Chinese Superman

"That's right."

Mr. Qian slowly got up and walked to the huge virtual window.

The main body of the base is buried deep underground, and the rolling green hills outside the window are just a high-precision simulation of the scenery, but it is enough to fool people into thinking it is real.

"Without the nine-fold gene lock, those who covet him would think—since they can't control or replicate him completely, they could at least extract his blood and cells to research so-called 'super gene agents,' right?"

Mr. Qian turned around and glanced at Commissioner Chen and Zhao Mingyuan.

In fact, the base had originally planned to do so as well.

The main reason is that super gene drugs are of such great significance.

"Now it's all good. Even Tianhe-7 takes two thousand years to calculate, so who in this world can even think about getting their hands on his blood? Forcibly extracting and studying it would only result in a bunch of encrypted, useless base sequences."

"The nine-fold gene lock not only locked his secrets, but also locked away the delusions of countless greedy people."

Commissioner Chen suddenly realized: "So this has become his strongest protective shell!"

"Exactly."

Old Qian nodded, a long-lost look of relaxation appearing on his face.

"This child can grow up safely at the base without constantly worrying about being used as a 'human drug' by certain forces. No matter how far those hidden hands reach, they can only sigh helplessly in the face of the genetic lock."

"But Mr. Qian..."

Commissioner Chen frowned slightly.

"He's already in the core area of ​​the base, isn't he safe? Who on earth has such a long reach that they can get in here?"

Instead of answering directly, Qian Lao asked, "Chen Mo, do you know Li Bai's poem 'Spending the Night at a Mountain Temple'?"

Commissioner Chen was taken aback. Although he didn't understand, he still replied, "Old Qian is joking. Who doesn't know this poem?"

"Um……"

Qian Xuesen gazed at the distant mountains outside the virtual window, his tone complex: "Some people stand too high, unable to see the people below, and have forgotten where their roots are. The base may be impregnable, but what about the people's hearts? What about their ideals? What about their beliefs?"

He turned to look at Commissioner Chen: "Spiritual energy is reviving, relics are manifesting their power, and reborn individuals are appearing in the world... The world is about to change."

"In the face of great changes, people's hearts are the most unpredictable. What we need to protect is not only this child, but also all living beings in this era of great change."

Commissioner Chen solemnly replied, "I understand."

"Notify all departments to implement the original S-level protection plan. All research contact must be gentle, focusing on observation and acclimatization," Qian Xuesen concluded. "The focus of scientific research should be appropriately shifted towards that 'starship'."

"If we can conquer it, the Southern Heavenly Gate Plan will no longer be just empty talk."

"yes!"

Zhao Mingyuan put away the documents and left the office with Commissioner Chen.

After the door closed, Mr. Qian stood alone in front of the holographic projection, staring at the rotating nine-fold gene lock, remaining silent for a long time.

Time flies, and a year has passed in the blink of an eye.

Somewhere in the base, in an open-air courtyard with a reinforced glass dome, the sun shines brightly.

One-year-old Xia Xinghan stands in the center of the courtyard.

He looked a whole head taller than other children his age, and despite his small size, he stood very steadily and straight.

Her delicate, sculpted face had lost its baby fat, and her features were beginning to show their handsome contours, especially her pair of azure eyes, which were so clear that they seemed to reflect the entire sky.

Over the past year, he has led a regular and fulfilling life.

He receives a carefully designed early childhood education program from Lin Tingwan every day, as well as a daily "sunbathing" session. Nourished by the sun, his body is growing at an astonishing rate.

Although it's far from the exaggerated level of Superman being able to lift a car as an infant in the comics, he can clearly sense the steady leap in strength, speed, and perception.

In terms of strength, he can easily lift an 800-kilogram barbell; in terms of speed, he can easily break the nine-second barrier in a 100-meter sprint, his figure so fast that it leaves a trail of afterimages; his perception is also excellent, he can hear the staff talking in hushed tones at the end of the corridor, and he can see the very fine textures on the walls.

Regarding superpowers, other signature abilities have not yet awakened, but some of the ability to see through things has. Although it cannot see through bones and internal organs like an X-ray, it can still see through thin clothing and fabric.

When Xia Xinghan first awakened his X-ray vision ability, he couldn't control it freely and inevitably saw Lin Tingwan completely naked.

However, Xia Xinghan did not reveal all of these things.

Holding back means keeping your cards close to your chest; showing off means demonstrating your value.

Being an alien mascot is certainly safe, but to get more resources allocated to you, you must prove your potential and value.

It's worth mentioning that after Xia Xinghan learned to speak, he revealed his real name, and they weren't too surprised.

At this moment, Lin Tingwan was standing not far from Qian Lao in the courtyard, and she was giving Qian Lao a brief report of her notes:

"In terms of language ability, he has mastered all commonly used words and can make complex logical expressions; his motor skills far exceed the standard of his peers, and his motor coordination is no less than that of an adult; his cognitive test score is..."

Mr. Qian listened quietly, his gaze fixed on the small figure in the courtyard.

"Seven months to sit, eight months to crawl, one year to walk and talk—these are the norm for intelligent babies," Old Qian said slowly. "But someone like him... is truly one of a kind."

Lin Tingwan hesitated for a moment: "Old Qian, your suggestion last time to send him to the 'Opening Heaven Class' to receive systematic training with Xiang Xiaohu and the others... wasn't that too early? He's only one year old."

"One year old?" Old Qian smiled meaningfully. "Listen to this, he accepted the challenge of being a five-year-old 'wielder'."

Lin Tingwan was a little reluctant to part with him, saying that Xia Xinghan was still young, only one year old.

In the field.

Standing opposite Xia Xinghan was a boy who looked about four or five years old.

His name is Xiang Xiaohu. He has a tiger-like face, thick eyebrows and big eyes. His physique is exceptionally strong for his age. His custom-made small-sized training clothes are stretched taut by his muscles.

The most eye-catching thing was the ancient bronze tripod-shaped pendant hanging on his chest.

The cauldron was about the size of a baby's fist, simple yet exquisite, exuding a sense of weight and age.

Xia Xinghan knew the origin of the pendant.

A month ago, this father and son came to the base—the father is a famous folk martial artist in Northwest China, and the son has superhuman strength. It is said that their ancestors can be traced back to a branch of the Xiang family during the Chu-Han period.

More importantly, they handed over a "relic":

A legendary ancient Qin and Han dynasty bronze tripod that Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, once lifted.

According to the base's appraisal, this cauldron is indeed genuine and has begun to "revive." It is mysterious and extraordinary, capable of changing size and weight, and its holder can gain the power to support the heavens.

Its name is... Overlord Cauldron!

Xiang Xiaohu is the current "suitable candidate" for the Overlord Cauldron.

"So, you're the new guy who wants to challenge me?" Xia Xinghan said, his hands behind his back, chin slightly raised, his tone mature and sophisticated.

Lin Tingwan, watching from the sidelines, couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle.

Xiang Xiaohu frowned and said in a deep voice, "Wang Nezha, don't blame me for bullying you. If I hurt you, don't cry."

Because Mr. Qian was worried about the discovery of artifacts related to black magic and curses in Southeast Asia, he classified Xia Xinghan's real name as a top secret and used the name he was given to him by his adoptive parents.

"Don't worry, it won't happen."

Xia Xinghan had one hand behind his back and extended his other small, fair hand, hooking his fingers together. "You...bring it on."