RNP Page 45
Page 45
"That's right."
As soon as Xia Mi heard Sakurai Akira's name, she immediately snapped out of her reverie, feeling somewhat regretful that her vacation was about to be over.
The system analysis revealed what she was regretting: before Sakurai Akira learned Chinese, she had to act as a translator.
It said casually, "There are still a few days left, it might not affect your trip during the New Year's Day holiday."
"That would be the best!"
Xia Mi smiled again.
After the morning exercises were over and he returned to class, the way his classmates looked at Lu Mingfei became increasingly strange.
A first prize in the province! The competition is a gathering of the best in the province. Apart from Xia Mi, that all-around genius, who dares to say they're a sure thing? At least Zhao Menghua, who was originally the top student in the class, certainly wouldn't dare.
Zhao Menghua admitted that he was getting restless because the hype and praise he had been generating lately were getting worse.
These things won't disappear; they've simply been transferred to Lu Mingfei.
With only six months left until he could outlive Chu Zihang and become the next famous boy in the school, Lu Mingfei suddenly appeared out of nowhere...
"It's just bad luck, definitely bad luck. It's just a provincial first prize, right? Everyone has that." He said through gritted teeth.
He originally thought that Lu Mingfei was at most similar to himself, but he forgot the amazing boost that Lu Mingfei's successful comeback brought to everyone.
……
The physical abilities of dangerous hybrids are truly remarkable. Yesterday, Sakurai Akira was exhausted from a series of failed attempts, but today he's bouncing around like a madman.
However, Sakurai Akira was not deterred by yesterday's ordeal. He was just being kept in the charity school by the Snake-Headed Eight Family, not that he was mentally challenged.
As long as he can successfully control the dragon blood and grow freely under the sun, all the hardships and torments he has endured will be worthwhile!
As for failing... it's just death! He was supposed to spend the rest of his life at the charity school for another 20 years, during which time he would have to pray that his bloodline wouldn't kick in.
Either he gets the email, runs off to have fun for a month, and then his bloodline kicks in and he dies...
Now he can take a gamble. If he succeeds, he will be free for the rest of his life for decades. What is there for him to be dissatisfied with?
So even though he felt his hand bones being repeatedly folded like a tree branch after the system's new attempt failed, he gritted his teeth and didn't make a sound.
Only his forehead, dripping with cold sweat, and his trembling body revealed his true condition.
"It failed, but it wasn't a complete failure." The system picked up Sakurai Akira's hand and examined it carefully, its expression serious.
The failure just now was not a complete collapse of the miniature alchemy matrix; it was only caused by a short circuit that occurred when it started operating.
The alchemical matrix absorbed too much power, overloading and destroying the fragile miniature alchemical matrix in one fell swoop.
The system's approach is to fight dragon blood with dragon blood, drawing power from Sakurai Akira's own bloodline to maintain the operation of the alchemy matrix, and then the alchemy matrix counters and suppresses the dragon blood.
If Akira Sakurai had a dragon body, the experiment might have succeeded, because a dragon body could support a more stable alchemical matrix.
Once Sakurai Akira had recovered sufficiently, the system began its second attempt.
This time we've succeeded halfway.
It's still a problem of line overload...
The system frowned and did not immediately proceed to the third attempt.
Without any special methods, my proficiency with these subtle techniques over two days has truly reached its limit.
"Boss Lu, the engraving process requires too much precision. How about we try slow immersion engraving?"
Xia Mi then made a suggestion.
If Norton doesn't demonstrate some real skill in manipulating the human body, it would normally take him half a month to complete, which made her uncomfortable.
However, the system did not agree immediately.
Having become accustomed to using the Samadhi Fire, Lu Mingfei and Panpan could disregard the distinction between the two methods in metal alchemy.
However, without the convenience of Samadhi Fire, ordinary alchemists would have to learn both of these methods.
But how can the human body be immersed in such a solution? How can the human body withstand a solution that can immerse special metals, and how can it be controlled after being injected into the body?
"Boss, your alchemical matrix is about dragon blood against dragon blood, so what if we take dragon blood from the human body and imprint it onto the human body?" Xia Mi's casual remark made the system suddenly realize something.
"You'll get a bonus this month," the system told her.
Upon hearing this, Xia Mi immediately perked up and widened her eyes, asking, "Thank you, boss! How much is it?"
"Double your salary!"
The system stopped wasting time talking to her and began to try the method Xia Mi had suggested.
Chapter 81 The Melancholy of Xia Mi
Originally, Akira Sakurai only felt pain after failing an attempt, but after the system accepted Natsumi's suggestion, he learned the folk art of Chinese culture—face-changing.
The blood of dragons is used to etch human flesh and bones, which is no different from slowly putting your hand into a meat grinder.
Sakurai Akira immediately asked for a towel to gag him. He was already clenching his teeth and couldn't hold on any longer. He desperately needed external intervention to keep himself from making a sound.
Watching Sakurai Akira's once handsome face turn ferocious and continue to change, and feeling the overwhelming resentment and anger emanating from him with every glance... Panpan fearfully retreated silently behind Xia Mi.
Xia Mi was also scared, especially since she was the one who suggested it. So she turned around and put Panpan in front of her, hiding behind Panpan herself.
