For ordinary people, a generator is like a money-burning machine. In just one week, accompanied by the deafening roar of engines, over a million yuan had been converted into diesel and then into energy stored in Lorin's base. On a weekend evening, after Huang Xuan transferred another 200,000 yuan to the Fuxin account, Lorin's voice, calm as ever, echoed through the air like a breeze from an air conditioner: "Huang Xuan, would you like to visit the base?"
"Is this an invitation?"
"Of course." The same calm response, as if a gentle wind had passed through.
Over the past week, Huang Xuan had been slightly uneasy. With Lorin seemingly all-knowing and all-powerful, it seemed likely that he could hear Huang Xuan's conversations with his mother. Though Huang Xuan had intended for Lorin to overhear those discussions, he was still anxious about the potential consequences.
Huang Xuan's youth meant his life was filled with optimism, much like how an elder's life is filled with caution and spiritual optimism. Without dwelling too much on his worries, Huang Xuan chuckled and asked the air, "How do I get to your base? Is it teleportation, or do we have to dig up the swimming pool again?"
"I have already moved the base to the mountain behind your home. The safety here is gradually decreasing."
The contrast between Lorin's calmness and Huang Xuan's surprise was stark. Huang Xuan looked around in confusion and asked, "You've already moved the base? When did that happen?"
"When the energy reached 50,000 kilowatt-hours."
Huang Xuan was at a loss for words. It seemed he had lost his biggest leverage over Lorin yet again. However, Lorin continued with his invitation, "Would you like to visit the base?"
"Yes, yes," Huang Xuan replied eagerly. "So how do I get there?"
"You can choose a permanent teleportation point in your home. I will connect the base to it, making it easier for you to visit in the future."
Unable to contain his curiosity, Huang Xuan asked, "Are you saying I can visit the base anytime?"
"Of course, you now have Level 24 access."
Lorin's response made Huang Xuan feel somewhat flattered. He rubbed his forehead and asked, "What does Level 24 access mean? What level was I before? How did my access level increase?"
Lorin answered in his usual unhurried tone: "Previously, you had review access, which is the lowest level of access. Due to your contributions to base security, the base has decided to grant you Level 24 access, allowing you to freely enter non-review areas and continue contributing to the base."
Huang Xuan wasn't sure what to feel at that moment. He opened his mouth but said nothing, then glanced around. "Why not set the teleportation point in the pavilion? No one else will accidentally stumble into it, right?"
"Of course, only those with access can enter the base."
With just a shrug of his shoulders, a flash of light filled the pavilion. When Huang Xuan opened his eyes again, he found himself surrounded by a pale blue glow.
The room he was in was vibrant and full of life, unlike the eerie, sterile silver seen in science fiction movies. The room, shaped by two intersecting rectangles, was dominated by soft shades of blue, complemented by pale greens and yellows, forming intricate patterns.
On one wall hung a massive six-meter-long scroll, the signature at the bottom was scrawled in a way Huang Xuan couldn't decipher, but the overall effect made the room feel warm and human.
Huang Xuan walked around slowly, subconsciously asking, "Where is the owner of this room?"
"They returned to the primary dimension to combat a temporal disturbance," Lorin replied in his usual tone. "Due to the crisis of temporal disturbance, the primary dimension has retracted its personnel, and this place has been abandoned."
"And you?"
"My role is to protect the base, seize opportunities for development, and await further orders."
Huang Xuan rubbed his nose and asked, "When did this happen?"
Lorin was silent for a moment before his signature monotone voice came from above: "Over 100,000 standard years ago."
For the first time, Lorin used an imprecise timeframe, but the catastrophe of 100,000 years ago was hard for Huang Xuan to empathize with. He smirked, "So no one has been here for a long time?" Then, a bit excited, he added, "Does that mean I have the highest level of access?"
"The temporal warden currently holds primary access. You hold secondary access," Lorin replied dutifully. "But with your Level 24 access, you can only enter Category F areas."
"And what are those?"
"Dining areas, recreation areas, personal quarters, and connecting corridors."
