Unlike in the original world, the Cocolia in this world bubble was both an obvious nuisance and a useful tool for Lin Wei.
Working with her might not have been difficult, but it was meaningless in a world with a "loop mechanism."
She was the direct person in charge of the X-10 experiment, and her control and influence over its resources were clear. Therefore, the best solution was to use the "Welt" persona to make her willingly obey Lin Wei's arrangements.
The power of the Fenghuang Down might have been a shortcut, but unlike her original world counterpart, this woman's cunning was unexpectedly deep.
Weaving a false memory was easy, but if Cocolia sensed something was off and shrewdly discovered the truth, she might turn the tables on him and sabotage his plans.
After all, Lin Wei knew from experience that even he had been able to see through the illusion Fu Hua had personally woven and counter it. Therefore, he would never underestimate any other intelligent person.
The X-10 experiment could only be completed by her and her experimental team. Even if Schrödinger were the greatest scientist, she had no say in this matter.
Gaining her trust was ideal. As long as he could successfully step onto that operating table and entrust his "life" to "Cocolia's hands," whether she still had doubts would no longer be important. All she had to do was follow the procedure and start the experiment.
Leaving Schrödinger by her side was just a precaution.
If Cocolia was so cunning that she would wait until the last moment to sabotage the experiment and threaten Lin Wei, then with Schrödinger's extensive knowledge and research experience, even if she had no understanding of the X-10 experiment itself, she would be able to detect the possibility of danger at the first moment and intervene in time.
After all, unlike Tesla and Einstein, although Schrödinger had once been a helpless scientist like them, after being "gifted" with quantization by Otto and traveling for so long, she also knew a thing or two about fighting.
With her and Seele as his "quantum guardians," Lin Wei had almost nothing to worry about and only needed to focus on himself.
If this loop fails, I'll just try another method in the next loop!
Therefore, the only risk lay with Lin Wei himself—
"This is a very clumsy cover-up, Lin Wei. A cover-up for the main risk of this experimental process."
Before everything began, after hearing Lin Wei's detailed plan, Schrödinger calmly pointed out the issue that Lin Wei had been avoiding while he was talking.
"All the information related to this experiment is hearsay. And your so-called plan is just speculation based on this unsubstantiated information. It's like a rugged wilderness where you can't see your hand in front of your face, and you're stepping on the gas with no idea whether there's a cliff or a tree ahead. Lin Wei, do you know what a blind gamble you're making?"
She hated Lin Wei's unreasonable way of doing things. She had been fooled by him once before, and she definitely wouldn't let him off so easily this time.
"Doctor, why bother with these details? Alright..."
Lin Wei was a little helpless. Since it had come to this, he had to give a direct answer.
He took a deep breath and said, "You're right. I know there are certain risks in doing this. But, please listen, Ms. Schrödinger—the reason I'm so insistent is because the X-10 experiment in this world bubble is my only chance to reawaken my dormant Stigmata, to hear that long-lost voice again, to find the companion who is one with my soul."
Seele couldn't help but look up and stare at Lin Wei's still pale face. Lin Wei glanced at her, but didn't use her as an example again. Instead, he continued to meet Schrödinger's gaze.
"Doctor, from the first time we met, you were full of suspicion, even doubt, toward me. Otherwise, you wouldn't have appeared only as a voice for so long, but would have used your real form to guide me."
"...You knew from the beginning."
"It was just a guess. I didn't point it out. It was only after you showed yourself that I confirmed my guess. But that's understandable. After all, although you weren't sure about my identity, you were still willing to give me advice and help, which is already very much appreciated."
Lin Wei smiled and said, "Doctor, you were full of scrutiny and vigilance toward me before, and you decided to keep a certain distance from me. But even so, you were still willing to appear by my side. Isn't that also a risky behavior?"
"..."
Schrödinger was silent for two seconds, then sighed helplessly. "You're really good at twisting words."
"Twisting words? Maybe."
Lin Wei was noncommittal. He took out the small beacon from his pocket. "In the end, what made you willing to take this risk was this thing that represents your two companions, wasn't it? You've always believed in them, even after being separated for so many years."
"...I think you may be getting off topic, Mr. Lin Wei."
Schrödinger's calm tone sounded like a thesis defense advisor who was close to lunchtime. "Please let me reiterate, now..."
"I know, Doctor."
Lin Wei gently interrupted her insignificant protest and smiled. "You believe in your companions, and I believe in mine. Even if she is sleeping deep in my cells and can't wake up, I believe that when I touch her again, she will definitely respond to my call again."
"...A lyrical expression cannot hide the weakness of your argument. You are still twisting words, respected Mr. Lin Wei."
But as a science and engineering student, Dr. Schrödinger was too lazy to give his "defense" a big fat zero.
"But we're not debating, are we? The fact is, I am taking a risk. But there are always some people, some things in the world, that are far more important than a few cold numbers."
Lin Wei placed the small beacon in his hand into Schrödinger's hand and smiled. "After this world bubble ends, our agreement will be officially completed. If we have the chance, I hope we can officially become friends the next time we meet. Although in my opinion, the moment you were willing to appear before me for the second time, we were already friends."
"..."
Of course, she didn't accept Lin Wei's "farewell gift." Not only did she not react, but Seele—or rather, the usually hidden Veliona—also couldn't help but appear, almost snatching it and smashing it in Lin Wei's face!
Although she didn't do it, she still pointed at Lin Wei's nose and cursed him. You're playing the farewell game at a time like this?
