Break out of the courtyard

"Did Peace invite a lot of people today?" Old Hua frowned as he looked at the vehicles blocking the road ahead and the dozens of Hong Kong police officers maintaining traffic order.

Director Wang, sitting in the passenger seat, replied, "I heard they only invited a few outsiders, such as the He and Guo families; after all, they were just casual acquaintances."

"Then these people..." Old Hua's brows relaxed a little, but the doubt on his face remained.

Director Wang vaguely guessed something, but instead of directly responding to Old Man Hua in the back seat, he opened the car window and asked a Hong Kong policeman who was walking over. Only then did he confirm that the vehicles that had been stopped in front were all people who wanted to go to the Zhang family's house on the mountain without invitations.

When the Hong Kong police saw Director Wang take out the invitation, they smiled helplessly and said, "We are currently directing traffic ahead, please wait patiently."

Although there were many vehicles ahead, they were not stuck in traffic, but were moving forward slowly.

In particular, when a group of bodyguards in black appeared ahead and occasionally approached each of the Peace brand cars to ask them a question, the congested vehicles ahead gradually sped up and left.

When Director Wang and his entourage arrived at Renheyi Community, they were greeted by Tang Ming and Zhang Bing. Hua Lao asked, "Is Heping still in the laboratory?"

Tang Ming assumed that the other party was unhappy that Zhang Heping hadn't come to greet him personally, so he hurriedly explained, "Heping is currently conducting a virtual dream multiplayer game experiment in Pingba. Please forgive him."

It's no wonder Tang Ming was so cautious, since among the people who came today, besides Elder Hua and Old Lady Zheng, there were also Elder Li, Elder Nie, and others.

Zhang Bing didn't think much of it until Director Wang introduced him, at which point he stepped forward to shake hands and get to know Old Nie and the others.

"Let's go see what kind of experiment Heping is doing!" Old Hua called out and took the lead towards the villa area.

A large crowd had gathered on the flat ground, all watching the eight oval-shaped black capsule game pods standing diagonally in the middle of the flat ground.

These gaming pods were made by Zhang Long and Zhang Hu in Shenzhen yesterday.

After being transported back to Hong Kong Island, Zhang Heping and his children worked through the night to install the brain-computer interface, the golden circuit, and the multi-species gene regeneration brain server surrounded by eight capsule game pods.

Although current brain-computer interfaces have not yet broken free from the limitations of biological brains, Zhang Heping has used regenerative repair fluid combined with gene technology to create multi-species gene regeneration brains, which greatly improves the brainwave storage capacity of biological brain servers.

Of course, there is a risk in doing this: it could easily create an unprecedented genetic fusion monster.

However, Zhang Heping's multi-species gene regeneration brain has a major flaw, or rather, a limitation!

That means if you don't provide it with brain nutrition fluid, it will go into cerebral shock after 2 hours and be completely brain dead after 8 hours.

Therefore, Zhang Heping is not afraid of this regenerating brain causing trouble. As long as artificial intervention measures are set up in the nutrient solution supply, he is not afraid of it causing any problems.

Corresponding to the high risks, the advantages of multi-species gene regeneration of the brain are also obvious.

One of its advantages is that it can simultaneously accept brainwaves from related genetic species without creating a chaotic stream of consciousness.

When Hua Lao and his group arrived at the edge of the crowd, they happened to see the upper parts of the eight oval black capsule game pods rise up, revealing eight young men and women who were either excited or bewildered.

"Get ready for the next batch!" Zhang Bei shouted from the sidelines.

Then Zhang Nuo excitedly stepped forward and replaced Zhang Hu, who had just stepped out of the game pod and looked like he hadn't had enough.

Next, seven young men and women quickly walked around Zhangbei and headed towards the game pod.

The other seven people who had just exited the game pod were quickly pulled out of the circle by the people on the outside and asked about their experience.

"I just chose the warrior with the big sword, but before I could even get used to the weapon, I was bitten to death by the monsters that invaded the village!"

"Does it really hurt to be bitten by a monster?"

"It hurt! It hurt so much! It felt like being torn apart by a monster! But before I died from the pain, an invisible force pulled me into the air, and I watched as hordes of monsters invaded the village. By the way, you absolutely must choose a mage when you go in; mages can cast area-of-effect spells!"

Listening to the young people's discussion, Hua Lao, with Tang Ming clearing the way, went straight to the parasol where Zhang Heping, Chairman He, and others were.

Zhang Heping was wearing gold-rimmed glasses and leaning back in a plastic chair with his eyes closed. He didn't get up when Hua Lao and the others came over.

Unlike Zhang Heping, who hurriedly stood up to shake hands and greet Elder Hua and his group upon their arrival, Chairman He and the others did not dare to do so.

