After returning from Terra, Xing Chen had to prepare for his military camp entry.
The mentor asked Xing Chen to bring Theresa to school, saying there were important matters to discuss.
"This is your confidential phone. You must use it during your time in the military management zone."
Xing Chen took the phone; it was this year's latest model.
"Can't we use our own phones?" the Senior Disciple asked, puzzled.
"I don't need to tell you how many unspeakable things are on your phones, do I?"
After the mentor spoke, Theresa looked at Xing Chen with suspicion.
"If there are no issues, go home and pack up properly today. Tomorrow at this time, gather at the school; a car will pick us up then."
The next day, Xing Chen and his group boarded the military vehicle and headed to the military management zone.
The mentor and the military officer were discussing some matters, while Xing Chen and Theresa looked at the scenery.
"Xing Chen, can I take photos?"
"No, many things here are confidential."
"Oh, then should we find something to do?"
"Get some good rest. I don't know what else we'll have to do once we get there."
After speaking, Xing Chen closed his eyes. Unable to sleep in the real world, resting his eyes became the best form of rest.
Seeing that Xing Chen didn't want to accompany her, Theresa turned her gaze back to the car window.
Just then, the vehicle passed a patch of farmland where several soldiers in camouflage were helping an elderly farmer with limited mobility tend to his fields.
She elbowed Xing Chen hard, but he remained unresponsive, as if dead.
After passing through a large gate, the group finally arrived at their destination.
"So this is X City's weapon testing ground..."
"Xing Chen, haven't you been here before?"
"How could I just casually come to a place like this?"
After getting their luggage, Xing Chen and Theresa got out of the car. A young man about Xing Chen's age was brought over by his mentor.
"You must be Xing Chen, welcome, welcome." The young man immediately grabbed Xing Chen's hand and started shaking it.
While exchanging pleasantries, Xing Chen observed the other person's details—he was wearing a military uniform and had military insignia, making him at least a mid-level officer, so his identity was certainly not simple.
After greeting Xing Chen, he turned his gaze to Theresa.
"Are you also from the Theresa faction? Your girlfriend looks so much like the Demon King."
Xing Chen was momentarily stunned and didn't react. The young man then took Theresa's hand and started greeting her.
"Can you perform that iconic scene? The one with Amiya?"
Theresa didn't know what the other party was up to. She could only hold his hands with both of hers, maintaining her signature smile, waiting for Xing Chen to rescue her.
"Oh, oh, oh, I remember that scene..."
Theresa was completely at a loss at this moment. Although she didn't show panic, meeting a stranger in a strange place who immediately expressed enthusiastic recognition of her was a situation she had truly never encountered.
"Ahem, this is a public place, please maintain your composure."
Xing Chen roughly understood. This person should be a Rhodes Island fan like himself, and a fervent Theresa enthusiast at that.
"My apologies, my apologies. I got too excited seeing you and your girlfriend," the other party adjusted his emotions slightly. "Let me introduce myself. I'm a Ph.D. from the National University of Defense Technology, and also the head disciple of the academician organizing this joint conference. You must have seen that video about modifying a tank with Originium, right? That was my achievement."
Oh no, this one is a real Doctor.
On the other side, his mentor and the other party's mentor finished their discussion and seemed to be heading to another location.
Xing Chen and his two Senior Disciples divided their luggage and, led by the other party, headed to the guesthouse where they would be staying.
"So, do you support Theresa or Prythian in the end?"
Hearing his name mentioned, Theresa instinctively looked at him and Xing Chen.
"I support Prythian. Humans should transcend."
While he said that, he wasn't a one-track mind. He just felt that the bond between the Seer and Prythian shouldn't be disturbed, which didn't mean he disliked Theresa.
"That's good too. I thought you'd blast me for liking an alien female spy."
"Xing Chen, what's an alien female spy?" Theresa always felt that phrase had a peculiar ring to it.
"It's just..."
As the other party was about to explain, Xing Chen quickly interrupted.
"It's just a prank by some people, right?"
After saying that, he frantically hinted at the other party with his eyes, and the other party immediately understood his meaning, nodding wildly.
"..." Theresa immediately stared at the two, who instantly turned their heads guiltily.
Along the way, the Doctor kept chatting idly with Xing Chen, discussing various feelings about the plot.
From the Infrostland of Sami to the Scorched Earth of Sargon, from Higashi to Columbia, from Siracusa to Aegir.
Theresa only knew some of the terms but couldn't connect them at all.
Many other terms she had never even heard of. These were all matters of Terra, so why did this stranger seem to know more than she did?
In fact, this was the result of Xing Chen deliberately guiding the conversation to avoid topics of the Pre-civilization and Sarkaz.
Many of the things they discussed, Xing Chen had already changed the antecedents of the events. If not for the correction of fate, the subsequent developments would not be like the original plot.
This, at least, prevented the birth of a "Seer" in her heart.
The guesthouse was not far from where they got off the car. In front of the gate, people from various research institutes were exchanging greetings.
Academics all have their own circles. Xing Chen had been with his mentor for a relatively short time and didn't know much.
However, it was certain that everyone from these institutes had received proliferating Originium crystals.
Seeing Xing Chen and his group approach, everyone put down what they were doing.
They came over to greet the two Senior Disciples.
"Xing Chen, why aren't they coming to greet you?" Theresa whispered softly from the side.
"Because I don't really make a fuss, I guess."
This was not strange; he and the Senior Disciples were the ones distributing the crystals, so it was normal for people not to recognize him.
The two Senior Disciples were tied up, so the mentor's luggage fell to Xing Chen and Theresa.
Mainly Theresa carried it; that amount of weight was nothing to her.
The leading Doctor scratched his head and chuckled, then led the two around the crowd and into the building.
After putting the mentor's luggage in a single room, he took the two to their room.
"This is your double room," the leading Doctor said, opening the door and introducing the room to them. "The room has excellent sound insulation, but still be careful in the camp area."
Xing Chen nodded, then Theresa went in to unpack while he saw the other party off.
"Oh, okay." Xing Chen said, taking the key from the other party. "What about my two Senior Disciples?"
"They also have double rooms. All those large single rooms are for the higher-ups."
"Right. Oh, by the way, what should we call you?" The other party had chatted with him the whole way, and Xing Chen hadn't thought to ask his name.
"Yu Yanjia, just call me Yu Bo." The other party said with a smile, "No joke, it's just a coincidence."
Xing Chen heard a cough from inside the room.