"Can I really go in?" Xiao Bao asked, tugging on Lin Fan's arm. He wanted to take Lin Fan and the others out to play, but there wasn't anything fun outside, so he thought of visiting the Special Department.
Although he was the son of the richest man, the Special Department was, well, special. It wasn't easy to get in if you weren't a member.
"Of course," Lin Fan smiled.
The staff member saw a child wanting to enter and intended to stop them, but seeing Lin Fan, he felt helpless and pretended not to notice. There was no way around it; Lin Fan was considered a powerhouse by most members of the Special Department.
"Xiao Bao, look, this place is pretty nice. Old Zhang and I live here. I'll take you to our place later. We can get the hen to lay some eggs, and I'll boil some for you," Lin Fan said, stroking a hen.
With a single touch, the hen understood the situation.
The evil rooster felt grief and humiliation. Being an undercover agent was truly difficult. He was at their mercy, enduring humiliation and bearing heavy burdens, not to mention having to lay eggs at any moment. Damnable humans, just keep on humiliating the great evil hero.
"Okay!" Xiao Bao's eyes lit up.
Xu Zihao wandered around the department bored, hoping to chat with some of the women there. The few he encountered gave him the cold shoulder, but he didn't mind. He simply assumed the girls in Yanhai City hadn't discovered his brilliance yet.
Some even pointed at his hairstyle.
You people know nothing. This is fashion, okay?
Suddenly, he saw a familiar figure – Lin Fan, the one who had shattered his long sword. He was initially filled with anger, but recalling Lin Fan's abilities, Xu Zihao calmed down and slowly walked away.
"Stop!" he shouted.
Seeing the person approaching, Old Zhang became nervous and afraid.
He was most afraid of mentally ill patients.
Lin Fan asked, "Is there something you need?"
Since Old Zhang was afraid of the newcomer, he didn't intend to be overly friendly or enthusiastic.
"I heard you're very powerful," Xu Zihao asked with a smile. He had seen the video; Lin Fan was indeed strong. But young people always have a competitive spirit. He really wanted to know why Lin Fan was so exceptional.
"It's alright, I just usually like to train," Lin Fan replied.
"It's fate that we met. What happened before was a misunderstanding. Why don't we become friends?" Xu Zihao extended his hand, a sincere smile on his face. Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated. He wanted to know how Lin Fan cultivated.
If he could learn it…
…then he would have a direction for improvement.
Lin Fan looked at Old Zhang, seeking his opinion. He didn't really care, but Old Zhang was his best friend. If Old Zhang didn't like it, then he would have to decline.
"Is there something wrong with your head?" Old Zhang asked.
Xu Zihao nearly exploded on the spot. How can you just insult people like that?
I suffered such humiliation, and no one comforted me, and now they're insulting me? That's too much!
"No, definitely not," Xu Zihao hurriedly replied.
Old Zhang nodded at Lin Fan, now believing Xu Zihao's words. Since he said there was nothing wrong with his head, then it must have been a misunderstanding.
The three shook hands.
Young people's way of thinking was truly something. The three-way handshake left Xu Zihao slightly confused, but he quickly figured it out and joined the handshake exchange.
Xiao Bao looked at Xu Zihao as if scrutinizing him.
He had noticed that many people would intentionally approach Lin Fan. These deliberate interactions always had an ulterior motive.
"I see you're very capable. Could you tell me how you cultivate? If possible, I'd like to cultivate with you." As a young man, Xu Zihao didn't have the same concerns about face as Master Yongxin. He asked what he wanted to ask, and even if he was rejected, it didn't matter; it was a normal occurrence.
Lin Fan smiled. "Sure."
He had originally planned to take Xiao Bao back to the dormitory to eat, but Xu Zihao pulled him towards the training area.
Many members were training there.
Some members put down their equipment and looked at them curiously when they arrived.
Not far away, a man with spiky hair like a hedgehog, with incredibly ripped muscles that resembled rocks, was lifting an unimaginably heavy barbell with his right hand.
His name was Kuanglong, a graduate of the Buddhist Academy, thirty-five years old this year. He was very powerful, possessing natural strength. This kind of existence was a genetic mutation, having a special talent for cultivation.
"Kuanglong, he's here," a man said.
Kuanglong looked over and saw the slender figure standing there. He put down the barbell, causing the entire training ground to rumble.
After standing up, his height reached 2.3 meters.
He was a giant.
Xu Zihao asked, "Shall we have a go in the combat simulator later?"
"What's that?" Lin Fan inquired.
Xu Zihao looked at him as if he had seen a ghost, clearly surprised that he didn't know about it. Is he messing with me?
"It's a virtual device that can simulate the presence of evil creatures. You can fight them in a virtual environment," Xu Zihao explained. He wanted to know what Lin Fan's true strength was.