"Grandma Zheng, Grandpa Hua, Grandpa Li..." Zhang Bei greeted them as he and his younger siblings came over.

Finally, he explained to the visitor that his father was controlling the biological brain server and it was inconvenient for him to speak at this time.

Elder Hua asked softly, "Won't our conversation here interfere with the peace experiment?"

"Just don't touch my dad!" Zhang Bei smiled and said, "His attention is all on the game pod right now. If you're in a hurry to talk to him, you can try going into the game."

"You brat!" Director Wang said irritably, "We just heard that there are monsters in this game, and getting bitten by one hurts terribly!"

Zhang Bei said nonchalantly, "After you enter the game, you can ask my dad to pause the monster attack on the village, it's as simple as pausing a video playback."

As they were talking, Ma Xiuzhen, Xu Jiefeng, Tang Xin, Chen Shuting, Zhang Zhaodi and others who were sitting at the other end quickly came over to greet Hua Lao, Zheng Laotai and their group.

Zhang Heping didn't spend too long on his side. He just let the young people from the Tang, He, Guo, and Bao families experience it, so that they would be loyal to the Heping Group and work together to promote the development of virtual dream games in the future.

As the last group of young people left the game pod, Zhang Heping removed the miniature brain-computer interface surrounding the multi-species gene regeneration brain, physically and mentally isolating it in a glass jar.

If even with these preventative measures, it still manages to cause trouble, Zhang Heping will become even more interested in researching it.

"Mr. Zheng! Mr. Hua..." Zhang Heping took off his gold-rimmed glasses, rubbed his nose, and greeted them, "I was testing new equipment just now, please forgive me for any delay!"

“What do you mean by forgiveness!” Old Hua sat on the plastic chair, pointed at Old Li, Old Nie and others, and said, “You know Old Nie and Old Qin, they are just here in Hong Kong for the first time.”

"By the way, what's the deal with your gaming setup? I heard from those young people over there that there are monsters, warriors, mages, and stuff like that."

Zhang Heping laughed and said, "Why don't you go in and experience it? I'll reduce the number of monsters and give you some more guns."

"Any gun will do!" Old Nie stood up with great interest. "I heard from Old Qian yesterday that this kind of virtual dream game can theoretically assist in training soldiers in the army, navy, and air force. I have to try it myself today!"

Old Li also stood up and said with a smile, "If it can really help train soldiers, we should apply for an urgent budget for the purchase of virtual dream game equipment before the new year, so that the budget is not taken up by other weapons and equipment."

Seeing that Elder Hua and Elder Qin had also been pulled over, Zhang Heping smiled and said to Grandma Zheng and Director Wang, "Would you two like to give it a try?"

“Teaching students in virtual dream worlds is as efficient as students reviewing what they have learned during the day before going to bed. It is three to four times more efficient than learning in the real world. We will definitely promote it to schools and students in the future.”

When Grandma Zheng heard that it was related to students, she stood up with a smile, saying, "If it's related to students' studies, I really have to experience it for myself."

Zhang Heping put on his gold-rimmed glasses and smiled as he gestured for his children to help the group of elderly people into the game pods. Then, out of sight of outsiders, Zhang Heping used his mental power to reposition the miniature brain-computer interface around the multi-species gene regeneration brain and activated the nutrient solution circulation of the regeneration brain server.

When Mr. Hua and Mrs. Zheng entered the newbie village in the virtual dream game, there were no options like warriors or mages; instead, there were boxes of guns and ammunition placed all around them.

From the earlier Mauser C96 and Type 38 rifles to the newer stun guns and pulse cannons, they have the choice.

With modern weapons at their disposal, Elder Hua and Elder Zheng were able to fight to their hearts' content among the monsters.

Therefore, when they left the game pod, they didn't feel the confusion or existential doubt that the younger generation had shown before.

As noon approached, Zhang Heping instructed his bodyguards to remove the central game pods and transport them all to the third basement level.

Because there were outsiders present, Mr. Hua, Mr. Li, and others did not rush to get down to business. They asked about the current development of Hong Kong Island, the communications infrastructure in the United States, and the security situation in Southeast Asian countries. They chatted about all sorts of things until Chairman He, the shipping magnate Bao, and others took their leave.

Even the Tang family, young and old, knew that Elder Hua and his group had come to see Zhang Heping on important business, so they each found an excuse to leave.

However, just as Mr. Hua was about to say something, Zhang Heping invited them to the basement.

Mr. Hua and Director Wang had tried to visit Zhang Heping's laboratory in the basement several times before without success. This time, they were surprised when Zhang Heping took the initiative to extend an invitation. How could Mr. Hua and Director Wang not be overjoyed?

"The basement is full of junk!" Zhang Heping said casually as he led the way, trying to dispel the curiosity of Elder Qin and Elder Li.

