Xingtie: Starting with an in-depth analysis of the Yellow Springs

Xing glanced at the medicine bottle in her hand, turned around, and went back to her room to drift off to sleep.

Moira, standing outside the door, glared fiercely at Xing as he left.

If Screw Gum hadn't been there, she would have already lost her temper.

Beside the railing of a tall building, an old man stood with his hands behind his back, calmly gazing at the distant city of dreams.

"Dr. Chadwick."

Hearing the voice behind him, the old man slowly turned around.

"Ah, young man... I'm glad I still recognize you."

Xing looked quietly at the old man, and the glimmer of hope in his eyes that yearned to be saved was extinguished.

“I’m glad you’re willing to talk to me… but you shouldn’t have come here. Moira, and those other hounds, they won’t be happy to see you.”

Xing patted his chest, "Don't worry, this problem has been solved."

A hint of surprise flashed in the old man's eyes.

He had heard stories about nameless people and guessed that Hoshiya was just as powerful as those rumored people.

“I’m here to help you, Dr. Chadwick.”

"Help me... Ah, I vaguely remember this. I must admit... I didn't have much hope. That's too much of a luxury for me."

"Do you remember Screw Gum?"

The old man unconsciously closed his eyes and began to recall, "Screw...? Screw..."

As if struck by lightning, Chadwick's pupils dilated to twice their normal size... then quickly contracted.

The gray mist that had shrouded the whites of his eyes began to dissipate, and everything about him became more cheerful.

Looking up at the star, she spoke faster, "Screw Gum...where is he? He promised me...he said he would help..."

"No...that's not right. He did keep his promise; he didn't betray my trust. The one who disappeared was me...my ears and mouth were gagged, and my eyes were blindfolded..."

"Why? Everything is so chaotic, so disordered. I remember being a member of the Genius Club... but what did I do? What have I forgotten? Who has bound me to this illusion..."

Seeing the confusion in Chadwick's eyes, Xing took out the medicine bottle given to him by Screw Gum.

"Screw Gum wants to help you."

The old man understood; this was the solution he had come up with.

Upon seeing the pills, a voice echoed in the old man's mind, trying to convince him to believe in the star before him and that Screw Gum.

Chadwick smiled and took the pills from Xing's hand.

He is ready.

Through the clockwork magician, we see the opened emotional space of Chadwick.

So... let's go in.

Chapter 125 Imaginary Number Collapse Pulse

In Chadwick's mental space, the first thing Xing sees is the young man talking to a company employee.

He received an invitation from the company's technology research and development department to work together to realize a concept that was still in the theoretical stage.

Chadwick was somewhat worried that such a weapon, which existed only in theoretical concepts, could potentially upend the galaxy.

The company certainly knows that while they may not have geniuses, they certainly have foresight.

The Amber King has just swung his hammer, marking the beginning of a new era, but also signifying that the legendary cosmic catastrophe is drawing ever closer…

Bystander Xing scratched his head; this was before Dr. Chadwick had even implemented the imaginary number collapse pulse.

Let's keep following up and see.

Take the elevator to the bottom floor of the laboratory.

The voices of company employees could be heard in my ears.

"I regret that I cannot tell you the exact coordinates of this planet—it's an order from above. This is to prevent you from… well… giving up halfway. I hope you understand. Check."

"You will absolutely not be disturbed here."

For a genius, figuring out the situation would be easy, but Chadwick didn't think much of it at the time.

Xing followed her memories to the core experimental area.

This place is heavily guarded by company soldiers, and no one can enter or leave at will.

The lab also housed many other staff members invited by the company; while not as brilliant as Chadwick, they were still geniuses in their respective fields.

At this time, Chadwick was testing the weapon. After countless failures, he finally succeeded after a bold attempt.

The imaginary number collapse pulse was successfully generated.

During the test explosion, another genius, Screw Goom, arrived at the scene.

This greatly honored Chadwick, as Sloo Goom already had countless academic achievements that had a profound impact on the universe.

They were also impressed by the Screw Goom weapon developed by Chadwick.

Therefore, he couldn't help but wonder, "Why did you agree to participate in the development of a weapon called imaginary number collapse pulse?"

Young Chadwick: "Because of a friend in the technology research department, he said this weapon could be used to fight the forces of destruction. We are doing the right thing."

Indeed, destructive forces indiscriminately annihilate civilizations. If there were a weapon that could resist destruction, countless lives could be saved.

But is that really the company's intention?

Screw Gum quickly realized that he had been brainwashed by the company, who only told him about the benefits but didn't mention any of the other consequences.

“I’m very sorry, Dr. Chadwick. I shouldn’t have asked such abrupt question, forcing you to give an insincere answer.”

"Doctor. For people like you and me, a moment of slackness could lead to the grief of countless lives. Wisdom is a blessing from the universe, but also a heavy burden imposed upon us."

Chadwick fell silent. He was a genius too; how could he not understand what Screw Goom was trying to say?

But he was young and ambitious, and he couldn't give up a weapon that could revolutionize the galaxy.

