I started with a portal, then turned around and handed it over to the nation.

Another researcher looked at the petri dish and the spectrometer, his voice trembling:

"No highly pathogenic viruses or superbugs targeting humans were found in the sample. Although some unknown fungal spores were present, they were all within the controllable range of the normal immune system."

"In other words..."

The lab director removed his goggles, revealing a pair of bloodshot but unusually bright eyes: "In that world, we can survive directly."

"This is not just a resource point."

He looked at the green "Safe" sign on the screen and said softly, "This is... my second home."

"Quickly! Report to command immediately!"

……

Central Command Center.

Zhao Zhenguo sat in the main seat, with several cigarette butts already accumulated in the ashtray beside him.

Although the soldiers returned, he never let his guard down.

He was waiting, waiting for the lab report.

That was the key to determining the future direction of the "Tianmen Project".

If a deadly virus is brought back, the portal must be permanently sealed.

"Ring ring—"

The red secure telephone on the table suddenly rang.

Zhao Zhenguo's fingers paused for a moment, then he quickly grabbed the microphone: "This is Zhao Zhenguo."

Professor Sun Dehai's almost roaring voice came from the other end of the phone; it was a loss of composure after excitement.

"General! It's safe! Completely safe!"

"The air is breathable! There are no deadly germs! It's a perfect, terrestrial-like ecosystem! The air quality is even better than here!"

Zhao Zhenguo's knuckles, which were gripping the microphone, turned slightly white.

He took a deep breath, his chest heaving violently, and then exhaled heavily.

"it is good."

He hung up the phone, stood up abruptly, and his previously serious face was now radiant, as if he had instantly become ten years younger.

He looked around at the staff officers and technicians who were also waiting anxiously, and said in a loud voice:

"Pass on my orders!"

"First, remove the primary isolation of the specimen and proceed with the regular research procedure."

"Second, inform Professor Sun that I need to see the video footage from that world. Now, immediately!"

"Retrieve all the data from the combat recorders. I want to see for myself what that world really looks like!"

"yes!"

The entire command center instantly sprang into action.

Several technical officers were rapidly operating the control panel.

"Data transmission in progress..."

"Decrypting the tactical recorder..."

"The video source has been synchronized to the main screen."

The huge command screen flickered and then split into more than a dozen small windows, each representing the first-person perspective of a special operations soldier.

"Start playing," Zhao Zhenguo ordered.

The screen started flickering.

It was footage of a march, and the technicians played it at double speed.

The screen flashes by through a dense primeval jungle, filled with enormous ferns and eerie glowing moss.

Even when fast-forwarded, the wild and exotic atmosphere from that otherworldly place is still very strong.

"stop."

Zhao Zhenguo suddenly spoke up: "Slow down, is this... an encounter?"

The video speed has returned to normal.

This is Long Fei's perspective.

The camera shook violently, accompanied by heavy breathing and gunshots.

On the screen, a minotaur, over two meters tall and with bulging muscles, roars and charges forward.

It swung its giant axe and cleaved a tree trunk as thick as a bowl in half.

"Da da da da da!"

Guns spat fire, and bullets struck the minotaur, splattering blood everywhere.

But the monster continued its charge despite the hail of bullets until a rocket exploded at its feet, finally knocking it to the ground.

The command center was completely silent.

Everyone held their breath, their eyes glued to the screen.

The written descriptions in the report are far less impactful than seeing this mythical monster with one's own eyes.

"This is... a minotaur?"

A staff officer muttered to himself:

"This muscle density, this resistance to impact... it's difficult for conventional rifle bullets to cause effective damage unless they hit vital organs."

"Write it down."

Zhao Zhenguo's expression was solemn: "This is invaluable combat data."

The scene continues to switch, showing goblin ambushes, traps in the swamp, and mechanical dogs firing.

Every frame of the video challenged the perceptions of everyone present.

Finally, the scene switched to Lin Mo's perspective.

That was the moment before the mission ended.

In the shot, the campfire flickers.

A girl from another world, dressed in coarse cloth and with long chestnut hair, is holding an empty AD calcium milk bottle and looking at the camera cautiously.

She spoke, her voice clear and crisp, in a language no one could understand.

Immediately afterwards, Lin Mo's voice came from off-screen.

He is translating.

"She said... thank you for saving the village."

"She said... is this sweet water a gift from God?"

The girl's eyes were clear and curious, with a hint of awe for the unknown power.

The video freezes here.

Silence fell over the command center once again.

"Pass the word. Convene a strategy meeting."

Zhao Zhenguo straightened his collar, regaining his usual dignity and composure.

"All core experts, all members of the staff, and..."

Great Wall Base, Central Command Center.

Three o'clock in the morning.

The place was still brightly lit, and the air purifier was turned on full blast, its buzzing sound completely drowned out by the lively discussion.

Around the circular conference table sat a group of experts in white coats and several high-ranking military officials.

On the table were freshly printed analysis reports and clear battlefield photos, along with several paper cups of instant coffee.

On the main screen, the image is frozen on a blurry photograph.

It was a minotaur, its muscles bulging as it charged, with several deformed bullets embedded in its dark red skin.

"Snapped!"

A large hand slammed heavily on the table, causing the water in the coffee cup to slosh.

Chen Yan, the chief designer of the China Ordnance Industry Group, stood up. He pointed at the Minotaur on the screen, his face ashen, and the veins on his neck bulging with excitement.

"This is a disgrace! A disgrace to our small arms research and development department!"

Chen Yan's voice rang out in the conference room, creating a tense atmosphere.

"Our 5.8mm steel-core bullets, at a distance of 100 meters, can only tickle this beast? Look here!"

He grabbed the laser pointer and forcefully drew circles on the screen where the minotaur's chest should be.

"He was shot three times! By design standards, those three shots would be enough to penetrate a level 3 body armor and shred the internal organs."

"But what happened? The monster only paused for a moment, then went even crazier!"

Chen Yan turned around, looked at Zhao Zhenguo in the main seat, and said hurriedly:

"General Zhao, I request that the weapons of the soldiers in the next phase be adjusted immediately."

"If we are to deal with heavily armored monsters of this level, the existing QBZ-191 rifles are of little use except to embolden the soldiers."