19: Chapter 19 This is the New Era

"Do you understand?"

Director Li's final words echoed in the conference room, each syllable carrying the weight of a thousand pounds.

Chen You hung his head even lower, his ears burning hot.

Director Li's words were less of a reprimand and more of a wake-up call.

Saving money?

Right, he was still approaching this "game" with the mentality of his old life.

Little did he know that on this chessboard, his piece, the only one they had, was no longer something whose value could be measured in mere currency.

"I... understand."

Chen You's voice was a bit dry. He nodded firmly, lifted his head, and met Director Li's eyes, which were as sharp as a hawk's.

"Director, next time... there won't be a next time."

Seeing that Chen You had finally grasped the point, Director Li's expression softened slightly.

He hadn't truly intended to scold Chen You; he simply needed to use the most impactful method to completely shift his mindset.

This project allowed no room for the slightest bit of complacency.

Wasn't he himself also responsible?

Director Li sighed softly in his heart.

He had subconsciously treated this as a "game," thinking that as the "player," Chen You should naturally understand the rules better and have more decision-making power.

But he had overlooked the fact that, stripped of the "player" identity, Chen You was just a young man in his twenties, an ordinary person who had just stepped into society.

It was indeed asking too much to have him face that bizarre, cruel world alone, confronting the fear of life and death on a razor's edge.

Comprehensive training for Chen You had to be put on the agenda immediately, and it was the highest priority.

It wasn't just about physical fitness; more importantly, it was about tempering his mental fortitude and combat will.

Director Li pulled back his thoughts. His gaze shifted from Chen You, sweeping over the experts sitting upright around the circular conference table.

"Alright, let's continue the debrief. Everyone, share your thoughts. Any idea is welcome."

The conference room fell into a brief silence again. All the experts were rapidly digesting the information just presented and organizing their thoughts.

A moment later, the leader of the data analysis team, a middle-aged man with gold-rimmed glasses who looked refined and scholarly, was the first to push his glasses up and speak.

"Director Li, I have a few preliminary observations." His voice was clear and methodical.

"Based on Comrade Chen You's description, the 'Source Realm' has opened up a 'Cultivator' class system specifically for him, or rather, for our huaxia civilization."

"This indicates that this vast world is not static; it possesses an extremely high capacity for dynamic evolution."

"There might even be some kind of 'will' or 'rule' we cannot comprehend presiding over it."

He didn't dwell excessively on the power and mystery of that unknown world but quickly steered the topic back to the data.

"From the changes in the attribute panel provided by Comrade Chen You, I've drawn a key conclusion."

"For the 'Cultivator' class, the importance of realm advancement far exceeds that of traditional leveling up."

He pulled up a set of data and projected it onto the screen in the center of the conference table.

"Leveling up grants 5 free attribute points."

"However, progressing from zero to the first level of Qi Refinement, after taking the creation pill, his health, attack, and defense received a comprehensive and massive boost."

"I've done a rough conversion. The overall attribute gain from this realm breakthrough is at least equivalent to leveling up more than ten consecutive times."

"However, it's uncertain if every subsequent realm breakthrough will yield such gains." the man concluded.

"I will immediately lead the team in attempting to construct a dedicated growth data analysis model for the 'Cultivation' system."

"But this requires more, more detailed data to populate and verify, especially data from the next realm breakthrough."

Director Li nodded.

After the data team leader sat down, the leader of the tactical analysis team, a man with an upright posture and a resolute face, immediately stood up.

"Director Li, from a tactical analysis perspective, we are currently facing a very clear time node—thirty days."

His voice was firm and powerful, carrying the decisiveness characteristic of a military man.

"The thirty-day newbie protection period is Comrade Chen You's final safe window for development."

"Once PvP protection is lifted, he will be completely exposed to the countless otherworldly Adventurers in the 'Source Realm'."

"According to the leaderboard data, those high-level players possess a crushing level advantage."

"We must assume that the worst-case scenario will inevitably occur."

"Therefore, I propose that we must formulate a 'maximum enhancement plan' detailed down to each day for these thirty days."

"The goal is singular: within one month, regardless of cost, elevate Comrade Chen You's strength to a level sufficient for self-preservation, or even possessing some countermeasure capability."

"PvP..." Director Li repeated the word softly, sinking into thought.

The tactical team leader continued to elaborate, "Yes, PvP. But currently, we know nothing about the player interaction mechanics of the 'Source Realm'."

"For example, is there malicious competition between players?"

"To what extent does this world's rules support or restrict PvP behavior? These are all unknowns."

The atmosphere in the conference room grew heavy again because of this topic.

Everyone understood that when the game was no longer just a game, when the outcome of player-versus-player combat could involve real harm or even death, the nature of the problem had completely changed.

Director Li, who had been silent until now, was already thinking further ahead.

The impact on reality...

Director Li looked at Chen You.

"Can your cultivation techniques be used in the real world as well?"

Chen You was jolted.

He had sensed something before, but events had unfolded one after another, and he hadn't had a chance to mention it.

"Yes!" Chen You spoke up hurriedly, his voice dry with excitement.

"I discovered it earlier! My passive skill, [Spiritual Sight], still exists after I log out of the game!"

"I can see... I can see that in our world, there are also those... those energy particles the game calls 'spiritual energy' drifting about!"

Though sparse, they were indeed present!

What this meant went without saying.

The power he gained in the game was real!

He wasn't merely a game character; he was a living, breathing person who had taken the first step on a transcendent path!

"Tss—"

A collective intake of cold breath sounded in the conference room.

If extracting equipment from the game had only proven that the 'Source Realm' was a higher-dimensional space capable of material exchange...

...then Chen You's confirmation at this moment completely overturned everyone's understanding of the real world.

This meant that transcendent power did not exist solely within that mysterious 'Source Realm'.

Its door had already been cracked open, through Chen You, to the real world, to huaxia!

Director Li fell silent again, but his mind was operating at a terrifying speed.

A brand new possibility, even more grand than researching organisms or analyzing new materials, lay before him.

He raised his head and looked at Chen You again, asking the question that could determine the future fate of huaxia.

"Can this power... be replicated? Can others also cultivate?"

Swish!

Everyone's gaze focused on Chen You. Those looks were filled with fervor, yearning, and even a trace of awe.

They were no longer looking at a lucky young man.

They were gazing up at the one who had opened a new era, a pioneer holding the scepter of divinity.