Bad luck!
Then Lin Wei apologized awkwardly and sheepishly, and the matter was dropped.
But in any case, after being messed with by Veliona, this topic couldn't continue. After the slightly awkward atmosphere ended, Lin Wei's "proposal" was passed in a muddled way.
"..."
"What a shameless sophist..."
In a dimly lit room with flickering lights, Schrödinger sighed helplessly.
Cocolia's laboratory was a huge, enclosed space with a tall life support device in the middle. Thick, reinforced glass in the shape of a cylinder contained tons of oxygenated liquid, which glowed with a translucent blue light under the equipment's lights, clearly showing Lin Wei, who was already inside.
If it weren't for the fact that his limbs could still move like a lazy fish, and his gaze was scrutinizing everything around him, one could even use the word "lifelike" to describe this "specimen" in the jar.
"This is a novel feeling."
Lin Wei looked at the dozen or so probes that were constantly scanning him with a strange expression. He thought to himself that he had always been an "observer" outside the jar before. This was the first time he had been a real test subject, entrusting everything to a cold machine.
In the past, he had hated such things, because it meant his life was in someone else's hands.
But the second time he entered the Elysian Realm to find Mobius, he had already been mentally prepared for a situation like today's—that is, to lie on someone else's operating table.
It sounded contradictory, but in fact it wasn't. Lin Wei certainly hated having others control his destiny. At the same time, he also hated "loss."
To prevent losing some important things, he was willing to take risks for them.
Mobius's experiment was heart-wrenching. She hadn't directly cut him with a scalpel, but had fulfilled him in another way. Lin Wei had been relieved, thinking he had escaped this ordeal, but in the end...
"It still came to this."
Lin Wei felt the various intelligent robotic arms placing cold patches of various sizes on his chest, back, and limbs. He also endured one needle after another being inserted into his body.
Hiss... it really hurts!
Actually, the pain wasn't intense.
Compared to the erosion of Honkai energy, compared to the Elysian Realm, where his chest and arms had been beaten to the point of losing consciousness by Fu Hua's iron fists, compared to the countless times he had been hit and beaten on the battlefield later, this feeling of being injected was not even worth mentioning...
But, who the hell didn't hate injections?
Hiss, another one. Is it ever going to end!
Lin Wei was very angry. But he was Welt now. He had to be serious, calm, and have the self-awareness and self-cultivation of an actor.
So, he just calmly looked at the researchers at the operating console in the distance, and at Cocolia standing behind them, his face calmly passing the time as if it were years.
Is it not over yet?
"..."
Schrödinger seemed to have read his true thoughts, pursed her lips, and turned back to where she was supposed to be.
Cocolia called out to her coolly, "Dr. Schrödinger, if you still want a tour, I can give you a detailed introduction to every piece of equipment here after this experiment is over."
Cocolia gave her a cool look. "But now, we probably have other, more important things to do."
Everything was going smoothly. Not only was there nothing unusual on the other side, but during the security check before entering the laboratory, she had also secretly and repeatedly scanned every inch of "Welt" and Schrödinger's bodies, and even Seele was not spared. The result was that no suspicious items were found, which made her feel much more at ease.
She had taken full precautions. And if Welt really was just a clone, trying to cause destruction with stolen authority, then she could only take this base with her to the grave, while she and the experimental data and personnel she had copied beforehand would escape through another, more hidden escape route.
"Thank you for your reminder, Ms. Cocolia. Please rest assured, I am not trying to steal any information without your permission."
Schrödinger shook her head. "I'm just a little disappointed that compared to such an important experimental project, the experimental facilities here seem a bit crude. The only core equipment is just a culture container used to maintain basic vital signs."
Schrödinger pointed to the sealed chamber that already contained Lin Wei.
The entire laboratory was built around this one thing. Her emerald-green eyes glanced at Seele not far away, and she commented sharply in a calm voice, "So, the so-called X-10 experiment, in my opinion, is just to inject highly concentrated, purified Honkai energy into children like her and let them struggle in vain in pain. And the meaning of that life support device, to put it bluntly, is just to let these children struggle for a little longer."
Schrödinger found it hard to believe. This was the experiment that the original world's Anti-Entropy had once conducted?
Cruel, barbaric, and senseless!
Einstein, Tesla, what have you all been doing all these years?
"...Hmph."
Cocolia snorted coldly and didn't offer any defense.
The so-called "X-10" experiment was just that: using Honkai energy to stimulate the human body and awaken its potential, in order to master the ability to adapt to Honkai energy and use it to control energy.
This experiment was highly dangerous, so they could only find children with very high Honkai energy adaptability—and then "exhaustively" test the limits of what the human body could withstand.
The first child died. Record it. Next time, reduce the dose and lower the injection frequency.
The second child lasted three minutes longer. Record it. Next time, maintain this dose and continue to lower the frequency.
The third...
As the executor of this experiment, Cocolia knew better than anyone how cruel it was, but she had no choice.
Faced with Schrödinger's doubts, Cocolia just snorted coldly, then took a deep breath and said into the microphone next to her, "Lord Welt, we are about to begin."
"Mhm."
Lin Wei nodded. He had already made sufficient mental preparations.
The next second, a pale purple liquid was slowly injected into the chamber and quickly diluted by the transparent liquid. A few minutes later, a feeling of drowsiness and weakness washed over Lin Wei, making him close his eyes.
He knew that his own "X-10" experiment had officially begun.