105 Tentative Contact

During breakfast, Luo Yu kept stealing affectionate glances at Qin Yue, completely oblivious to the many disapproving looks from his father. As soon as the meal ended, he sidled up to Qin Yue and poked his arm. "So... you know why we need dual cultivation now? Trying to be a good Samaritan?"

Qin Yue replied coolly, "Do you have a problem with that?"

Luo Yu tapped his finger thoughtfully. "After all this talk, it still comes down to our spiritual roots being weak... I'm thinking, maybe we could figure out what's going on with the roots. If we could somehow remove a few problematic ones, that would be great."

Qin Yue said blankly, "Is it really as simple as plucking hairs?"

Luo Yu glared. "Do you think I'm an idiot? That's why I'm looking for ways to fix it!"

"Any suggestions?" Qin Yue asked.

Luo Yu hesitated a moment, then said, "Maybe... we could find some experts to study it. Ordinary ones—they'd definitely be interested."

Qin Yue frowned but said nothing.

Luo Yu continued, "We could secretly reach out to some, establish cooperative relationships. Whether or not it succeeds, we should at least try."

Lan Peisi, overhearing their secretive conversation, hid nearby to listen. Expecting insights about dual cultivation, he was surprised to hear this instead. He jumped out and suggested, "Darling, cooperating with them is a great idea! You know, when they're serious, they can accomplish a lot—Dad and Mom are very satisfied with their love nest. Oh, darling, do you know? The bedroom has amazing acoustics—true surround sound! If you're interested, Mommy can lend you the west room to experience it. The floor-to-ceiling windows overlook the rose garden. You can leave them open during intimate moments; the night breeze is so refreshing..." The vampire was enthusiastically indulging in his fantasy when suddenly a wet cloth flew and precisely muffled his mouth. Then they heard Dad's angry roar: "Get over here and wash the dishes!"

Watching the cartoon, Luo Li glanced sadly at her poor mother and shook her head helplessly.

Luo Yu said blankly, "There’s no cure for incurable stupidity."

Qin Yue said, "His suggestion... might not be bad."

Luo Yu was speechless.

Qin Yue did not oppose Luo Yu’s idea and quietly cooperated to prepare the collaboration plan. Luo Yu set his laptop, printer, and books on the study’s coffee table, intending to search for expert information to print and screen, aiming to find a suitable candidate for initial contact. Qin Yue brought over a thick stack of A4 paper to assist as logistics.

Dad frowned upon seeing the mess and asked, "What are you two doing, making such a mess?"

Luo Yu enthusiastically explained everything to his father, who gradually gathered around to listen. Curious, Luo Li interjected, "Isn’t it said in movies that secret departments all sign confidentiality agreements? Their identities are forged, so nothing can be exposed online!"

Luo Yu and Qin Yue exchanged a glance, suddenly conflicted: that made sense. They had always thought the state paid little attention to researching supernatural phenomena, but on second thought... how could that be? Since the founding of the country, when has it ever fallen behind? If they could directly find such institutions, it would be a perfect professional match and save a lot of trouble.

Luo Yu had never considered foreign collaboration. First, foreigners certainly don't know more than they do. Once they discuss with their researchers, they can catch up quickly—the news a few days ago even said foreigners finally succeeded in developing a morale booster for soldiers after years of hard work. If they had breakthroughs in soul research, they wouldn't be focusing on chemical drugs; they'd go straight for mind control. Secondly, why let valuable resources flow abroad? They should nurture their own home turf.

Luo Yu slapped his thigh and told Qin Yue, "Then let's send several reliable lackeys to the secret departments. We must spy out the state secrets!"

Under the morning sun, the city bustled with life.

Zhuang Feitao drove seriously, occasionally checking his watch. It was rush hour, and he worried about being late.

Neighbors saw Zhuang Feitao as a young achiever; by twenty-eight, he was a top executive at a famous domestic electronic technology group. The company headquarters was in a prime industrial park with lawns vast as prairies, making the central building look like a rare gem wasted on such land.

Last night, Zhuang Feitao received a midnight notice from superiors about a meeting this morning, but no details were given.

