BANG!

A deafening explosion shattered the afternoon tranquility, plunging the entire China National Special Materials Research Park into chaos. Piercing alarms blared incessantly as thick smoke billowed from the Nanotechnology and Applications Department building, forming a massive mushroom cloud.

People in the park scattered like startled birds, desperately fleeing in all directions. Some fell injured, while others ran with their clothes ablaze, terror etched on every face.

"Evacuate immediately! Head to the emergency exits!" Security personnel shouted.

Within ten minutes, a stream of emergency vehicles poured in. Fire trucks, ambulances, and specialized vehicles rushed to the scene. Fully equipped firefighters charged towards the fiercest flames, while medical staff began urgent treatment of the injured.

The park was divided into four sections: Nanotechnology and Applications Department, Materials Characterization and Processing Department, Functional Materials and Energy Department, and Computational and Theoretical Materials Science Department. At this moment, apart from the Nanotechnology and Applications Department at the epicenter of the explosion, the other three departments were also in emergency evacuation, turning the entire research park into a vast escape maze.

One hour earlier.

A taxi slowly approached the park entrance.

"Here it is, thank you," Wang Haiyang paid the fare and stepped out with his luggage.

Today marked a crucial moment in his life—after graduating from MIT with a degree in Nanobiotechnology, he was finally reporting for duty at the Nanotechnology and Applications Department of the China National Special Materials Research Center.

He furrowed his brow, gazing at the uniquely designed large buildings surrounded by abundant vegetation, reminiscent of a futuristic city. For a moment, he felt as if he were on an alien planet. Sunlight filtered through the tall trees, casting shadows on the ground. Long roads lined with neat greenery and ultra-modern building complexes stretched before him. The buildings' surfaces, a mix of mirror-like glass and steel structures, reflected the azure sky. In the distance, several distinctively shaped experimental buildings interconnected, resembling a scene from a science fiction movie.

There was little foot traffic, with only the occasional researcher in a lab coat hurrying past, appearing extremely busy. This place exuded an air of modernity, order, and power.

Working here required not only a degree from a specialized institution but also strong personal connections and passing a rigorous background check. Wang Haiyang's father happened to be the Deputy Director of the Hebei Provincial Department of Industry. With such a high-ranking official as his background, he had encountered little obstacle in securing a position at the research center. Moreover, his expertise perfectly matched the requirements—truly a case of right time, right place, right person.

Wang Haiyang pushed open the doors of the Nanotechnology and Applications Department, greeted by a perfect blend of modern technology and minimalist design. The lobby was spacious and bright, with light sources evenly distributed across the ceiling. The lights themselves were invisible, utilizing sunlight refraction principles to create a bright yet non-glaring atmosphere. Most eye-catching was the wall directly opposite the entrance, its smooth metallic surface emblazoned with the words "Nanotechnology and Applications Department" in both Chinese and English. The font was simple yet powerful, exuding a highly technological feel. The reception desk stood in front of this wall, with staff busy behind their computers.

The surrounding walls were adorned with futuristic device diagrams. Glass partitions lined the corridors, offering glimpses of researchers in white lab coats bustling around workstations. Every corner seemed to pulse with scientific energy.

"Hello, I'm Wang Haiyang. I'm here to report to the Nano Center," Wang Haiyang said to the receptionist.

The receptionist glanced up at him, her tone dripping with arrogance, "Oh, so you're Wang Haiyang! Your connections must be impressive. You can just waltz in without even completing the assessment? That's a first in all my years here." She then buried herself back in her work.

Wang Haiyang stood there, feeling extremely awkward. He thought to himself: I've heard many people here rely on connections, but this seems excessive. What am I afraid of? This is my field of study. I hope I haven't inadvertently displaced someone.

He instinctively reached for his phone to contact his assigned supervisor, only to find that mobile signals were jammed within the park.

At that moment, someone approached from afar. "Haiyang, over here. Wow, you've grown so tall! Come, let me show you in."

Wang Haiyang looked closely and realized it was Uncle Hu, his father's old colleague. He wondered how Uncle Hu came to be here. Uncle Hu had already reached him and was offering to take his luggage.

"Uncle Hu, what are you doing here?" Wang Haiyang asked, puzzled.

"I've been here for over a decade. When I left Shijiazhuang, you were still in middle school, right? I've been waiting for you all day. As soon as the front desk signaled your arrival, I came right over."

"Yes, Director Hu specifically instructed us to inform him immediately upon your arrival," the receptionist chimed in.

Wang Haiyang didn't even want to respond to her. He walked off with Uncle Hu, understanding that these staff members were very practical—if your background was powerful enough, they'd fawn over you; if they thought you lacked connections or nepotistic ties, they wouldn't give you the time of day.

