Chapter Sixteen: Electric Power

"That's good."
The dragon finally relaxed, about to ask if the research should continue, when its pupils suddenly contracted and it froze in place.
"Mr. Huang, what's wrong?"
Ding Xuewen's heart leapt into his throat. This black dragon was now Summer Nation's greatest treasure; nothing must happen to it.
"It's nothing."
Fortunately, the dragon quickly regained its composure, its eyes shining with excitement, unable to hide its enthusiasm. "I just realized this robot... actually tastes quite good, Ding Academician. Didn’t you say our funding is ample? Could you help me get a few more of these?"
Ding Xuewen: "???"
"Really, I’m not joking. My body seems able to digest and absorb this thing, and it produces a strong sense of pleasure."
The dragon was a bit agitated. "You might not believe it, but ever since I became a dragon, my taste system—indeed, all my nerves—have become somewhat dulled. For the past six months, no matter what I ate, I couldn't savor the nuances of flavor; everything tasted bland, like chewing wax. I was just an unfeeling eating machine..."
"But this robot is different. It feels special... I can’t describe it exactly, but it's silky, enjoyable, and desirable... Could you let me eat a few more?"
"Mr. Huang, please don’t get so worked up."
Ding Xuewen quickly gathered his thoughts. "I understand what you mean... Perhaps the materials in this robot contain some substance your body desperately needs, which is why you crave it."
"Rest assured, we'll find you a few more and try to figure out what that substance actually is."
"Please hurry,"
The dragon seemed impatient and then, somewhat embarrassed, explained, "I’m not being picky; this thing truly has nutritional value for my body."
"Twenty pounds of beef can’t compare to a single pound of this."
"Understood, Mr. Huang. I’ll have Xiao He get another one for you right away."
Ding Xuewen took it seriously. Ensuring the dragon ate well, discovering its dietary preferences, and scientifically nurturing it were key research topics for the future; since Mr. Huang's desire was so strong, they had to move these plans forward.

"Xiao He, tell us the main materials used in your robot. Are there any others? If not, how long would it take to assemble another one?"
"Academician Ding, there’s only one—Xiao Bai. It took me more than a year to DIY."
"As for what materials I used... I’ll need to go home and sort through everything carefully. Since the project spanned such a long time, I’m not sure exactly what I used."
He Guangming answered, his eyes slightly reddened.
His creation had been eaten—praised for its deliciousness, no less—but as a professional researcher, He Guangming maintained his composure, showing no resistance.
"All right, I’ll have a group help you sort it out, see if we can replicate another one quickly,"
Ding Academician instructed. "And let the logistics department procure fifty pieces of each major component or material, so Mr. Huang can sample them and see if he can identify the desired substance."
"Understood."
He Guangming nodded, about to leave with his team, when a voice called out,
"Academician Ding, I don’t think it needs to be so complicated. We can start with the battery!"
"Battery..."
Ding Xuewen pondered. He knew without looking that the speaker was Researcher Xiao Yu, Yu Xiaomin—the youngest member of their team, but also the most observant.
"I see what you mean, Xiao Yu... Indeed, we can start with the battery."
Ding Xuewen quickly accepted the suggestion. "Xiao He, what kind of battery did you use in your robot?"
"Just a regular lithium iron phosphate battery, ordered from a manufacturer online."
"Okay, contact logistics, give them the specifications and model, and have them procure twenty sets immediately."
"All right."
...
"Academician Ding, are you suspecting the battery is what triggered my body's reaction?"

Huang Ze listened for a while, unable to suppress his curiosity.
"Exactly."
Ding Xuewen nodded. "Mr. Huang, perhaps you don’t know, but extraordinary creatures are often mysterious beings. Their ability to utilize and control energy is remarkable. Some powerful extraordinary beings are pure energy entities!"
"Their bodies have evolved to the extreme; they no longer need food, water, or excretion. Each day, they simply absorb solar energy, lunar energy, magical energy, and other sources from the environment to thrive."
"And you, Mr. Huang, are an adult black dragon—a well-known extraordinary creature. Your body may have evolved similar abilities, allowing you to actively absorb electrical energy... which is why the robot’s battery pack excites and pleases you."
"Electrical energy?"
The dragon was immensely curious. "That can’t be! I have flesh and blood, clearly a biological creature, not a mechanical lifeform. How could I absorb electricity directly?"
"Mr. Huang, this is a fantasy world—nothing is impossible."
Ding Xuewen smiled. "Electrical energy is a far more direct and pure form of clean energy than biological energy, and a perfect transitional energy. Provided the voltage isn’t too high, many extraordinary creatures can directly absorb and utilize it."
"Is that true?"
The dragon’s eyes widened. "Is this just a theoretical guess, or is there a real case?"
"There is a real case, actually,"
Ding Xuewen replied. "About five months ago, our country apprehended an illegally entering angel of light. At the time, she’d suffered from a lack of oxygen for too long... Oh, slip of the tongue—she suffered from a lack of magical energy, and had fallen into a deep coma. The nearby military hospital rushed to save her."
"Back then, our understanding of angels as extraordinary creatures was limited; we didn’t know their physiology or life form. Conventional medical procedures had no effect. After exhausting all methods, the military hospital declared her devoid of life signs, and she was sent to our Summer Institute of Science as a research specimen."
"We originally planned to dissect her, but Xiao Yu—this very Yu Xiaomin—while reviewing the hospital’s emergency footage, noticed that when doctors used a defibrillator on the angel’s heart, her heart rate showed a slight fluctuation. At the time, no one paid it much attention, assuming it was just the normal effect of the defibrillator’s electrical energy."
"But our Xiao Yu thought differently. He believed that an angel, a creature from myth and legend, would possess extraordinary vitality and wouldn’t die so easily. He suspected the angel was merely in a suspended state, a kind of magical standby."