Real world.
Monkey, who was sleepy, woke up and felt himself being lifted by a large hand.
Opening his eyes, he saw Chriss glaring at him with a sharp, murderous glare.
"Hehehe... bro, I'm stingy,"
The people around him laughed silently.
They all knew what happened to Chriss in the game.
It was Monkey's fault for being so unkind, cheating everyone out of their Contribution Points before even telling them that their equipment could be insured.
Chriss, a quiet and introverted man, hated being treated unfairly.
If John hadn't lent him 1,000 Contribution Points, he wouldn't have gotten the Nano-Colonial Suit he obtained in the game.
And after initial research on the Nano-Colonial Suit, everyone agreed that it was the most important piece of equipment in the early stages of the game; it was incredibly practical.
If Monkey couldn't give them a satisfactory answer, Chris wouldn't mind beating him up.
"You better give me a convincing explanation."
"Okay, okay... let me go now!"
Chriss said coldly, releasing his hand. Monkey straightened his shirt before solemnly reporting his findings.
Everyone present frowned upon hearing this.
A one-to-one replica of in-game equipment?
If this level of achievement wasn't enough to shock everyone, as conducting research in virtual worlds was no longer uncommon, it was a different story when the system center sold the technical data.
"Monkey, did you buy the technical diagrams?"
He nodded solemnly.
Then he immediately took out a computer, connected it to his neural connection device, and downloaded the technical data the game system had implanted into him.
A group of elderly scholars rushed forward to open the computer and examine it.
The results revealed expressions of astonishment.
"Cold nuclear fusion technology!!!"
"So that's how it works... But how can ordinary wires avoid melting from excessive current? Unless they use room-temperature superconducting materials... Monkey, where is the technology for room-temperature superconducting materials?"
The Monkey spread his arms helplessly.
Technical information on the System Mall is categorized as white, green, blue, purple, and orange, corresponding to the levels of primitive application technology, primary application technology, advanced application technology, and breakthrough technology for civilizations.
Cold fusion reactors are considered a primary application technology for Level 1 civilizations. The information states that following breakthroughs in room-temperature superconducting materials and other materials science, this technology has become commonplace in civilian and military applications, and the technical barriers are less stringent.
Without breakthrough technology related to room-temperature superconducting materials, even with the necessary infrastructure, you can't produce them. Perhaps that's why the System Mall sold it to me at such a low price.
Everyone sighed.
"Yes, if we have room-temperature superconducting materials, we can deduce many technologies. What's truly valuable are the breakthrough technologies we haven't discovered yet."
Everyone nodded.
Yes, like a car, a skilled engineer can build it if given the materials, but the key technology lies in how those materials and components are manufactured.
The office was silent for a few seconds. Suddenly, an old man's eyes lit up, and he abruptly grabbed the monkey's hand, as if looking at his ex-lover.
"Monkey, tell me, how many contribution points does it take to purchase room-temperature superconductor manufacturing technology?"
At this point, the monkey's scalp tingled, and he raised a finger.
"One hundred thousand?"
The monkey shook his head.
"One million?"
He shook his head again.
Someone struggled to say, "Could it be ten million?"
Seeing the monkey remain silent and still shaking his head, everyone scratched their heads and returned to their seats.
That's a lot!
One hundred million contribution points for just one technology, and building a cold fusion reactor requires so many breakthrough technologies—how many contribution points would that be worth?!
Maybe I can top up and exchange contribution points to buy it. In that case, one hundred million for one technology seems pretty cheap.
If they could think of it, how could Monkey not think of it? He immediately shot down their idea.
"I understand what you're thinking, seniors, but this system doesn't support real-world currency top-ups. To earn contribution points, you have to work hard and complete missions. Missions from in-game NPCs are the most valuable."
"..."
Suddenly, an old man slammed the table, stood up, pointed at Monkey, and cursed.
"Nonsense! You knew that breakthrough technology was the key, yet you wasted so many contribution points on idle speculation instead of reporting it first!"
He turned to look at Aozaki.
"Aozaki, from now on, you are our captain in this game. Don't let Monkey interfere in the game. Take him to Planet G-4 to exterminate the bugs. Earning contribution points is more important."
"..." Monkey.
Damn it... How dare you be so cruel!
... Walking down the streets
On the bustling Star Earth, Leon, dressed in a white shirt and black bamboo Hanfu, stood out from the crowd. Fortunately, as society developed, more and more young people dressed like him, making him less conspicuous. His bun and long hair, as if he had traveled back in time, further attracted the attention of passersby. On his second visit to Star Earth, Leon's main goal was to gauge the locals' attitudes toward the Empire. Since the people there hadn't been implanted with secondary hive mind chips, he couldn't perceive their thoughts through his hive mind, so he had to disguise himself. Beep, beep... Suddenly, a car horn blared rapidly from behind him. Leon turned around and glanced at the street below in surprise. He seemed to be walking on the sidewalk. There were lanes for cars, so why wasn't he using the sidewalk? However, he didn't... Angry about this trivial matter, he backed up and reached a higher level. "Are you blind? Can't you see me behind you?" The driver approached Leonn, put his hand on the window, and began accusing her, making himself right.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk... Another gigolo, thinking he's classy in clothes like this? Forget it, what was that called back in the day?"
"Poor, get it?!"
"Penniless, pretending to be cultured!"
With that, he spat and swaggered away.
Leon smiled faintly, his left arm folded across his chest, his right hand stroking his chin.
His heart pounded as the young man's personal information suddenly appeared before him through iris projection.
So he's the son of a real estate tycoon? No wonder he's so arrogant.
Since he's revealed the need to rebuild Bumi Star, have the dying real estate bosses finally felt they can do it?
"Grey wind."
"Understood, sir."
In an office in the imperial capital, a potbellied middle-aged man smiled and offered a cigarette to a staff member inside. The staff member
received the cigarette with a faint smile, put it down gently, and was about to take out his stamp to sign the contract when the dedicated phone in his pocket suddenly rang.
His expression changed slightly, and he immediately answered the call, motioning the middle-aged man to step aside. After a few minutes, he looked at him with pity.
After removing the seal, the suited worker stood up and pushed the contract over.
"Mr. Markus, I'm sorry, but the higher-ups have instructed Renlian to cancel this cooperation with you."
Hearing this, the middle-aged man was devastated.
As a real estate tycoon who had experienced decline, like the coal bosses of old, he knew this was his chance to rise.
Everything had been planned, so why did they suddenly change their minds?
"No... Director Wesker, we can talk it over. If the higher-ups are dissatisfied with me, just let us know. Why all of a sudden..."
The man known as Director Wesker looked helpless.
He was still relatively optimistic about the man before him. After all, as one of the few property developers who had braved the pressure of the property market crash and sold other assets to protect his reputation, handing over the Blue Star Eden District redevelopment project to him was a good start for his past.
However, he was unlucky enough to have somehow provoked that person.
He hesitated, then pointed to the sky and spread his arms.
Mr. Markus, a portly man, was confused. He had spent almost all his wealth last time to secure property for the benefit of the nation. Wasn't he still satisfied?
No, could it be...
Thinking of this, his entire body softened, and he slumped in the executive chair beside him.
What sin had he committed?
"Mr. Markus, I think you should find trouble with your subordinates. Sometimes the problem isn't necessarily yours."
"Right, right, right..." Mr. Markus hurriedly took out his cell phone and called everyone one by one.