He was used to receiving time-only notifications, but midnight meeting alerts were rare. His work was generally stable and unremarkable, much like an ordinary office worker.

At the company, Zhuang Feitao parked and entered the bright, simple building, greeting acquaintances and strangers alike with nods and smiles, quickly passing through the lobby and departments until he reached the technical development building.

He swiped his card efficiently, turned left and right while swiping again, and finally arrived at the elevator lobby. The elevator operator smiled at him in greeting. As the doors closed, the rear wall of the elevator silently slid open, revealing a pristine corridor.

Zhuang Feitao nodded to the operator and entered the passage. At the end stood a metal door. He raised his wristwatch to hover near the door; somehow, the wall slid open, revealing a sci-fi looking device.

He placed his palm on it and then pressed his face close, pausing. A mechanical female voice sounded: "Please correctly read the seven-digit number on the screen within ten seconds."

Zhuang Feitao glanced at the random number: "7Y8293X."

"Please enter the elevator within sixty seconds."

The metal door slowly opened, revealing a corridor lined with elevators, each surrounded by a five-square-meter safety zone and fitted with blast-proof glass. Zhuang Feitao headed straight to elevator number five and swiped his card to enter.

Inside, there were no buttons. The doors closed slowly, and he felt a brief sensation of weightlessness beneath his feet, which soon faded. The elevator didn't ascend but descended.

This was his daily route to work, but he had no idea where the other elevators led. The only office gossip he knew was that this site existed before the industrial park was built.

His true identity was not as the public saw him but as a researcher in a subordinate department of the Central Institute of Supernatural Studies.

When the elevator stopped and the doors opened automatically, he saw white walls adorned with an abstract planetary orbit logo. Below was a blue emblem and a line of Chinese characters: "Central Supernatural Institute Soul Research Base."

Zhuang Feitao quickly changed in the locker room and hurried to the conference room. Seven or eight people were already there, most unfamiliar faces. They nodded slightly in greeting. Seeing there were three minutes before the meeting started, Zhuang Feitao took a seat.

Soon, several more entered in single file. Zhuang Feitao casually looked up; leading was Dr. Fu, the base director, followed by a prominent figure often seen on national news.

Dr. Fu briefly introduced the guests, cleared his throat, and spoke with some excitement: "Several of you are comrades from other departments, rarely seen together. We gathered you because... around six o’clock yesterday afternoon, two senior predecessors visited and brought a gift for everyone."

Zhuang Feitao and the others were puzzled: a gift from senior predecessors?

Dr. Fu continued, "What I’m about to say may be hard to believe, but it is true. Those two seniors claim to be cultivators—what ancient legends call immortals..."

Around the room, people exchanged bewildered looks. Zhuang Feitao felt dizzy—no way this was a joke, and Dr. Fu believed it? He was always a materialist. What was going on?

Zhuang Feitao glanced at the prominent guest, who remained composed and unreadable.

Seeing their expressions, Dr. Fu sympathized and said, "Let’s first look at the gift. Don’t get too excited; it won’t harm you." An assistant handed over two plain wooden boxes, unremarkable in appearance. Dr. Fu trembled slightly as he took them, flipped them over, carefully set one aside, then opened the other and took out a small bead, showing it on his palm.

All eyes focused on the bead. It was thumb-sized, translucent with a slight black tint. No one could tell what it was after staring for a while. Just as they were about to ask, Dr. Fu took out a piece of paper and a crystal from the other box.

He placed the crystal on the paper. After about ten seconds, the paper began to glow faintly, with what looked like flowing script appearing.

Everyone’s eyes widened. What kind of chemical reaction was this?

Dr. Fu judged it ready, placed the bead on the floor, and covered it with the glowing paper. Suddenly, hair-raising phenomena occurred—the bead started to move, slowly inflating as if blown by air, growing hands, feet, and a head, finally becoming an ambiguous figure. Its body was more transparent than the bead, with bulging eyes tilting its head as it observed everyone.

"Ah!" a woman from the mysterious zoology research department screamed. "What is that?" She had a vague guess but dared not shout it out.

Dr. Fu smiled warmly, "This is the complete quasi-soul we've been searching for!"

The first tentative contact was complete.