Chapter 15: The Technology Tree of the 'Oracle Civilization'

There was a deathly silence in the connection room.

Everyone stared blankly at the main screen, where the simulated image had instantly cut off into a sea of static, and at the vital signs monitor beside it, where various data points had spiked to the limit and then plummeted rapidly.

"Beep—beep—beep—"

A piercing alarm rang throughout the Command Center.

"Comrade Lin Yuan's heart has stopped! Brainwave activity has dropped to the minimum! Vital signs are disappearing!"

The Head of the Medical Team screamed, their voice filled with panic.

"Defibrillator! Adrenaline! Hurry!"

"Director Chen! Academician Wang! We... we might lose him!"

The entire Command Center was in chaos.

"Everyone calm down!" Chen Weiguo roared, his face livid.

His voice was like a thunderclap, instantly suppressing all the chaos.

He strode over to the connection chair, looking at Lin Yuan, whose face was as pale as paper and who had completely stopped breathing, a flash of pain and determination crossing his eyes.

"Academician Wang! How is the 'pangu system' coming along?"

Academician Wang was also sweating profusely at this moment, staring intently at his computer screen, where countless lines of code were flashing rapidly.

"Almost there! The risk of the forced neural awakening program is too high; the success rate is less than 30%!"

"We can't worry about that now!" Chen Weiguo roared. "If he dies, all our efforts will be in vain! Execute Plan B!"

"Plan B?" Academician Wang froze for a moment, then realized what he meant, a look of horror appearing on his face. "Director, that's just a theoretical hypothesis! We haven't conducted any experiments at all! Injecting system energy directly into his brain, what if..."

"There are no 'what ifs'!" Chen Weiguo grabbed Academician Wang by the collar, his eyes bloodshot. "The system in his brain is his only hope for survival! We have to gamble! Execute it immediately!"

Meeting Chen Weiguo's unquestionable gaze, Academician Wang gritted his teeth, turned around, and roared at his assistants: "Activate the 'pangu system'! Initiate the energy docking program! Target: Comrade Lin Yuan's 'deep space salvage system'!"

"Yes!"

Meanwhile, Lin Yuan's consciousness was floating in an endless void of darkness and cold.

Am I... dead?

That was his only thought.

He could not feel his body, could not feel anything, only an extreme, eternal loneliness.

After being electrocuted last time, he still had the sensation of being soaked in warm water, but this time, there was nothing. It was as if he had been completely erased by the world.

That "Void Devourer" was too terrifying. That final blow, although he wasn't completely devoured, the impact alone was enough to shatter his "soul."

It's over, this time it's really over.

He had one hundred million in savings and hadn't even had the chance to spend a single cent.

He had just started living a good life, and now it was gone just like that.

If he had known, he wouldn't have been so greedy. He should have listened to the experts and just honestly picked up scrap...

Just as Lin Yuan's consciousness was about to dissipate completely, a cold, emotionless, synthesized mechanical voice rang out stubbornly from the deepest part of his consciousness.

【Detected host's mental fluctuations are extremely weak, on the verge of extinction.】

【Detected external high-purity bio-electrical energy injection... Beginning absorption...】

【Energy reserves: -1500 / 200】

【Warning: Energy reserve is negative, system is about to collapse.】

【Absorbing external energy... -1450 / 200... -1300 / 200...】

This voice was like a straw in the darkness, allowing Lin Yuan's consciousness, which was about to scatter, to re-condense a little.

System? The system is still here?

I... can I still be saved?

He tried his best to focus all his remaining consciousness on that voice.

Meanwhile, in the outside world, in the connection room, Academician Wang was yelling at the computer with all his might.

"Increase the energy output! 20%! 30%! His brainwaves are reacting! They're reacting!"

"Steady! Keep the energy output steady! Don't let it get too high, or it will fry his brain!"

Several extra probes, flickering with blue electric arcs, extended from the headrest of the connection chair and pressed precisely against Lin Yuan's temples. Streams of precisely calculated bio-electricity were continuously being injected into his brain.

Lin Yuan felt a warm "spring" full of vitality nourishing his nearly parched "soul."

In his mind, the system interface's energy reserves were climbing upward from a negative number at a slow but steady pace.

【-500 / 200】

【-100 / 200】

【0 / 200】

【50 / 200】

The moment the energy reserve turned from negative to positive, Lin Yuan felt his entire "soul" jolt, and his connection to his body was instantly restored!

"Cough! Cough, cough!"

On the connection chair, Lin Yuan, who had been in a state of death, suddenly coughed violently and snapped his eyes open.

He gasped for air, like a drowning person who had finally taken their first breath of fresh air.

"He's alive! He's come back to life!"

"Heartbeat restored! Blood pressure returned to normal!"

"Brainwave activity is recovering rapidly!"

In the Command Center, an earth-shattering cheer erupted.

Everyone excitedly hugged each other, and many young researchers even wept with joy.

Watching the normal vital sign curves on the big screen, Chen Weiguo and Academician Wang's legs went weak, and they both collapsed onto the floor.

Those few short minutes just now had been more thrilling than anything they had experienced in their entire lives.

"Quick... quickly help Comrade Lin Yuan down!" Academician Wang gasped, shouting to the medical personnel.

Lin Yuan was helped down from the chair by several doctors. His body was still very weak and soaked in cold sweat, but his eyes were exceptionally bright.

He looked around, seeing the scientists flushed with excitement, and Chen Weiguo and Academician Wang sitting on the floor, and he grinned, revealing a pale smile.

"Chief, Academician Wang... I... I'm back."

His voice was hoarse but full of strength.

Academician Wang struggled to stand up, walked quickly to him, grabbed his hand, and was so excited he couldn't speak.

"It's good that you're back... it's good that you're back..."

"Comrade Lin Yuan," Chen Weiguo also walked over. Although his voice remained dignified, it carried an unmaskable tremor. "How do you feel? Is anything uncomfortable?"

"My head still hurts a little, but it's much better than last time." Lin Yuan shook his head, and then his eyes became incredibly intense. "Chief, Academician Wang, guess... what I brought back?"

Everyone was stunned.

That's right! What was the result of this salvage mission?

Everyone's gaze subconsciously turned toward the materialization platform in the center of the connection room.

There, in the center of the platform, lay a palm-sized object, made entirely of blue crystal and resembling a USB drive.

Its surface flowed with a faint radiance, full of a mysterious sense of technology.

Although the drone had suffered a fatal blow at the very last moment of the return trip, this treasure in its possession had been brought back intact!

"The data core! It's that data core!"

A scientist exclaimed.

Academician Wang's eyes instantly turned red. He rushed over like a gust of wind, put on the sterile gloves that had been prepared long ago, and carefully, as if holding a sacred object, cradled the data core in his palms.

"We succeeded... we really succeeded..." he muttered to himself, tears streaming down his face.

For this tiny chip, they had almost lost Lin Yuan, and lost the future hope of this country.

But now it seemed that all the risks had been worth it!

Lin Yuan looked at Academician Wang, who was as excited as a child, and leaning on the medical personnel, he said weakly but with immense pride:

"I brought it... the technology tree of the 'Oracle Civilization'... back for you all!"

This sentence, like a bombshell, exploded in the entire Command Center!