"The second basement level is now Xiao Bei and his friends' game room," Zhang Heping said casually, clearly not intending to give them a tour.

When the group arrived at the third basement level, they did not see the spacious, open-plan area or the armory that the intelligence had described.

What came into their view was a long, narrow laboratory filled with all sorts of equipment, tool tables, and supply boxes.

It is described as long and narrow because the passageway in the middle of the laboratory is only wide enough for one person to pass through at a time.

If two people are walking past each other, one of them must stand in the gap between the equipment or tool table next to them so that the other person can pass.

Another point is that the laboratory is built between two rows of load-bearing columns, which is too long and narrow compared to the space outside the laboratory.

Zhang Heping led them to the open space outside this long and narrow laboratory, a small area of ​​which was occupied by eight capsule game pods.

Hua Lao and Director Wang glanced around and looked at each other, both of them seeing doubt in each other's eyes, as if they were asking, "Wasn't there supposed to be an armory downstairs?"

"We can talk in the virtual dream world!" Zhang Heping gestured for the group to join him.

Having previously fought monsters with guns, Elder Hua and Elder Li knew how to enter the game pod and play the game.

However, this time it's not about going in to play games, but rather a disguised form of negotiation.

To the surprise of Mr. Hua, Mrs. Zheng, and the others, they were certain that Zhang Heping had not entered the game pods, because all eight game pods had been occupied by their group.

But Zhang Heping's figure, just like theirs, appeared in this Central European-style village.

However, the next second, Zhang Heping waved his right hand, and the surroundings instantly transformed into Zhang's living room.

"Please have a seat, everyone!" Zhang Heping greeted them, then found a private sofa to sit on first. He then prepared a tea set and, as if by magic, manipulated the tea set and kettle to brew tea.

"I didn't have time to look around properly while I was playing the game!" Old Hua touched the bumps, dents, and textures on the back of the sofa, went around to the back of the sofa, and touched the green potted plants again, without sitting down on the sofa.

The other old men were just as curious as Hua Lao, but only Grandma Zheng and Director Wang sat down on the single sofa next to Zhang Heping.

Grandma Zheng patted the sofa armrest, feeling its texture and rebound force, and exclaimed, "I feel that this place is exactly the same as the real world, not at all like a dream!"

Old Nie walked to the television, picked up the remote control from the TV cabinet below, and tried to turn it on, but failed. Then he looked for the power plug and socket. "Advisor Zhang, if I pinch my thigh or get an electric shock, will I wake up from this dream?"

"If you want to leave here, concentrate on recalling what you were doing before you came in, and you will wake up in reality."

No sooner had these words been spoken than the three men, Elder Nie, Elder Qin, and Elder Kong, who were originally in the living room, vanished from their spot.

After about ten seconds, the three of them entered the dream again and came to this living room.

"Peace!" Director Wang asked in confusion, "Last time I wore that helmet and turned into a mosquito, I could still vaguely feel my body in reality. Why can't I feel it this time?"

Zhang Heping explained with a smile, "I only accessed the Frog Brain Server before; I didn't put you to sleep."

"Now you are in a light sleep. If someone touches you or calls you, you will wake up immediately."

"Once we add nutrient solution and sleep aids to the game pod to help players enter deep sleep, they won't wake up so easily."

After speaking, Zhang Heping separated the nine cups of tea that he had just brewed, took one for himself, and floated the other eight cups to the other people.

"Try the tea to see if it's too hot!" Zhang Heping said with a smile, and then began to taste the tea.

After the other eight people had finished their tea, Zhang Heping smiled and said, "The tea I drank tastes like Pu'er tea. What kind of tea did you drink?"

"Pu'er tea?" Director Wang looked at the remaining tea in the cup with doubt. "I thought it was Da Hong Pao, and it tastes like Da Hong Pao."

"The tea I'm drinking tastes like pre-rain Longjing!" Old Li said, also full of doubt.

"Jasmine tea." Old Mrs. Zheng smiled and put down her teacup, asking, "Is there any secret to it?"

Zhang Heping laughed and said, "I just want to tell you all that when you touch the objects around you and find that these tea sets are used for brewing tea, your brains are deceiving yourselves."

"Alright, everyone, what brings you here today?"

After he finished speaking, the surrounding space changed again, and the group suddenly found themselves standing on the Great Wall, where the wind was howling and the surroundings were covered in a blanket of white snow.

"It's so cold!" Director Wang couldn't help but shiver.

The next second, they were wearing military overcoats and dog-skin hats.

Faced with such a change, Elder Hua and his companions finally stopped trying to observe the surroundings.

Then Old Li said, "Advisor Zhang, we'd like to transfer Comrade Zhang Zhaodi to Shenzhen. What do you think?"

...(End of chapter)