Collapse Iron: I just transmigrated! You want me to save the Black Tower?!

Every time the comments section starts analyzing something, it goes off-topic.

However, one thing is true...

Given that Nguyen Mai is someone whose existence is unlikely to be due to a lack of consideration for this situation, it is only possible that it was planned long ago.

"I only agreed to the Black Tower's research."

Jiang Jiu looked at Ruan Mei and spoke calmly.

Nguyen Mai was not disappointed; she simply nodded slightly.

Her gaze lingered on Jiang Jiu's face for a moment, meticulously observing his micro-expressions as if recording data.

"I understand."

She nodded slightly: "But the Black Tower's research focuses on the relationship between imaginary energy and the stars, while I am more concerned with the structure and evolution of life itself."

The implied meaning.

I am better suited to study you than the Black Tower.

Pick me.

Jiang Jiu remained silent for two seconds.

Is it possible that he doesn't want to be studied by anyone?

The reason for agreeing to the Black Tower's request was merely to gain some trust and curiosity, to obtain the right to engage in dialogue on an equal footing, and then to make the Black Tower turn its attention to Onpharos.

The objective has now been achieved.

She took out a delicate pastry and handed it to Jiang Jiu: "Try this. It's a new variety that I developed. It can temporarily enhance biological perception."

Jiang Jiu didn't answer, but just raised an eyebrow at her.

[Here it comes! Nguyen Mai's special snacks!]

[Will eating this cause me to grow cat ears? Or become Ruan Mei's experimental subject?]

[Jiang Jiu, run! This is a trap!]

I think it's okay to eat it. The worst outcome is just being dissected and studied, then dying. It's not a big deal.

[Jiang Jiu, don't reject the good intentions of a genius. You want to save a timeline, but it's not something you and Black Tower can do alone. You need to find outside help.]

Just as the fourth mirror finished its horrified reaction, it turned around and saw that Ruan Mei was actually trying to feed Jiang Jiu some unknown food.

It shook the mirror behind Nguyen Mai, and a huge exclamation mark appeared on the mirror: "Ms. Nguyen Mai! You can't just feed them like that! Ms. Black Tower will be angry!"

Ruan Mei turned to look at it and calmly said, "Fourth mirror, your reflectivity has decreased by 0.73% recently, it needs maintenance."

"what?!"

The fourth mirror reflected its reflection in horror. "Impossible! I wipe it three times a day! No... I'll wipe it five... no! ten times from now on!"

While the fourth mirror distracted her, Ruan Mei pushed the pastries forward again.

"Don't worry, no experimental ingredients were added. It's just a regular glutinous rice cake with a little taro."

Do you believe it?

I don't quite believe it. Would being eaten force them to tell the truth?

[Ruan Mei isn't a snack; how could her food possibly cause Jiang Jiu any problems?]

[Don't underestimate the potential of every genius's teeth and jaw!]

[And who said she's not a snack? She's a sweet and soft little cake!]

Jiang Jiu took the pastries and smiled helplessly.

"Ruan Mei, you're just scaring innocent little mirrors like that. Aren't you afraid the Black Tower will come after you?"

Ruan Mei felt a sense of novelty when she heard the words she had spoken come back to her.

She looked down at the pastries in Jiang Jiu's hand, as if wondering when he would eat them.

"The Black Tower is calculating the coordinates of Onphalus, isn't it?"

Jiang Jiu paused.

“Don’t be surprised, she just used some of my computing resources,” Nguyen Mai explained. “I also know a little about the Imperial Scepter, but I’m not interested in what’s inside.”

Jiang Jiu finally understood why Ruan Mei had suddenly come to the Black Tower Space Station.

Logically speaking, although Nguyen Mai has her own laboratory here, she rarely comes here.

That makes sense, though.

These two people had a good relationship to begin with, and the first person Black Tower would probably think of when he encountered any problems was Nguyen Mai.

"Would you like to join us in studying Onpharos?"

Jiang Jiu asked.

Ruan Mei looked at Jiang Jiu and asked curiously, "You seem to care a lot about this place. Why? Do you know something about it?"

Although Nguyen Mai's sentence is a question, it is expressed in an affirmative tone.

"Yes, you guessed right."

Jiang Jiu admitted it directly.

"Onpharos was hidden inside the Imperial Scepter, but that place was not just a simple computer; it was where self-awareness was born, and life itself was born."

"Among them were some life forms that had died hundreds of millions of times but hadn't gone mad, which was quite interesting. I remember Ms. Nguyen Mai was very interested in life, right? So, are you interested in this?"

Hurry, hurry, hurry, be curious!

The more people there are, the more effort there will be. It would be best if everyone came to be curious about Onphalos!

Jiang Jiu focused on topics that interested Ruan Mei, and Ruan Mei naturally couldn't refuse.

She had initially only been curious about Jiang Jiu, but now she was becoming interested in the Black Tower's research...

"It is indeed very interesting, but this is a topic for the Black Tower."

Seeing an opportunity, Jiang Jiu quickly said, "Research projects can be tackled collaboratively, like the simulated universe, which was researched by several geniuses. The Emperor's Scepter is more complex than you imagine, so..."

Are you inviting me to join the research project?

Ruan Mei interrupted Jiang Jiu and asked directly.

Jiang Jiu blinked.

"Yes, is that alright?"

Ruan Mei did not answer directly, but instead glanced down at the pastry in Jiang Jiu's hand that he had not yet eaten.

Jiang Jiu seemed to understand some strange implication...

Does that mean they won't add it if they don't eat it?

He took a bite of the pastry, and it tasted surprisingly good.

"It's quite delicious."

Ruan Mei hummed in agreement.

"Leaving aside the topic of the Black Tower for now, there's something I'm curious about."

"Jiang Jiu, have you truly embarked on a path of nothingness?"

Chapter 19 King.

"if not?"

Jiang Jiu calmly countered with a question, but his gaze toward Ruan Mei carried a hint of sympathy, whether intentionally or unintentionally.

"Something's wrong with the way this genius lady studies life, isn't it?"

Jiang Jiu put it very tactfully.

The fourth mirror stared wide-eyed at Jiang Jiu in shock.

Is this a euphemism for saying that Nguyen Mai has mental problems?!

What audacity! Isn't he afraid that Nguyen Mai might use him as a guinea pig in a fit of anger?

The fourth mirror thought for a while and realized, "Hiss... Ruan Mei seems to be no match for Jiang Jiu."

Thinking this, the fourth mirror asked cautiously.

"Um, Ms. Ruan Mei, isn't Jiang Jiu the Commander? How could he not have embarked on the Void Path? Are you sure you're not mistaken?"

Ruan Mei simply looked at Jiang Jiu quietly for a while, said nothing more, and nodded slightly.

"Okay, I understand. You can come to me if you have any questions."

Her gaze lingered on Jiang Jiu for a moment before she turned to leave.

"Hey? Wait a minute," Jiang Jiu called out to her, "Regarding the research on Onpharos..."

"I'll consider it."

Nguyen Mai turned around and glanced at him.

"Once the Black Tower calculates the coordinates, you can contact me through Estella, or... we can add each other's contact information."

"Row."

Jiang Jiule obtained the contact information of a genius, but a small problem arose when the two exchanged contact information.

Ruan Mei looked at the friends she had added on her phone sometime earlier, and then glanced at Jiang Jiu.

"King?"

Jiang Jiu paused, almost dropping his phone.

"...What the hell?"

Ruan Mei did not notice Jiang Jiu's expression. She looked at the note for a while, thought about it carefully, and confirmed that she had indeed never met Jiang Jiu.

Are you the king of which planet?

"?"