned to return to!

Operation Falcon succeeded!

Not one of his brothers had died!

"Hahahaha... hahahaha!"

He laughed!

He laughed heartily like a child!

He raised the enamel mug and drank the spicy white wine in one gulp!

He embraced Xiao Liu's shoulder and sang loudly with all his brothers!

He completely immersed himself in this long-awaited revelry!

However... just as he was laughing the happiest and most heartily.

Lu Chen's calm, emotionless voice, as if from another dimension, slowly echoed in his mind.

"Director Long."

"How does it feel?"

"This perfect world, constructed from your deepest desires."

"Do you like it?"

Boom!!!

These words were like a black divine thunder from beyond the nine heavens!

It struck deep into Long Weiguo's soul!

The smile on his face instantly froze!

The ecstasy in his eyes instantly faded!

Replaced by an unprecedented, bone-deep... fear!

He suddenly looked up!

He saw Xiao Liu's honest smiling face in his arms peeling away bit by bit, turning into countless cold data streams composed of 0s and 1s!

He saw the cheering brothers around him turning into golden dust, one after another!

He saw the entire mess hall, the entire world, cracking inch by inch like a shattered mirror!

No!

This wasn't real!

"No—!!!"

A desperate roar, so shrill it sounded inhuman, erupted from his mouth!

He wanted to grab them!

He wanted to grab those disappearing figures!

But his hands only grasped a cold... void!

"Ah ah ah ah ah—!!!"

Under the extreme emotional tearing!

Even Long Weiguo, this iron-willed, iron-blooded general!

At this moment, he was scared out of his wits by this terrifying sight of his most beautiful dream being mercilessly torn apart before his eyes!

He clutched his head, letting out pained howls like a wild beast!

Meanwhile, in the real world.

In the conference room, everyone stared in horror at Long Weiguo, who was wearing the head ring, sitting in the chair, trembling violently, his face streaked with tears, yet unable to utter a sound!

They didn't know what he had seen in that world!

But they could clearly feel an immense pain, enough to drive a person completely mad, from his twisted, almost ferocious face!

Just then, Su Qingying suddenly seemed to realize something, and her face instantly turned pale!

She abruptly turned her head to look at the young man, who had been calm the entire time!

Her voice was trembling!

"You... what you showed him..."

"It couldn't be..."