Technological practice: leading the human race to the stars

Chapter 144 Expedient Measures
"I suffered a heavy loss this time."

Dai Hui leaned forward and knelt on one knee, not daring to face the figure in front of him, trying to guess his master's intentions in his heart.

"You have gained a lot."

The master gradually turned around and squatted in front of him. He grabbed his chin with one hand and looked at him carefully.

It was also the first time for him to truly meet the Lord. Of course, it was not because of anything else, but because he had crossed the threshold to the peak level.

The master was wearing a white robe, with long white hair and beard, and his face was full of wrinkles carved by time, which seemed like they would break at the slightest touch.

"Forget it." The old man in white robe let go of his hand, stood up and shook his white robe. "You two were also selected by me from the orphanage. Go to the Organization Department to register. From now on, you can follow Huihua."

The old man in white robe looked at him and gradually lowered his head. He felt helpless about his cowardly character, so he waved his hand and let him leave first.

Just as Dai Hui left, another person walked out from behind the door. This person's aura was even stronger than the old man, and his strength was probably higher than the old man's.

"This may be the last help your father can bring to you. This person is extremely talented, a gem covered in dust."

"Ah."

"I'm going to be in seclusion for a while, so I'll leave some of the affairs of the martial arts school to you."

Huihua did not respond. He did not believe that his father would be so kind as to hand over his power.

"I know you've been brooding over your mother's affairs. I'll explain it to you if I have a chance."

The old man in white robe forced out a rare smile and smiled at his son.

But all he got in response was a figure that gradually disappeared into the air and a serious face that was so cold and inhuman.

The old man in white robe turned his head, his face full of bitterness. He had been pursuing it for most of his life, but he still couldn't let it go?
The old man in white robes stepped into a secret room and put on a hood: "How long do I have left to live?"

"About half a year, and each level of progress can extend it by about half a year." A figure walked out of the shadows, and his cold words made people shiver.

The outline of the figure gradually emerged. He was wearing a black robe and had a hideous face. He had no eyes, no nose, only a huge grinning mouth.

The ruined face was covered with criss-crossing scars, the most conspicuous of which were two lightning-shaped scars extending from the forehead to the neck.

Those scars were like the marks of hellfire, deeply embedded in his skin, and the rough edges told of the endless purgatory he had experienced.

His eyeless face was like a sharp winter blade, as if it could penetrate the human soul and reach the depths of fear. Even the battle-hardened old man couldn't help but tremble in his heart.

His figure was as light as a ghost, with a strong outline under the black robe. His body, tempered by countless bloody battles, faintly exuded the breath of death.

Every step he took towards the old man was accompanied by a suffocating feeling of oppression, and his momentum was increasing little by little.

The white and black ones confronted each other like this, and the momentum of both sides gradually reached its peak.

"Cooperation!" Black Hawk's voice was low and hoarse, carrying an irresistible chill.

The old man in white robes relaxed: "Do you still want me to cooperate with you?"

The man in black robe smiled coldly, the cold light in his eyes became stronger: "Because only you are qualified."

"But……"

"No buts!" The black-robed man lifted his cloak, revealing the scar running down his neck. "We have done enough for you. You should repay us."

The old man in white robe looked at the demon in front of him who was reborn in revenge and pain, and a look of sarcasm appeared on his face.

"Zhang Zhiying, I can promise you that I will tell the organization some secrets about the Machinery City."

Black Hawk hesitated for a moment, seemingly not reacting: "It's been a long time since anyone called me that."

"This is the blueprint of the machinery city in Province S. I haven't sorted out the others yet. Let's contact each other next time."

The old man in white robe ignored his question and threw a stack of blueprints drawn on parchment. "You have this kind of antique too." Black Hawk took the blueprints and flipped them open to take a look.

"Our technology was not that advanced back then. The entire human civilization was cornered by the source beasts, and resources were extremely scarce. You knew that until the alien ruins were discovered."

"Who doesn't understand this history? What I want is information, such as the contract you signed with the King of Source Beasts."

The old man in white robes looked at him intriguingly. "The contract is a secret among secrets, and only a very few people know about it. If you really want this information, I'm afraid we need further cooperation."

Black Hawk sneered, trying to intimidate him: "Further cooperation? Do you really think I'm here to discuss cooperation? What do you think our relationship is now? You should know that I have plenty of ways to make you tell me everything."

"Despite the threats, I'm afraid your leader doesn't know that your son Zhang Xiao is still alive. And I'm not the only one who knows your true identity. If I die, there's no guarantee what news will appear outside."

"Are you threatening me!?"

"No, I just want to cooperate with you. This is what you have been told to do. It is your only choice."

Black Hawk was silent for a moment, as if he was really weighing the pros and cons: "Don't play tricks on me, we can continue."

"I understand. For our respective goals, there is no reason for me not to cooperate."

"Okay then. We will continue to help you find a suitable ligand, and we will also provide the necessary resources for the consciousness transfer surgery experiment."

"Then I'll tell you part of it first." The old man in white robe paused, weighing his words, "Those contracts are not simple transactions, but a game between us and the King of Source Beasts. In that game, we paid a heavy price in exchange for temporary relative peace."

"That's it?"

"That depends on what you can bring to me. You've been busy for several years, but you only found Yuan Ze, the ligand?"

"Do you want to take a look at your conditions and how harsh that damn consciousness transfer surgery is! He is the only experimental subject who did not completely lose his self-awareness under my fear!"

"I don't care. If I die like this, I will take these secrets with me."

The old man in white robe opened a book and looked at it as if no one was around. This gesture was clearly a command to leave.

"you!!!"

The man in black robe was obviously a little angry, but he didn't dare to vent it on the old man who was inferior to him in strength.

He was still very clear-headed. After so many years of contact, he knew that the old man's understanding of consciousness was second to none.

If the two of them started fighting, I'm afraid that before I could get any useful information out, this guy would erase the secrets in my mind.

And no matter from which angle you consider it, it is not worth it to fight with an old man who is about to die.

"I hope that after the consciousness transfer operation is successful, you can give me the necessary information."

"Happy cooperation!"

Black Hawk gritted his teeth, added these four words, turned around and disappeared into the darkness, leaving the old man alone in the secret room.

After the old man confirmed that he had left, he closed the book, stood up, lifted his sleeves, walked to a row of bookshelves, and gently pushed open a hidden door, revealing an even more secret room.

The technology in this room is obviously beyond the current level of human beings. No one could have imagined that this place is actually connected to an alien relic.

He wrote the data into the console and then lay down in a hibernation chamber. His body continued to decay rapidly, and then his consciousness was written into a slightly newer body.

"The body decays faster."

The old man put on a white robe and tapped his cheek. Tiny cracks appeared on his face little by little.

"I estimate that it can only last for a year at most. We need to quickly advance the research on consciousness transfer."

(End of this chapter)