Translator: CinderTL
Faced with Wei Wei's invitation, Feng Qi felt a sense of helplessness.
If he accepted, his future exploration paths would narrow, forcing him to start by joining the Scarlet Research Institute.
Considering the interconnectedness of reality and the future, he knew he couldn't accept this invitation.
Even if he were to accept, it would have to be his future self who did so, creating a Future Line where he joined the Scarlet Research Institute to gather useful intelligence as an undercover agent.
As for the Reality Line, it was best to avoid contact with the Scarlet Research Institute until he possessed absolute influence and power.
He immediately shook his head and said, "Director Wei, I'm truly sorry, but after graduation, I plan to join the Tiger Soul Research Institute. When it comes to cultivation technique research, the Tiger Soul Research Institute is my best choice. My knowledge of biological sciences is limited, and I wouldn't be able to handle the work."
Wei Wei seemed prepared for Feng Qi's rejection, smiling as she replied, "Perhaps you don't know enough about the Scarlet Research Institute. We also delve into cultivation arts. You could absolutely continue your cultivation technique research here... But you're right, when it comes to the depth of cultivation arts, we can't compare to institutions like the Tiger Soul Research Institute, which focus primarily on cultivation research."
"But I still hope you'll consider the Scarlet Research Institute. With your talent, you could explore a wider range of fields. For example, this Human Body Deity Seeding project is a groundbreaking concept in cultivation studies and human evolution. If you join us, we can provide you with ample resources to pursue such research."
Faced with Wei Wei's repeated invitations, he felt a growing headache.
He still wasn't sure whether the Scarlet Research Institute was good or bad.
If it truly was an evil organization, he might soon face the choice of betraying humanity.
Refusal could mean the guillotine the very next day.
Acceptance was even more dangerous. To ensure his compliance, the Scarlet Research Institute would undoubtedly employ various control methods, possibly even requiring human body modifications. The mere thought sent shivers down his spine.
This decision could only be considered in the Future Line; he absolutely couldn't agree in the Reality Line.
Doing so would be like raising the starting difficulty of his Future Line, making the path ahead even more treacherous.
Yet he didn't reject her outright, leaving room for maneuver:
"Let me think about it. This is too sudden; I haven't made up my mind yet."
"I was too eager. Discovering a talent like you, I couldn't wait to begin researching human evolution together. If you're interested, feel free to contact me anytime. I'll reserve an early admission spot for you for a year."
"Thank you."
"By the way, aren't you curious about what experiments I'm using your blood for? Usually, when we try to obtain blood samples from other geniuses, they're eager to know the purpose of the collection," Wei Wei asked, her face filled with curiosity.
Feng Qi: ...
You old hag! Is that even a question you should be asking? What if I learn too much and you decide to get rid of me?
With that thought, he immediately shook his head.
"Every research institute has its secrets. If you want to tell me, you will. If not, asking would be pointless."
"You truly are unique. Every genius I know has an insatiable thirst for knowledge and curiosity about the unknown. Someone like you is quite rare," Wei Wei said with a charming smile.
"However, this research isn't exactly a secret. While it's not publicly disclosed, there's no harm in telling you."
"Actually, the Scarlet Research Institute has been working on a project to replicate the talents of geniuses, or rather, to mass-produce human geniuses."
"That's why you young, promising prodigies are our research subjects."
"It's a pity that this research hasn't made any progress so far. If we could achieve a breakthrough in this area and mass-produce geniuses, the future of humanity would be bright."
Hearing this, he couldn't help but be stunned.
Mass-producing geniuses? What a wild idea.
But before understanding the truth about the Scarlet Research Institute, he dared not draw any hasty conclusions.
Perhaps the Scarlet Research Institute wasn't trying to create geniuses at all, but rather researching how to stifle their emergence.
The Scarlet Research Institute's core research direction was "biological sciences." If they were truly an evil force, they might be developing a biological virus to suppress the birth of human geniuses.
He suddenly thought of the eradicated smallpox virus, which had once only infected humans.
Perhaps the Scarlet Research Institute was also developing a specialized virus that could only infect a single species, thereby stifling the growth potential of humanity.
As Feng Qi's mind wandered, Wei Wei glanced at the time in the lower right corner of the screen and smiled.
"I need to follow up on my research projects. Let's wrap up our conversation for today. Feel free to contact me anytime if you have any ideas. The Scarlet Research Institute looks forward to your joining us."
"Understood, Director Wei."
After ending the video call, Feng Qi fell into deep thought.
"The Scarlet Research Institute's Genetics Department..."
He remained wary of Wei Wei.
This caution stemmed not only from what he had seen in Mu Qing's memories but also from his inability to fully trust her.
If the Scarlet Research Institute was a malignant tumor rooted within Human Civilization, then Wei Wei, as its director, must have already pledged allegiance to the domain creatures and become their pawn.
Therefore, vigilance was paramount.
However, after his conversation with Wei Wei, a new option had emerged in his Future Line.
Wei Wei had given him a year to decide whether to join the Scarlet Research Institute. He could have his counterpart in one Future Line join the institute as an undercover agent to gather intelligence from within.
Even if he sacrificed himself, it wouldn't affect the choices his future selves would make in other timelines.
With this thought, he suddenly sighed.
The path to a brighter future seemed paved with his own corpses. Human Civilization was essentially advancing by stepping over his remains.
Or, one could say that he was using his repeated deaths to drive future changes, guiding Human Civilization away from disaster and toward a better path.
He felt genuine guilt toward his future selves.
But if it were him in this timeline who had to sacrifice himself, he would make the same choice without hesitation.
The path to a brighter future was inherently thorny and inevitably required sacrifice. In his eyes, some things transcended death itself.
With this realization, the melancholy in his heart vanished, replaced by a smile.
Glancing at the time on his screen, he pulled out his smartphone and dialed Lin Ran's number.
"Food!"
"Roger that!"
(End of the Chapter)