3: Information Sample

"Found it..."

In the cold, deathly silent abandoned mine shaft, Chen Feng's laughter sounded particularly abrupt, like a cluster of ghost fires suddenly ignited in a graveyard.

He restrained his smile, his consciousness withdrawing from the system space as physical weakness and cold enveloped him once again. Without delay, he used a sharpened metal strip and exhausted all his strength to pry the fist-sized [undead crystal] from the rock wall, tucking it tightly into his chest.

Returning to the collective dormitory filled with the stench of sweat and an air of despair, Chen Feng curled up on his bunk in the furthest corner, covering himself completely with tattered bedding to isolate himself from all outside light and sound.

His consciousness sank once more into that realm of pure darkness.

"Come on, let me see how to turn this 'curse' into gold," he said to himself, his voice echoing within his consciousness.

The system interface expanded before his eyes, and a simple "List Item" template emerged.

"First, the product name." Chen Feng mobilized all his experience from the Earth era when he did brand planning for top-tier luxury goods. He knew that a good name could determine eighty percent of a product's fate.

"It can't be called 'undead crystal'; that's too negative and low-end," he immediately rejected.

"Then what should it be? 'Echoes of an Ancient Battlefield'? Interesting, but too vague, not precise enough."

"'Tears of a Dead World'? No, that's too artistic, too emotional. Emotional things often imply cheapness and instability. My clients are likely to be absolutely rational beings."

His gaze fell upon a line in the system's analysis report.

"'High-Entropy Sequence Information Sample'..." Chen Feng's fingertips lightly tapped in the void, a small habit from his previous life when he was thinking. "That's it. Calm, professional, like an academic term, full of research value and scarcity."

Without hesitation, he filled in this string of characters in the title bar.

"Good, next is the product details." Chen Feng took a deep breath and began his performance. "This is much more exciting than writing a business plan; the stake is my life."

He began to mimic the high-end scientific research material reports he had read countless times, using an extremely calm, objective, and slightly arrogant tone, weighing every word.

"'This sample was collected from a primitive entropy-increasing environment, without any post-processing by high-dimensional or low-dimensional physical means, 100% guaranteeing the original chaotic nature of its information.'"

"'The internal information structure of the sample is complex, with extremely high unpredictability and non-linear characteristics. It is an excellent material for studying the heat death of the universe and breaking through logical closed loops.'"

"'Warning: The sample carries trace amounts of law pollution. It is not recommended for carbon-based life forms to have direct contact in an unprotected state.'"

Chen Feng was very satisfied with the last sentence he wrote: "Adding this warning can both explain the 'curse' attribute of this thing and demonstrate my professionalism and honesty. More importantly, it can filter out those poor bastards who can't afford protective equipment and directly target high-end clients."

Finally, the seller information.

"What should I call myself?" Chen Feng looked at the system default "number 734" and felt a wave of nausea. He didn't want to use this number that represented slave status.

"But I can't just pick anything," he quickly calmed down. "A resounding name needs strength to back it up. I have nothing now; the more resounding it is, the more I'll look like a scammer."

He pondered for a moment and filled in a new identity in the seller column.

"No. 734 Independent Information Source Prospector."

"Keep 734, let it be a part of my past, a code name," he explained to himself. "'Independent' means I am not a subordinate of any faction. 'Information Source Prospector' sounds like a profession with a high barrier to entry. Perfect."

Everything was ready; all that remained was pricing and listing.

"Priced at 50 interstellar credit points, just enough to exchange for a dose of low-grade gene repair fluid." He had no choice. "Mode... select 'Buyer Pays Dimensional Tax'."

[Confirm listing? Listing will consume your first-time evaluation-free listing privilege.]

"Confirm."

With his thought, the product page turned into a stream of light, merging into the vast sea of stars that was the data torrent of the system's trading hall.

Then, there was a deathly silence.

Time passed minute by minute, second by second, each second like a blunt knife cutting into Chen Feng's tense nerves.

"Will anyone buy it?" he asked himself, his voice carrying a hint of uncontrollable trembling.

"Is my theory correct? Does a civilization really need this 'disorder'?"

"Or is it that my product information, like a grain of sand thrown into the ocean, won't be seen by anyone at all?"

The countdown of his life ticked in his mind, reminding him that he didn't have much time left to waste on waiting.

He began to grow anxious and started to reflect.

"Is the price too high? For a brand-new 'product' no one has ever seen, is 50 credits too risky?"

"Or is the description not attractive enough? Are those technical terms too intimidating, making people think it's fake?"

Just as his confidence was about to be completely crushed by this endless waiting, a tiny glimmer finally flashed in that deathly silent sea of stars.

A message was precisely delivered to his personal interface.

Chen Feng's heart skipped a beat.

He opened it with trembling hands.

Sender: [Mechanical Divine Court-Sequence Zero]

"Mechanical Divine Court? Sequence Zero?" Chen Feng chewed on these two unfamiliar terms, but the content made his pupils contract sharply.

"Prospector 734, hello."

"The 'High-Entropy Sequence Information Sample' you listed has undergone preliminary data comparison. Its core information composition has a 73.4% structural similarity with the 'Soul' concept long pursued in our database."

"This is an interesting discovery."

"Our side requires more detailed sample environment data to evaluate its collection value and supply stability. Requesting provision."

The content of the message was cold and rigorous, filled with a non-human sense of logic.

But in Chen Feng's eyes, it was nothing short of heavenly music!

"It worked!" He almost shouted out loud, a surge of wild joy rushing to his head, making him dizzy.

He had gambled correctly! In the universe, there really existed a civilization that regarded the 'Soul' as a research object! His 'trash' was truly a treasure in the eyes of others!

"Calm down, Chen Feng, calm down!" He forcibly suppressed the wild joy in his heart, warning himself over and over, "Now is the most critical time. The other party is the first inquirer, and possibly the only one. This negotiation will decide your life and death."

The other party's wording was calm and direct, and the request pointed straight at the core—'sample environment data.'

"They want environment data, which is exactly what I have, the inexhaustible 'Soul Echoes' on Ashen Earth Star..." Chen Feng's mind raced at high speed. "If I give it directly, it's equivalent to admitting this data isn't worth much, and the value of my main product, the 'undead crystal,' will also be pulled down."

"No, absolutely not."

"In business, things obtained easily are always cheap."

"You are not begging; you are making an equal trade," he said to himself, his gaze becoming sharp and calm again.

He had already thought of how to reply.

"I need to turn this 'freebie' into a part of the trade as well."

"Not only that, I'm going to use it to raise my own worth and the value of this 'undead crystal'!"