The two kept protecting each other in front of them, but neither made a sound or any noise, for fear of affecting Lu Mingfei who was operating the machine.
"Success."
The system's voice faded, but Sakurai Akira's expression became even more ferocious, his eyes almost bulging out.
The operation of the miniature alchemical matrix felt as if it were tearing his body apart.
It wasn't until several minutes later, when he was almost completely exhausted, that he felt the pain slowly subside.
Seeing Sakurai Akira gasping for breath, looking as if he'd been pulled from the water, Natsumi asked, "Did you succeed?"
The system nodded, then said, "One miniature alchemy matrix isn't enough; it needs to cover the entire body, and... it requires regular maintenance and updates, but the timing for those maintenance and updates hasn't been determined yet."
This wasn't a system intentionally left with this flaw to facilitate the control of dangerous hybrids; it's simply that there's no way to install a permanent micro-alchemy matrix.
The human body's limits are insufficient to support this operation.
"In hybrids, bloodlines can power the alchemical matrix, but what about in ordinary people? There's no power source."
Lu Mingfei discussed this matter with the system.
Although he can activate various incantations, the physical attributes of a hybrid are simply not something his physical abilities can match.
Like the self-inflicted wound that Sakurai Akira inflicted, Lu Mingfei's body definitely wouldn't be able to withstand Su Enxi and the others coming over. Even if Su Enxi and the others did come, under that brutal treatment method, Lu Mingfei would most likely still die.
Now that the living alchemy has been successful, the next step is naturally to operate on Lu Mingfei's body, using alchemy to improve the body's basic qualities.
[...more possibilities need to be explored with hybrid bodies...]
The system is quite cautious; it only tries to apply various operations of the alchemy matrix to itself after successfully testing them on others.
First, we'll get the human trials working, then we'll figure out how to move on to the next stage.
“Okay.” Lu Mingfei thought about it and agreed. One must eat one bite at a time and walk one step at a time.
After Xia Mi translated the system's words to Sakurai Akira, Sakurai Akira's previously exhausted body was immediately filled with strength, and he knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly to Lu Mingfei.
He spoke in broken Japanese, almost incoherently.
Xia Mi, adhering to a responsible attitude for receiving her salary, did not embellish the translation and honestly translated the original words for him.
But after being engraved with two more miniature alchemical matrices, Sakurai Akira was completely exhausted, barely breathing, and looked like he was about to die...
It hurts, it hurts too much...
The pain had numbed him, and he felt that life had lost its meaning.
Seeing that he was about to faint from the pain, the system stopped operating and instead had Su Enxi's people send him back.
Since tonight's event went relatively smoothly, the system took Panpan and Xia Mi out for a barbecue under the guise of a successful trial.
"Boss, I feel like we can really finish this job before the New Year's Day holiday?" Xia Mi said to Lu Mingfei while eating skewers, referring to the topic that had been forced to stop today: "I'm planning to go to Shanghai for a visit then."
"What's your goal over there?" Lu Mingfei asked her after removing the trusteeship.
He doesn't really like traveling; he prefers to stay in his room, whether or not someone is with him, because he doesn't really like traveling.
When he was living at his aunt's house, she was attracted by the descriptions and gorgeous photos of tourist attractions, which made him want to buy one too.
Then, once we went, we were exhausted from climbing mountains, not to mention the beautiful photos, which were only so good because of filters and other enhancements.
"He who has not climbed the Great Wall is no true man," but after Lu Mingfei went to the Great Wall, he felt nothing beyond that saying.
“Just go and broaden your horizons,” Xia Mi said. “I plan to visit the remaining three of the four major first-tier cities to expand my perspective.”
The world is so big, I want to see it.
[...There are Michelin-starred restaurants in Shanghai, so Xia Mi's suggestion can be put into practice...]
After some analysis, it seems that as long as Sakurai Akira can endure it, he can actually finish this job before the New Year's Day holiday. Even if Sakurai Akira can't handle it, he can still get some rest.
So it immediately decided that they could go to Shanghai together and fulfill what Xia Mi had said before.
The first boy to help her fulfill her wish should be someone she remembers fondly. Let's take a few more photos, and hang them above Xia Mi's bedside after we succeed, so she can see them every day.
After the ship capsized, we'll have to rely on these sentimental keepsakes to try and keep her...
Lu Mingfei chimed in, "I've never been to Shanghai either. Do you remember when I said I'd treat you to a Michelin-starred restaurant? I've never been there either."
"Okay." Xia Mi smiled. "I'm going to give you a good thrashing then."
Panpan silently lowered her head and ate without saying a word.
……
After finishing the barbecue, Xia Mi returned to her room.
She took a shower and went to bed, but she couldn't fall asleep.
The moonlight outside the window is beautiful; the bright moon is not lonely, for it is accompanied by a sky full of stars.
But Xia Mi was all alone in her room.
Looking at the moon outside the window, Xia Mi was a little lost in thought, remembering the feigned happiness she had shown when Lu Mingfei said he would accompany her to Shanghai.
Sometimes, she really thought she was a human being, a poor, optimistic, but positive human girl.