Screw Goom: "Some words are too late to convey now. We now know that there is indeed a monster in the Pandora's Box. Hopefully, you can guard it and prevent it from being opened by an ignorant child."

Chadwick expressed his gratitude, and then the two parted ways.

[Ring: Screw's emotional intelligence is too high. He indirectly informed Chadwick of the consequences of the weapons he developed in just two sentences.]

[Keqing: There's no way around it. No one would refuse a weapon powerful enough to shake up the galactic landscape, especially since Chadwick is still young and inexperienced.]

[Ying: I don't think weapons are the key issue; the crucial factor is the people using them. But it seems the Interstellar Peace Corporation hasn't brought peace to the universe.]

The company has only one purpose: to help the Amber King withstand unknown disasters. Everything is dedicated to the Amber King!

[Jing Yuan: Such weapons must never fall into the hands of companies or families, otherwise the entire universe will be changed as a result.]

[Star: @BlackTower, what do we do? We still haven't found Chadwick in our dreams.]

[Black Tower: Don't worry, Screw Gum went to Pinocchio and brought back Chadwick's memory bubble shortly after the video started playing.]

[March 7th: So fast?]

[ScrewGumm: Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures, and I'm not immune to breaking the rules.]

[Moira: Was it inappropriate for Mr. Screw Goom to take Dr. Chadwick away without the head of the family's permission?]

Everyone knows what you're up to; it'll be too late once the video is released.

[Yuecheng Liu: It's obvious that this weapon will reappear at the end of the video. Hopefully, it won't fall into the hands of any forces with ulterior motives.]

Ah, for us, the Geo Archon is this weapon, bringing peace of mind to the people of Liyue.

[Barbara: Lord Barbatos will always protect Mondstadt.]

"Hurry up! Arrest anyone who dares to resist!"

"No one is allowed to delay the detonation!"

These are company employees; they are arresting staff members who oppose the experiment.

Xing followed the sound to another room.

Realizing the terrifying nature of the imaginary number collapse pulse, Chadwick's hands trembled uncontrollably. He hurriedly explained to his friend at the company that he hoped to stop the experiment.

The company executive looked at Dr. Chadwick with indifference.

He had long known that everyone here was just a pawn, and that once you entered the game, it was impossible to escape.

The high-ranking official said arrogantly, "Weapons are manufactured to strike enemies. Is that so hard to understand?"

"Right now, the company's enemy is right here, making it the perfect time to test the imaginary number collapse pulse!"

Chadwick rubbed his forehead, his mind a complete blank.

It's all fake. You have a hundred... a thousand ways to stop the enemy, at a much lower cost and without harming the innocent.

At this moment, Chadwick finally realized that everything here was an experiment.

Everything we built with our own hands... never truly belonged to us.

A company executive scoffed, "Stop fooling yourself. You knew it from the beginning, but you chose to ignore it."

[Walter: As a genius, he understood this long ago, but simply refused to believe it.]

[Danheng: Without the ability to step outside the game, one will only be controlled by others.]

[If Chadwick and Screwgun had ever collaborated, things wouldn't have turned out this way; the company's behavior is truly appalling.]

[Qingyi: This is the tragedy of ordinary people—possessing wisdom but lacking the means to check and balance.]

[Interstellar Plunder Company!]

Detonation platform charging...60%...85%...Completed.

All preparations are complete. We are ready to detonate at any moment.

The detonation area is expected to encompass 24 or more moons and celestial bodies, including 3 secondary planets with civilizations at or above the D-class level.

Company executive: "Hmm... collateral damage is within acceptable limits. Detonation plan proceeds as scheduled."

A detonation expert stood shakily on the detonation platform, hesitant to make a move.

"Time's up, press the detonation button now."

Seeing the expert's expression, the company executive offered words of comfort.

"Don't worry. No one will know, and our names won't be recorded in future history books."

"Are you sympathizing with Dr. Chadwick?"

"Please press it, this is your last chance!"

Chapter 126 Detonation

The detonation order has been confirmed.

The image started shaking and blurring from the moment the countdown began.

The loud electrical noise became increasingly piercing.

Imaginary number collapse pulse – detonation.

Everyone's vision went blank.

All the planets affected by the explosion were instantly sublimated.

There was no trace of its existence left in the universe, as if that starry sky had never had any planets... no, not even meteorite fragments.

[March 7th: Oh my god, I'm so scared! I know this weapon is powerful, but its power is way too much!]

[Paimon: If I remember correctly, didn't that company person say there were still humans within the blast radius?]

[This company is treating human life like dirt! Friends, think about what we would do if our future hometowns were also treated so carelessly by companies.]

[Gui Naifen: It could have been avoided, why did you kill them?!]

[Star: That's outrageous! Who is that employee? I want to hit him with a stick.]

[Gold Sand: It's definitely the Market Development Department pulling the strings behind the scenes. Don't let them get away with it.] (Hidden—Someone is paying a huge amount of points + special items)