**Chapter 88: Testing Strength in Reality, Su Yu's Advice**
At 8 a.m., Su Yu woke up and checked the video he had uploaded the night before. It had already garnered over 5,000 views, which translated to more than 2,000 yuan in earnings for him.
Though 5,000 views were modest compared to the millions other videos received, it was impressive, considering the game only had around 100,000 active players daily. The video's traction showed the growing interest in *Evolution*.
Relaxing in bed, Su Yu browsed the official game forums on his phone. On the forum, some players, especially those with backgrounds in history, had analyzed his video in detail, offering insights based on their expertise. From their observations, Su Yu gained inspiration and ideas for upcoming quests.
Just as he finished his breakfast, his phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Mr. Su Yu, this is Xue Wenli."
"Ah, it's you. What's up?"
"I have a very important matter that requires you to come to our base."
---
Forty minutes later, Su Yu arrived at a towering office building in Donghai City.
"You actually bought this building as your base? Quite impressive!" he remarked, taking in the over-200-meter-tall structure. Given its prime location, the building must have cost billions.
Dressed in business attire, Xue Wenli gave a polite, neutral smile. "It's not that extravagant. The government has allocated extensive resources toward *Evolution*; a fraction of the budget was enough to purchase this building."
Noticing his intrigued look, she added, "It's not just for administrative use. The building serves other, classified purposes."
"Oh?" Su Yu raised an eyebrow, sensing there was more to it.
Xue Wenli simply led him forward, saying, "I can't disclose that. Come on; let's go in."
Inside, they entered an elevator, and she pressed the button for the 15th floor. As they ascended, she explained, "We need you to test your spell power in reality. This will help us assess the possible strength of a level 50 player in the real world, which is vital information for us."
Su Yu shrugged, "I mentioned it yesterday: the spell damage a Tier-0 mage causes in-game is almost identical to reality. You could analyze the video if you need proof."
"Yes, we built the model as you suggested. But hard data is essential for verification," she replied, her voice unwavering. "The department wants accuracy."
"Fair enough. I understand."
"And there's an incentive for you," she added. "After the test, you'll receive a unit of spiritual energy sourced from the 'Spring of Yunlu Mountain'—quite rare and valuable."
Su Yu's curiosity piqued. "What's the 'Spring of Yunlu Mountain'?"
"That's a story for another time," she said with a mysterious smile as the elevator opened.
---
The 15th floor was still under construction, with scattered equipment and materials in the hallways. Scientists in white coats bustled about, each focused and hurried. As they passed, the scientists nodded politely to Xue Wenli before quickly returning to their tasks.
Eventually, they reached a windowless room at the end of the hall. Inside, an older man in a white coat sat beside a circular iron plate about a meter in diameter, mounted on the wall. Its back was wrapped in coils, hinting at some form of magnetic field equipment.
The old man waved as they entered. "Wenli, good to see you! And this must be Su Yu?"
"Yes, Professor Shen," she said respectfully. "This is Su Yu."
Professor Shen's eyes lit up as he looked Su Yu over, almost like a collector admiring a rare artifact. "Young man, may I ask you a few questions first?"
"Of course," Su Yu agreed with a nod.
Professor Shen began asking questions, mostly about any unusual changes Su Yu might have felt in his body since starting the game. Su Yu answered them all, saying that he had experienced no abnormalities so far. Xue Wenli stood by, listening intently but staying silent.
Once he was done, Professor Shen gestured to the iron plate on the wall. "Alright, now, I'd like you to use your most powerful spell against this. We need real data to measure the effect."
"Understood." Su Yu did a quick mental calculation.
His actual level was 18, with a base spell power of 58, but he had told the officials he was only a level 7 mage with a spell power of 20. He also knew his [Lightning Bolt] was three times stronger than the average mage's, plus his true level would amplify the damage even further.
To simulate the power of a level 7 mage accurately, Su Yu estimated he needed to control his spell to about one-twentieth of its true strength.
Focusing, he lowered his output accordingly. After 1.5 seconds, a thin arc of lightning—no wider than his thumb—shot from his hand, striking the iron plate and leaving a slight scorch mark on its surface.
Meanwhile, the computer in the room processed the results, displaying Su Yu's spell power as 1,456.76. How it arrived at that number was unclear, but Professor Shen seemed pleased.
Seeing Su Yu cast a spell in real life momentarily stunned Professor Shen. Despite his experience, witnessing an actual display of magic was almost surreal. But soon, his surprise turned to excitement as he checked the computer's results.
"Wenli! His spell strength matches our model precisely! It's exactly what we expected from a level 7 mage in-game," Professor Shen announced, clearly elated.
"That's fantastic news!" Xue Wenli exclaimed, her expression brightening. "This means we can push forward with publicizing the game more confidently."
Su Yu interjected, "May I offer a suggestion?"
"Of course," she replied, turning to him.
"First," he said, "I advise against letting the public know that game powers translate to reality."
"Second, the production of game helmets should be scaled up as much as possible. We need to ensure enough are available nationwide before ordinary people find out about the powers."
His recommendation was grounded in painful memories from his previous life. In that timeline, five months after the alien invasion began, rumors spread that players could use their game abilities in the real world. However, the country had only about five million helmets available, far short of covering the population.
Demand soared, driving helmet prices to astronomical levels. Desperation led to crimes and even violence, with people risking everything for a helmet to gain strength before the aliens arrived. The turmoil that followed was brutal, fueled by the drive to survive.
Su Yu didn't want that chaos to happen again.
Xue Wenli took a moment to consider his advice, then nodded. "I'll inform Zhong Feng of your suggestions. They're sensible and would avoid unnecessary panic."
Su Yu nodded, relieved to have contributed a small measure toward a better outcome.
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*End of Chapter*