With mixed feelings, Wang Haiyang and Uncle Hu strode into the interior. They were met with the busy figures of various researchers—some in white uniforms, others running with documents. The cacophony of voices and ringing phones blended into a single word: busy. The nanotechnology dream that Wang Haiyang had been nurturing was unfolding in an unexpected manner.

"Haiyang, your coming here was specially arranged between me and your father. Our country is tackling a major scientific project, and your expertise in nanotechnology plays a crucial role. No one is more suitable than you," Uncle Hu said.

"What kind of project is it, Uncle Hu?" Wang Haiyang asked, very curious.

"It's difficult to explain in detail right now, but to put it simply, we discovered an ancient Chinese medical text in a tomb. It detailed an ancient method of body repair that can heal wounds incredibly quickly. We've already made some breakthroughs in our research, but as we delved deeper, we found that some of the processes actually involve nanotechnology. This has led to a lot of confusion—how could ancient people understand nanotechnology? We haven't published this discovery internationally yet. Your task will be to help us overcome these challenges. I've read your graduation report, and you're the strongest nanotech talent I know of in decades who meets our background check requirements. Always remember to serve your country!" Uncle Hu's explanation left Wang Haiyang speechless with shock.

"Xiao Liu, go fetch Director Li," Uncle Hu instructed a staff member without waiting for Wang Haiyang to respond.

Soon, Director Li arrived. "Director Hu, is this the nanotech prodigy Wang Haiyang you mentioned? You're finally here! Our entire team has been eagerly awaiting your graduation and joining us. Your quantum paper on 'Nano Self-Assembly Mechanisms Based on Quantum Tunneling Effect and Its Impact on Anomalous Material Behavior' is absolutely brilliant. I can recite every word of it now," Director Li spoke effusively.

"Director Li, you're too kind. However, physical phenomena at the nanoscale sometimes..." Before Wang Haiyang could finish, Uncle Hu interrupted.

"Alright, you two experts, we know you're both brilliant. We'll discuss this later. Director Li, first show Wang Haiyang around the entire Nano Department, then take him on a tour of the whole park. After that, come to my office in the main building. Haiyang, you go with Director Li. I'm going to call your father now. Oh, and remember, there's no mobile signal in the entire research park, and external internet access is prohibited." With that, Uncle Hu left.

Director Li began showing Wang Haiyang around each area of the Nano Department. Both being professionals, they engaged in discussions about various physics topics along the way, as if they had endless subjects to talk about.

As they entered the main research center, Wang Haiyang's attention was immediately drawn to a huge screen displaying complex charts and real-time data. Director Li quickly explained while leading Wang Haiyang through spacious corridors. The corridors were flanked by transparent glass walls, offering views of bustling research activities in various departments. Some researchers were operating micro-robotic arms with extreme precision, while in another office, a group of researchers argued around a screen displaying atomic-level structural diagrams of physical materials, their voices a mix of data analysis jargon and technical terms.

They approached a vat-like structure with a transparent control room outside, where staff were busily operating equipment.

"What's this?" Wang Haiyang asked curiously, looking at the structure.

"This is a newly built laboratory. Inside is..." Before Director Li could finish his sentence, the explosion occurred. It happened right in the area of this laboratory.

A massive shock wave hit Wang Haiyang and Director Li. Wang Haiyang was fortunate to have a thick glass wall in front of him, which absorbed much of the impact. After the glass shattered, he was thrown back against a pillar. Director Li wasn't so lucky. Standing right in the doorway with no protection, he was instantly torn apart by the shock wave, dying on the spot.

Wang Haiyang felt a sharp pain, his vision blurring. His ears rang with a buzzing noise. He vaguely saw two burning humanoid creatures slowly emerging from the flames and smoke.

These humanoid creatures appeared extremely bizarre, their charred skin faintly emitting a weak blue light, as if some strange current was flowing beneath. Wang Haiyang's eyes struggled to focus, only able to make out their distorted limbs, as if forcibly pieced together by something. He wanted to stand up, but his body wouldn't move. The two humanoid creatures moved stiffly and heavily, their footsteps muffled, each step accompanied by a flesh-tearing sound. The sight made one's scalp tingle with fear. He realized these creatures didn't belong to this world, like zombies from legends. With each step, their skin cracked and peeled off like charcoal, but new skin grew at an alarming rate from the wounds.

His consciousness gradually faded, everything before him becoming increasingly unreal. The two creatures drew closer, their burning blue light and low, heavy footsteps intertwining. At this moment, darkness began to engulf Wang Haiyang's last shred of consciousness.