"Congratulations! Due to the influx of new scientific data into the research room, your talent 'Li Ya' feels a strong sense of fulfillment! She has broken through her talent level!"
"Congratulations! Talent 'Li Ya' has made significant progress and successfully advanced to a C-level talent unit!"
"Whoa, no way!"
"She leveled up on her own!"
Yi Bai stood in shock at the door to the research room, utterly stunned.
She spends all her time locked in there, more reclusive than I am, and she's managed to level up? What kind of genius is she?!
He quickly opened Li Ya's latest data list to check.
Apart from her existing special talents in [Engineering Expertise] and [Wisdom], she had acquired a new attribute: [Top Scholar].
[Top Scholar]: Li Ya possesses an extremely strong drive and ability to learn. She can grasp any new knowledge related to science or engineering with remarkable insight, allowing her to continuously improve and advance her rank through learning.
"Wow, a growth trait!" Yi Bai widened his eyes, excited.
If Li Ya keeps learning, she could keep leveling up, constantly evolving into a higher-tier talent unit!
"Could it be because of those technology projects I bought?" Yi Bai pondered. Every time he purchased new tech through survival points, related scientific theories and data were automatically delivered to the research room.
Li Ya, spending all her time in there, was soaking up all that new knowledge.
According to the prompt, she was extremely pleased with the data Yi Bai had bought, and the more she learned, the more motivated she became.
"This isn't some innate powerhouse body… this is an innate scholar! She's a pioneer of human progress!" Yi Bai marveled before pushing open the door to the research room.
Yi Bai rarely visited the research room since he wasn't particularly interested in this kind of stuff. It was like how some students hated textbooks—just seeing them gave him a headache.
But Li Ya was different. She seemed to be naturally obsessed with every scientific challenge.
As soon as Yi Bai stepped inside, he saw Li Ya hunched over an experimental table, now wearing a simple white lab coat covered in various stains and marks—evidence of countless experiments.
She didn't notice Yi Bai's presence, completely absorbed in her work. Her hands moved swiftly and precisely between instruments, occasionally adjusting settings.
Even though Yi Bai was an outsider, he could tell she was aiming for perfection in every detail of her experiments. Her whole focus was on the work at hand, her expression serious, as if the world only existed for her and her experiments.
Yi Bai stood silently at the side, observing, not wanting to interrupt.
He suddenly realized that a woman who worked so diligently had a kind of unexpected charm.
Li Ya wasn't the most conventionally beautiful, her beauty was understated, but like stars on a quiet night, she quietly shimmered in the small research room.
Her long black hair was loosely tied into a low ponytail, with stray strands falling near her face and swaying gently in the air. She casually brushed aside her hair, but then noticed the man standing by the door.
"Eh? Who's that?"
"Ah, it's the boss!"
Li Ya quickly turned around, smiling at Yi Bai, though her face betrayed signs of exhaustion.
"Just arrived. I didn't want to disturb you while you were busy." Yi Bai nodded. "You haven't had enough rest, have you? You look tired."
"Ah, I'm fine. It's just that I haven't slept for two nights," Li Ya said with a light-hearted wave of her hand. "There's so much new data and experimental projects in here lately, all related to building structures, smart information tech, and miniature robotics models.
I feel like, if I can fully grasp them, I'll bring huge benefits to you, boss!"
"Have you grasped it yet?" Yi Bai asked.
Li Ya's expression stiffened as she sighed and shook her head. "No, I can't make sense of it all. It feels like there's a lot of missing foundational knowledge. I can't replicate it yet."
"It's alright, no rush." Yi Bai replied calmly. He understood the difference between innovation and simply purchasing ready-made products. He could buy finished goods with survival points without mastering the underlying tech. But for Li Ya, mastering the core technology of those products was far more difficult.
"Researching technology can be done anytime. Take your time," Yi Bai added.
He then opened the store interface and bought a few special potions.
[Omni-recovery Potion]: A box of 12, consuming 500 survival points; when consumed, it automatically restores physical debuffs and fatigue, ensuring the body remains in peak health. (This potion doesn't replace food; it can't fill the stomach.)