Regular members often used this equipment to fight against simulated evil creatures.
It was mainly to cultivate their abilities.
Opportunities to encounter real evil creatures were rare, unless they actively searched for them in the outskirts. However, without combat experience against evil creatures, they would be lacking in practical skills. Even a slightly weaker evil creature could kill them.
"Can I join?" Kuanglong appeared behind them, his enormous figure instantly overshadowing the two.
Xu Zihao looked at the shadow on the ground, turned around, and looked up. "Whoa! So tall!"
He had seen many strong individuals from the Buddhist Academy, and countless muscular men, but honestly, this type was rare, giving off a strong sense of oppression.
The surrounding members whispered amongst themselves.
"Kuanglong isn't convinced."
"That's for sure. Who wouldn't want to compare themselves to the big boss? As for us, forget it. We know our limits."
Lin Fan noticed that Xiao Bao was a little scared seeing the giant, so he patted Xiao Bao's head, signaling him not to worry, that he was there. Reassured by Lin Fan, Xiao Bao relaxed a little.
"Hey, big guy, why are you joining in?" Xu Zihao asked.
To be honest, he was shocked by Kuanglong. What did he eat growing up? Even nutrient-rich pig feed couldn't achieve this.
Kuanglong asked, "Are you scared?"
"Haha, me, scared? Fine, fine, if you want to join, then let's do it. Three-person online, same environment, see who kills the evil creature first. Originally, it was a friendly sparring match between me and him, but now you want to join. So tell me, what happens if you lose?" Xu Zihao asked.
He was a proud person.
At headquarters, he was considered a genius. Who could be better than him? If his father wasn't the head of the Xiadu Special Department, there might be a few who were more capable.
But reincarnation was a technical skill.
It was something you couldn't envy.
Kuanglong said, "You decide."
Xu Zihao grinned. "Streak naked around the department."
"Okay." Kuanglong was a man of few words, and his words carried weight. This cold demeanor made Xu Zihao hesitate. Sometimes, excessive confidence could be truly frightening.
Lin Fan looked at the two strangely.
The wager quickly spread, attracting the attention of many. For them, having a wager to watch was definitely interesting.
Members put down what they were doing and curiously gathered around.
They arrived at the equipment area. This virtual combat simulator was the latest technology developed by scientists over more than a decade. It also had a muscle stimulation process, using bioelectricity to stimulate the body, forming muscle memory, allowing the movements performed in the device to become a kind of physical instinct.
However, compared to actual combat…
…the device was still much weaker.
Xu Zihao looked at the staff member. "Set it to generate evil creatures based on our individual strengths."
The device was like a human hibernation pod; they just needed to lie inside.
"Lie down inside?" Lin Fan asked.
He was very curious about this equipment.
"Yes."
The staff member was very polite to Lin Fan because he had also watched the live broadcast. He was almost jumping with excitement while watching; it was truly domineering.
To be able to serve such a powerful person was his honor.
The onlookers all looked at the large screen, which would display their images in the virtual world. Everyone was looking forward to it, wondering what it would be like.
Before entering the device, Xu Zihao gave Kuanglong a thumbs-up, then turned his thumb down. The meaning was clear: Don't forget to streak later.
Entering the device.
Strange light scanned their bodies.
"Huh! That's not right. Lin Fan is also entering the virtual world with us. What level of evil creature will appear?"
Xu Zihao immediately thought of this question, but he quickly dismissed it. He knew Lin Fan was powerful, but it didn't matter. Even if a terrifying evil creature appeared, it wouldn't affect him much. This was a competition between him and Kuanglong.
A countdown appeared on the large screen outside.
10!
9!
…
"Hey, come and take a look! Three powerhouses are online battling, each against an evil creature simulated based on their own strongest abilities. Lin Fan and Kuanglong are both in!" someone shouted.
Some members who had just arrived and didn't know what was going on immediately ran over upon hearing this.
"Really?"
"Of course it's real. I'm really looking forward to it."
"I heard that a Heavenly King level evil creature appeared that day. Maybe the evil creature simulated for Lin Fan will be Heavenly King level."
"But I heard that there was no Heavenly King level evil creature in the live broadcast. Are you mistaken?"
"Who knows?"
Liu Ying, who had just brought in the new members, stepped in helplessly. Hearing the members' shouts, she was surprised and quickly led the new members to the large screen.
Lin Fan in virtual combat with two others?
This was going to be interesting.
Virtual Space.
A ruined city.
Lin Fan looked around curiously.
"Old Zhang, where are you…"
"Xiao Bao, where are you…"
"Hen, where are you…"
He was a little panicked. They were just beside him a moment ago, how did they suddenly disappear? And the surroundings were so unfamiliar.