117: Chapter 117 One Million Credits

"No! Absolutely not!"

Wang Pingan shook his head like a rattle, his attitude more resolute than ever before.

Was this some kind of joke?

Let him be a lab rat in a laboratory? To be sliced up and studied by those research maniacs?

Even if he, Wang Pingan, were to die or jump from right here, he would never agree!

"Instructor, please spare me." Wang Pingan's face wore an expression more unsightly than crying. "I'm really just a martial artist; I have nothing but muscle in my head. It's fine if you want me to fight, but doing research... isn't that like driving a duck onto a perch?"

He just wanted to clear his name quickly. His "technology" was all given by the system and wouldn't hold up to scrutiny. If he were ever exposed, the trouble would be immense.

Instructor Shi Yan looked at his evasive appearance, and his brows couldn't help but furrow.

He really couldn't understand why someone would refuse such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a meteoric rise.

That secret laboratory was a top-level research institution jointly established by the Federation Academy of Sciences and Xuanyuan University. Being a member, even just a gofer, was enough to bring honor to one's ancestors.

Yet Wang Pingan was directly designated as one of the "leads." It was like a pie falling from the sky.

"Student Wang Pingan, do you have some concerns?" An academy senior official nearby, who seemed to hold a high status, couldn't help but try to persuade him. "Don't worry, we will never subject you to any form of forced research. We only hope that you can participate in the project as a 'consultant' to provide us with some... 'inspiration'."

"Inspiration?" Wang Pingan sneered inwardly.

It sounded nice.

But when the time came, they'd take a drop of blood today, a tube of cerebrospinal fluid tomorrow, and perform a craniotomy the day after to see how his brain structure differed from others.

He didn't believe these research maniacs had any integrity at all.

"Instructors, it's really not that I don't want to contribute to humanity's scientific endeavors." Wang Pingan looked "sincere." "It's just that... my abilities are limited."

"My performance last time was purely down to luck—a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse. Plus, I was backed into a corner, and my potential just exploded for a moment. If you asked me to do it again, I guarantee I'd fail on the spot."

He began to frantically make excuses, trying to portray himself as a "one-time genius" whose "potential was exhausted."

Instructor Shi Yan and the others listened to his loophole-riddled explanation, looking at each other in bewilderment, not knowing what to say.

Potential explosion?

You call that performance—dancing in a Subspace Storm and effortlessly toying with thousands of spirit energy bodies—a "potential explosion"?

Isn't this potential of yours a bit too ridiculous?

The atmosphere in the hospital room became somewhat awkward for a moment.

Finally, Instructor Shi Yan sighed, breaking the deadlock.

"Forget it." He waved his hand. "Since you're unwilling, we won't force you."

"However, the 'Time-01' laboratory will still reserve a nominal position for you as a 'Special Consultant.' You can come and go as you please. We won't interfere with your freedom in any way."

Instructor Shi Yan's words gave Wang Pingan plenty of face and provided himself with a way out.

He knew that for a monster of Wang Pingan's level, one could only stroke the fur the right way; force would not work. Pushing him too hard wouldn't benefit anyone.

"Thank you for your understanding, Instructor!" Wang Pingan felt as if he had been granted a grand pardon, nearly bowing to Instructor Shi Yan.

"Alright, your rewards have been sent to your Students account. Check them yourself." After saying this, Instructor Shi Yan didn't stay any longer. He led the academy senior officials and the incredibly precious core of spacetime out of the room.

They had more important matters to attend to.

A higher-level storm centered around the core of spacetime was about to quietly brew throughout the entire Human Federation.

In the hospital room, only Wang Pingan and Teacher Liu Qing remained.

Teacher Liu Qing looked at Wang Pingan, her beautiful eyes still filled with lingering shock and curiosity.

"Wang Pingan, you..." She opened her mouth to ask something, but it ultimately turned into a helpless sigh. "Forget it, it's enough that you're okay."

She knew that the youth before her had already grown to a height she could neither understand nor reach.

The relationship between them was no longer a simple teacher-student one.

"Get some rest and recover." Teacher Liu Qing helped tuck him in and spoke softly, "I've already helped you apply for a month's leave from the school. It's a bit of a shame you missed this Freshman Ranking Tournament."

"Freshman Ranking Tournament?" Wang Pingan was stunned for a moment.

He then remembered that there indeed was such an event. However, he had completely lost interest in that kind of child's play competition.

He'd rather spend that time "picking up" more trash to earn some pay-to-win points; that was more practical.

"It's fine, missing it is no big deal." Wang Pingan shrugged indifferently.

Teacher Liu Qing couldn't help but give a bitter smile seeing his nonchalant attitude.

Indeed, why would a monster that even the Federation Academy of Sciences was scrambling for care about a mere Freshman Ranking Tournament?

After a few more instructions, Teacher Liu Qing also left.

The entire hospital room finally fell completely silent.

Wang Pingan lay on the bed and let out a long sigh of relief.

He opened his personal terminal and logged onto the Campus Star Network.

As soon as he went online, a series of system notification sounds rang frantically in his mind like bombers.

[Ding! Your Students account has received a credit transfer: 1,000,000 points!]

[Ding! Congratulations, your credit balance has exceeded one million. Your Students level has been promoted to: Privileged Students!]

[Ding! You have obtained the highest browsing permissions for the 'Campus Star Network'!]

[Ding! You have obtained a 10% discount privilege at the 'Exchange Center'!]

...

At the same time, a school-wide announcement personally issued by the Principal's Office exploded like a heavy bomb on the public forum of the Campus Star Network!

[Announcement: Freshman Students Wang Pingan has made immeasurable contributions to the Academy and the Human Federation during a top-secret mission. By unanimous decision of the Academy's Supreme Committee, Student Wang Pingan is hereby rewarded with one million credits as an encouragement!]

Once this announcement was made...

The entire Campus Star Network was instantly paralyzed.

All the Students who were slacking off, chatting, or doing missions online thought their eyes were playing tricks on them the moment they saw the announcement.

One million... credits?

Was this some kind of joke?!

After they confirmed it several times and found that there was no mistake in the string of zeros...

The entire public forum completely exploded!

Countless posts popped up frantically like bamboo shoots after a rain.

[Title: I'm going crazy! One million credits! Did that freshman named Wang Pingan raid the Principal's house?!]

[Title: Unprecedented! The largest single reward in the five hundred years since the school's founding has been born! The recipient is actually a freshman!]

[Title: Unfair! I protest! On what grounds?! How could a freshman like him deserve one million credits?!]

[Title: Shady! This is definitely shady! I demand the Academy disclose the contents of that so-called 'top-secret mission'!]

Questioning, anger, jealousy, resentment...

All kinds of negative emotions were completely ignited at this moment.

If before, Wang Pingan was only a thorn in the side of a "small group" due to his stunning performance in the Dragon Gate Baptism...

Then now, under the stimulation of these one million credits...

He had become the public enemy of the entire school in name and reality!