Chapter Fourteen: The Astonished Crowd

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The convoy left the Fourth Shelter District, led by a police vehicle that ignored all traffic regulations, cutting through several large neighborhoods. In just over an hour, they arrived at the heart of the Southern Port New City—the Parliament Building.

All other vehicles stopped outside the high walls, but the luxury car carrying Ji Cheng and Lu Shangbai passed unhindered, coming to a halt directly before the entrance.

The Parliament Building was situated on the southwestern edge of the city, originally a marshy depression with poor soil structure. To lay the foundation, workers hauled tens of thousands of tons of sand and stone from the nearby bay, compressing them into concrete. Thus rose the most solid and magnificent single structure in all of Southern Port.

It also served as the daily gathering, training, and meeting place for the gifted.

As soon as Ji Cheng stepped out of the car, he was drawn to the building’s imposing presence. The tower rose like a steel behemoth, guarding the city. Stern-faced guards patrolled the area, countless staff bustled in and out, and the whole scene radiated an air of discipline and gravity.

No matter how many grand scenes he’d witnessed in games, the shock of seeing this in person was something no hologram could ever provide.

“This way, little Ji.” Lu Shangbai called to him, leading him toward a latticed side door.

Beyond the door lay a walkway ten meters wide, flanked at intervals by low lamps, and further off by greenery and ornamental rocks.

Their footsteps startled a few orioles into flight, the tranquility here forming a stark contrast to the tightly wound busyness outside.

Ji Cheng couldn’t help but ask, “Where are we going?”

Lu Shangbai shrugged. “An underground safehouse.”

Ji Cheng nodded in understanding. Due to the threat of mutated beasts, many key buildings in Southern Port New City were built within nuclear-grade underground bunkers.

Though the Parliament Building appeared massive above ground, its core lay deep beneath the earth.

After a brief exchange, they arrived at a solitary villa, its glass walls covered in black metal.

Knock, knock, knock.

Lu Shangbai rapped the door quickly and rhythmically.

By Ji Cheng’s silent count, on the seventeenth knock, the door clicked open, revealing the entryway.

“Come on,” Lu Shangbai said familiarly, striding in, and Ji Cheng followed close behind.

Beyond the entry stood a circular hall much like the one he’d seen at the registration office. The lighting was poor, but Ji Cheng’s decent night vision allowed him to make out a ring of light panels and gear-like machinery.

A faint hiss sounded.

As the two of them entered, white automatic lights snapped on.

Nozzles near the floor puffed out disinfectant mist.

“Permission granted for descent.” An electronic voice sounded as gears along the hall’s edge began to turn, the grinding noise particularly grating in the enclosed space.

Moments later, the hall stopped descending.

They found themselves in a spacious, plainly decorated assembly room, now packed with people.

As soon as the two entered, the previously clamorous crowd fell silent, all eyes turning to Ji Cheng.

Ji Cheng met their gazes without flinching, sweeping his eyes across those present. The seats were arranged in a U-shape, most occupied by experts and researchers, with a handful of officials, and at the head of the room sat several individuals dressed as gifted.

When his gaze landed on the center of the hall, he started in surprise.

Well now, they’d actually brought out a gravity well for testing assimilation level.

And judging by its appearance, it was even more sophisticated than the one he’d seen on the seventh floor of the Algae Training Center—clearly a top-tier piece of equipment.

A particularly well-dressed gifted individual rose to his feet. Though streaked with silver, his hair framed a youthful face, making it impossible to guess his age.

He looked at Ji Cheng, his voice steady:

“Ji Cheng, eighteen years old, graduate of Southern Port Old City No. 29 High School, original body assimilation level eighty-nine percent. Is that correct, Zhou?”

In Zhou Ze’s eyes was a probing look mixed with a hint of anticipation.

Xumingxiong—nicknamed “Cinder”—nodded quietly to himself. Thus far, Ji Cheng’s performance was more than satisfactory.

“This kid,” he thought, “only eighteen, yet under the scrutiny of so many high-level figures and powerhouses, he shows not a hint of weakness. On the contrary, there’s a subtle sense of defiance in his bearing.”

Zhou Ze didn’t wait for Ji Cheng’s response; Lu Shangbai stepped forward to interject:

“Chief, I’ve brought the man. I’ll take my leave.”

At the head of the room, Zhou Ze shot Lu Shangbai a look of exasperation. “You’re not going anywhere. Stay here and watch.”