Yi Bai purchased 10 boxes without batting an eye, spending 5000 survival points.
"Here you go."
He placed the box of potions in front of Li Ya. "Drink one when you're tired. Your health is important—don't overexert yourself."
With Li Ya's [Top Scholar] attribute, her value to Yi Bai had just skyrocketed.
If she had enough time, Li Ya could potentially evolve into an A-level or even S-level talent unit through continuous learning.
"Boss!" Li Ya took the potion box, her eyes flashing with gratitude. She lowered her head, but then mischievously said, "Boss, you're so good to me... are you trying to pursue me?"
Yi Bai froze.
"Eh?!"
Li Ya's eyes sparkled with a teasing glint as she sighed dramatically. "Ah, but that would upset Sister Xiaoci, wouldn't it? I don't want to be her rival. She's really strong, you know."
Yi Bai put his hand on his forehead.
"This is just normal concern for my subordinates, an extra benefit. Don't overthink it."
"Really?"
Li Ya leaned closer, her body brushing against his as her eyes narrowed mischievously. "But if... the boss really wanted to go further, well, I'm just a defenseless little researcher. I wouldn't be able to resist.
I'd probably... just silently endure, let the boss do whatever he wanted to me."
She lowered her head, seemingly on the verge of tears, fully embracing the act.
"Damn!"
Yi Bai swore under his breath. What kind of kink does she have?
Is she actually looking forward to me taking advantage of her?
"Ah? Are we starting now? Does the boss like this atmosphere?"
Li Ya's eyes brightened. "Boss, let me lock the door right away!"
"Wait, wait! You've misunderstood the word 'damn,' it's just an expression of frustration! It doesn't mean anything!"
Yi Bai quickly grabbed Li Ya's arm. "Stop it. Let's focus on business. How's the cooling system research you discussed with Xiaoci going?"
"Making some progress. I've actually made something," Li Ya turned around and pulled out a few small vests from a nearby drawer. "It's not hard, but I can't mass-produce it. It's all up to me to make them manually."
"We're short on raw materials and factories. A lot of tech projects can be done, but the quantity will be limited."
"Ah, that's indeed a problem," Yi Bai frowned.
If there were only a few cooling devices, that might be enough for the original team, but now with 500 soldiers, those few devices wouldn't even come close to covering the needs.
Li Ya's problem also made Yi Bai realize that sustaining an army of 500 soldiers was far more challenging than just supporting the residents.
Feeding an army was way more complicated than feeding civilians.
For example, while the weapons for the 500 soldiers were impressive, the ammunition was limited!
Once the ammunition ran out, the fighting power of the army would plummet.
Though Chinese soldiers were tough and could even fight with cold weapons if necessary, Yi Bai wasn't keen on that outcome. He didn't want to end up in a situation where his army had to fight with knives.
"This situation is trickier than I thought." Yi Bai sighed deeply, but Li Ya quietly moved closer, pressing her body against his. "Boss, is there anything I can do? I'm pretty clever, you know."
"We're short on bullets, assembly lines, and factories... you're right, we can't rely on you alone for this." Yi Bai rubbed his temples, feeling the pressure, but Li Ya grinned mischievously.
"Boss, I heard… there are a lot of new laborers in our shelter?"
"Laborers? Ah, you mean the new residents. Yeah, there are a few hundred more."
"Then why don't we just bring back the city's factories, airports, and other facilities?"
Li Ya tilted her head and smiled brightly at Yi Bai. "We don't have factories, but we can steal the equipment! We're not short on workers or tech, just equipment. Even if they're not skilled workers, I've already figured out the production techniques. We can teach them patiently."
Li Ya's hand silently covered Yi Bai's, her voice soft, "Boss, you have people, you have tech. You're worried about equipment? Just grab whatever's needed from anywhere in the city!"
"Do you know how to make bullets?" Yi Bai looked at her, amazed. Li Ya shrugged.
"I can't make missiles, but basic ammunition is no problem. If you give me a week, I'll try to figure out how to set up