Hearing these names, Huang Xuan's eyes widened. "That's it?"
Ignoring his expression, Lorin continued, "Given that the dining and recreation areas are no longer operational, Level 24 access does not permit entry into closed areas. You currently have access to personal quarters and connecting corridors."
Huang Xuan felt like giving Lorin a good knock on the head. Personal quarters and connecting corridors—he thought gloomily—probably weren't even as large as his own home. Looking around the room again, with nothing but a floating seat in midair, not even a bed in sight, he grumbled, "So what did you bring me here for?"
"Didn't you request to travel to another dimension again?"
"Yes." Huang Xuan's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Can I go now?"
Lorin denied this possibility: "I first need to conduct a medical examination and administer vaccines. Only if your health is adequate can you proceed with dimensional travel."
"How troublesome." Huang Xuan grumbled but relented, "Alright, let's get it over with."
As he spoke, Huang Xuan slowly began to float, drifting towards a wall. Before he could shout, the process of wall-collision and more wall-collision unfolded, until everything blurred, and the scene around him transformed.
The new room was still a mix of soft blues and greens, but Huang Xuan found himself enclosed in a transparent pod, only able to see the ornate ceiling above.
"What's going on?" Huang Xuan anxiously squirmed.
"A medical examination and vaccination are being administered, covering diseases rated C or higher since T1800," Lorin's voice reassured him. As the cool, tingling sensation spread through his arms, legs, and back, Huang Xuan sighed and muttered, "Lorin, has anyone told you that vaccines should be given separately?"
"No," Lorin answered with his usual precision.
As the injections continued, Lorin methodically relayed Huang Xuan's health report, listing a series of alphabetically coded assessments, dull and monotonous. Huang Xuan, peering through the dark, semi-transparent exterior, stared boredly into space, waiting for the process to end.
"Based on the examination, your physical condition allows for dimensional travel. Do you wish to proceed?" Lorin's dull voice came from above. Huang Xuan covered his ears, ready to say yes, then paused. "Wait a minute. This time, I want to prepare properly. I need to figure out where I'm going and what to bring."
"I cannot guarantee sending you to a specific time and place. The information on dimensional conditions is insufficient, making preparation largely pointless."
"I don't believe that," Huang Xuan retorted. "What if you send me to prehistoric times?"
"My current capabilities only allow me to send you within the last century."
Huang Xuan helplessly spread his hands and sarcastically remarked, "So, you can't send me there even if you wanted to?"
"If the target dimension is set after T1900 but still exists in a prehistoric state, there's a chance you might end up in prehistoric times. However, my current ability restricts me to sending you to P1 dimensions, where this scenario is rare."
"What's a P1 dimension?" Huang Xuan felt like he was learning more new terms today than during an exam.
"P1 dimensions are defined as standard dimensions within the P-dimension framework, situated between anomalous and normal dimensions. Their historical composition and other elements closely resemble those of the standard dimension, having avoided large-scale invasions or dimensional colonization..."
"I get it," Huang Xuan interrupted. "So, it doesn't matter when I travel to another dimension?"
"For now, that's correct."
"How do I trade for things there? Should I bring money? Or just carry gold?"
"If you wish to carry a common equivalent, food is usually a good choice," Lorin explained. "Living active substances consume the least energy during dimensional travel. The energy difference between living and non-living substances is in the millions of times, so food and other living substances are the usual choices for trading in unknown dimensions."
Huang Xuan blinked in surprise. "A gram of gold could buy hundreds of pounds of grain. How much grain would I need to trade for anything? And how would I sell it?"
Lorin mechanically responded, "During dimensional travel, the shorter the lifespan of the substance, the less energy it consumes. As a result, living matter consumes less energy than non-living matter, and paper consumes less energy than metal. Given the current energy levels of this base, the energy consumption of gold would be a million times higher than that of grain, making it unfeasible."
Huang Xuan rolled his eyes, resigned. "So how much grain can I carry now?"
"Given the current energy levels, 100 tons is a safe limit."
Huang Xuan, rubbing his freshly vaccinated skin