“Oh.” Lu Shangbai bowed his head and sat beside the other gifted.

Zhou Ze turned back to Ji Cheng. “Here are a dozen senior professors from the Southern Port Research Institute, leaders in their fields. They’ve been invited especially to verify your genetic assimilation. I hope you’ll give us a good showing.”

Ji Cheng met his gaze, forthright. “Will there be a spaceship waiting after the test?”

Zhou Ze was caught off guard, coughing twice to mask his embarrassment. “Ahem, if your results are favorable, we’ll have a reward no less than a spaceship.”

Ji Cheng: “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s get started.”

Those present stared at one another in surprise, not expecting Ji Cheng to be even more eager than they were. A bald professor reacted first, calling over two clerks and issuing a few brief instructions.

“Let me introduce myself first.” The bald professor turned to Ji Cheng with a smile. “I am Professor Chen Rong, senior professor at the Southern Port Research Institute. My specialty is brain research, and today I’ll be assessing your mental state.”

“This is Professor Wang, whose main area is…”

Chatty and engaging, Professor Chen quickly introduced everyone in the room.

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“That elderly gentleman beside the gifted is Director Liu of our Research Institute, specializing in genetic modification.”

Ji Cheng turned to look. The spirited old man smiled and shook his head, “I’m only the vice director at present.”

“On the other side is Minister Zeng from Southern Port New City’s City Defense Command,” Professor Chen continued.

All bigwigs. Ji Cheng glanced at the stern-faced, portly middle-aged man.

Just then, the two clerks returned, hefting a box between them.

Professor Chen said concisely, “Inside is an overclocking device. It boosts the gravity well’s effect, making the results even more accurate.”

He opened the box to reveal a vest covered in wires and sensors.

I’d be worried if it weren’t accurate.

Ji Cheng donned the vest, gave it a shake, and found it fit well enough.

Vice Director Liu spoke slowly. “Since everything is ready, please step into the gravity well for testing, young Mr. Ji.”

Ji Cheng, long impatient, stepped confidently into the gravity well as soon as the words left his mouth.

“The gravity well will reach its energy peak in one minute. Prepare yourself,” came a voice from outside the device.

Layers of light swept up and down Ji Cheng’s body, and gravity began to increase.

—Testing initiated. This process will be recorded and used for future evaluation.

A piercing hum sounded as gravity abruptly spiked, and Ji Cheng suddenly felt himself pressed down.

He bent at the waist, bracing himself with fingers and toes. A peculiar aura began to emanate from him.

“Ever since I got that wildcat’s data, I’ve been studying the videos and documents,” he thought.

“For me now, achieving one hundred percent assimilation through complete mimicry is easy.”

Confident, Ji Cheng moved with agility and speed, muscles trembling in his shoulders, waist, and legs as he imitated the wildcat’s posture.

In the hall, Xumingxiong was a touch anxious. Though he knew Ji Cheng’s previous results were genuine, he was the one who’d recommended him—if anything went wrong, he’d have nowhere to hide his embarrassment.

Vice Director Liu’s gaze was intense, as if he could bore holes through the gravity well, his hand moving ceaselessly as he took notes.

Zhou Ze’s expression was placid and unreadable, betraying nothing of his thoughts.

All these thoughts and anxieties took only seconds to play out.

Suddenly, a cub-like roar echoed through the hall, its resonance seeming to cross the vastness of the cosmos from some distant tundra planet.

Immediately after, the entire gravity well trembled. The assembled experts and scholars stared in shock, unsure what was happening.

Outside the device, the monitor beeped and displayed the results:

[Name: Ji Cheng]
[Age: 18]
[Genetic Template: Wildcat]
[Muscle Tissue Strength: 980 (980)]
[Neural Reflex Speed: 1310 (1310)]
[Cellular Activity: 1040 (1040)]
[Original Body Assimilation: 100%]

The hall fell utterly silent.

Like a bolt from the blue, everyone—even the gifted—was struck dumb.

After several seconds in which goosebumps rose on every arm, Zhou Ze slowly turned his head, staring blankly at Xumingxiong.

Xumingxiong’s scalp tingled. Though he’d recommended Ji Cheng, he truly hadn’t known his assimilation would be this high.

No, it wasn’t simply high—this was unprecedented in the history of Baishan Planet, something beyond belief.

To understand: a prodigy given the best training from childhood would only reach ninety percent assimilation around the age of thirty.

And to go from ninety to one hundred percent was at least ten times harder than from zero to ninety. Forget eighteen—even at eighty-eight it would be impossible.

After four or five seconds of stunned silence, the hall erupted.

Some people screamed; others cried out in disbelief, some even wept with joy.

“This is insane!”

“Could the machine be faulty?”

“Impossible. This was specially brought over from the heavy equipment vault—precision made, no chance of error.”

“I’ve lived over sixty years, and today I finally understand what ‘absurd’ really means.”

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“Heavens, unprecedented, absolutely unprecedented!”

“Blessed be Southern Port!”

Even the gifted at the head of the room were dumbfounded.

“Can anyone tell me what’s going on?” Zhou Ze looked as if struck by lightning, pupils wide and throat tight. For perhaps the first time since he’d become a parliamentarian, a flush crept across his usually composed face, as though he’d been drinking.

Those who knew him found it odd; Zhou Ze was known for his steadiness and restraint, and never before had he shown such excitement.

Eighteen years old and already at eighty-nine percent assimilation was genius enough, but one hundred percent was an entirely different concept.

If the former was like winning the lottery, the latter was as if the jackpot leaped up, slapped you twice, and then spawned countless more jackpots right on the spot.

This was a level that made the scalp crawl.

And yet, just a few days ago, the test had read eighty-nine percent. How had it suddenly reached complete assimilation?

What on earth had happened?

Zhou Ze looked left and right, seeing the same shock and confusion on the faces of the other gifted.

Bald Professor Chen Rong was clutching what little hair he had left, swallowing hard.

One hundred percent assimilation: the body wholly transformed by the genetic template, every cell brimming with potential and power. If such a prodigy became gifted, how terrifying would he be?

Ji Cheng stepped out of the gravity well, utterly spent—the immense pressure required precise movements and had drained his strength considerably.

Especially his neck, as mimicking a feline gait left him feeling as though he’d had a week of stiff neck followed by a heavy blow.

It ached from the inside out, tinged with a chilly sensation.

Still, the results had not disappointed him—he had truly reached one hundred percent assimilation.

Rubbing his throbbing arms, he glanced around. As he suspected, the experts and scholars now gazed at him with a fervor bordering on obsession.

Ji Cheng relished the heated attention, secretly delighted. After missing his chance to show off on live TV due to poisoning, he’d finally made up for it here.

Now then… where was his reward?

He looked at the stupefied Zhou Ze, unsure how to broach the subject, and simply fixed him with a meaningful stare.

It took Zhou Ze a long moment to recover, his face breaking into a broad smile. “Excellent, truly excellent. This spot suits you perfectly—no one could be more deserving.”

Ji Cheng: “Could you be a little more specific?”

“It’s like this,” Zhou Ze began, choosing his words carefully. “We’re planning a secret operation. If all goes well, we expect to come into possession of… something extremely valuable. But until the plan succeeds, everything must remain confidential.”

So after all that, he still knew nothing. Judging by their secrecy, he doubted they had anything truly good to offer.

Ji Cheng’s expression changed at once. “Then if there’s nothing else, I’ll be going.”

The room fell silent; everyone stared at Ji Cheng as though he were some kind of monster.

Seriously—someone dared to show attitude to Councilman Zhou?

The atmosphere grew tense.

If I told you I can’t help provoking big shots whenever I see them, would you believe me? Ji Cheng lamented inwardly.

Could the original owner’s self-destructive tendencies please stop acting up for once?

Zhou Ze smiled as if nothing were amiss. “No rush. With your assimilation level, aren’t you planning to sign up for the gifted selection on September first? You know as well as anyone: the sooner you become gifted, the better.”

Ji Cheng sighed in relief. “I was planning to, but you had me brought here instead.”

“No problem. Just tell the staff outside, leave a contact, and I’ll have someone deliver the registration forms in a few days.”

“All right, I’ll be off, then.” Ji Cheng dared not linger for fear he might do something else reckless.

“I have some matters to attend to. I’ll have my driver take you,” Zhou Ze said warmly.

“Great,” Ji Cheng readily agreed.

“Uh, seems the driver took the day off.”

In the end, Ji Cheng had to go home on his own.

After Ji Cheng left, the hall lapsed into brief silence. After a while, Zhou Ze asked,

“Any problems?”

A bespectacled woman professor adjusted her glasses and replied seriously, “All the data is consistent. The gravity well test shows no anomalies.”

“You mean he really has one hundred percent assimilation?” Zhou Ze still found it hard to believe.