Chapter 159 – Major General
If she hadn’t been able to get out of the Threshold today, that group would have undoubtedly stopped the treatment without hesitation.
Tu Ran let out a cold laugh, not expecting that during her time in the Threshold, the medical department was actually the one hoping the most for her to return alive.
She turned her head and clicked the payment button in the lower right corner of the electronic screen she held.
Then facial recognition appeared, and she positioned her face for verification.
[Payment Successful]
The electronic screen emitted a sound.
The doctor instantly beamed with a smile, picked up a bag of fluid from the cart pushed in by the nurse, walked to Xi Chunzhi’s bedside, hung it on the infusion stand, and then inserted the needle into Xi Chunzhi’s vein.
Tu Ran handed the electronic screen back to the nurse, sat down on the chair by the bed, and glanced at the name tag on him: Xie Xinyu.
“When can she wake up?”
“It’s still uncertain.”
Tu Ran furrowed her brows tightly and said coldly, “If you can’t save her, then are those four thousand Federation credits wasted every day?”
Xie Xinyu was momentarily taken aback, stopped his actions, and retorted, “These four thousand Federation credits can sustain her life, keeping her alive until you return. Otherwise, all you’d see now is her tombstone.”
“Dr. Xie, I think you might want to use a different approach,” Tu Ran’s voice was icy to the extreme.
Xie Xinyu was startled by her suddenly darkened expression.
He worried that she might pick up a machine gun and shoot him at any moment.
His attitude instantly improved, and a proper smile appeared on his face.
“We are actively searching for ways to wake her up. Rest assured, our medical department won’t ruin its reputation,” Xie Xinyu said.
“That’s good,” Tu Ran replied, standing up.
Xie Xinyu took a cautious step back. “What are you going to do?”
Tu Ran was puzzled by his reaction and asked, “What are you doing?”
“Don’t think about attacking me. I’m quite skilled,” he said, demonstrating a boxing stance with his hands.
Tu Ran was speechless. How could someone like this be a doctor? Was he suffering from paranoia?
“Does the medical department have a psychiatry department?”
“Yes… yes, we do. Why do you ask?” Xie Xinyu responded, confused.
“Go see a psychiatrist for your mind.”
With that, Tu Ran turned and left.
She still had to return her equipment, attend meetings, and explain why her holographic recording bracelet was missing. She had a lot on her plate and no time to waste on him.
Left alone, Xie Xinyu touched his face, wondering if he had overreacted. Could he really have a mental illness? No way! He quickly dismissed the thought.
He was just a bit timid… or rather, he was simply more cautious.
As she left the medical department, Zero’s voice came through her earpiece.
“Research Institute has reported that they cannot detect the signal from your holographic recording bracelet. May I ask where your holographic recording bracelet is?”
“It’s lost,” Tu Ran replied, trying to stay calm so that her heart rate and breathing remained normal, making it harder for Zero to detect any suspicion. “I passed out in the Threshold, and when I woke up, the bracelet was gone.”
“Zero has sent the reason back to the Research Institute, and they will respond shortly.”
“Okay.” Tu Ran continued walking with an indifferent expression. She stopped at the suspended rail station sign, boarded the next train as usual, used facial recognition to pay, and then waited to arrive at the Administration Building station.
Zero said, “I’ve detected that your heart rate is quite low. Are you distressed about not accumulating points due to the loss of your holographic recording bracelet?”
Tu Ran was impressed with herself for managing to lower her heart rate to below normal levels.
“I am a bit worried,” she responded.
“There’s no need to worry. During your time in the Threshold, the Federal Government has readjusted the scene reconstruction plan. Instead of using a single holographic recording bracelet for modeling and reconstruction, they are now using a combination of the holographic recording bracelet and a memory reader for scene reconstruction.”
“So losing the holographic recording bracelet won’t result in a significant loss of your actual points.”
Tu Ran froze. “A combination of the holographic recording bracelet and a memory reader?”
If she used the memory reader, wouldn’t that expose everything?
“With so many pioneers, wouldn’t using the memory reader be a waste of time?”
“It is indeed slower than analyzing data from the holographic recording bracelet. However, according to the Research Institute’s estimates, with all memory readers working around the clock, they should be able to read all the pioneers’ memories in about three days.”
Zero’s voice was cold and mechanical.
Tu Ran’s palms began to sweat. She quietly turned her hands, exposing them to the air to let the sweat evaporate quickly, cooling her body down.
She needed to keep her temperature from rising too fast; otherwise, Zero would detect it.
Her face remained expressionless. “Why the sudden change?”
Had the Federation discovered something?
Such as the inner core?
Zero replied coldly, “The specific reasons are beyond Zero’s knowledge.”
Tu Ran pressed her lips together. “Am I first in line for a memory reading?”
She thought about being the first to emerge from the Threshold. She hoped she wasn’t the first to undergo memory reading.
“The order is arranged by point totals, from high-level pioneers to mid-level pioneers and then to low-level pioneers. You should be scheduled for the third day.”
Tu Ran let out a silent sigh of relief. At least she wasn’t the first; she still had three days to find a solution.
“We have arrived at the Administration Building. Please take your belongings and prepare to disembark.”
The mechanical female voice in the train announced. Tu Ran stood up and waited at the door.
The train came to a stop, and the doors opened. Tu Ran stepped off.
She first went to the Pioneer Equipment Room to return her equipment.
Other pioneers had already started returning, each looking exhausted. They sorted their various pieces of equipment and placed them in designated areas, where there would be a section dedicated to repairing the equipment.
Tu Ran walked to the adjacent women’s changing room, retrieved a clean set of clothes from her personal locker, and took a shower to clean herself before changing.
She glanced at the time; it was already 9:30. She followed the crowd to Meeting Room 721.
The meeting room had only a small number of people scattered around.
Tu Ran chose a seat at random, pulled out the chair, and sat down.
At the front of the room sat Major General Xie Zhao, the commanding officer of the Pioneer Team, in a neat and elegant military uniform. His presence was imposing and unattainable, a stark contrast to the weary and grim-faced pioneers who had been forced to attend the meeting.
This was the glamour of those in high positions.
Next to him sat Li Wenchuan, who had also just come out of the Threshold and looked rather unwell.
Tu Ran rested her chin on her hand and casually observed Xie Zhao’s face, which resembled Xie Xu’s by about thirty to forty percent.
What role did the Xie family play in the Federal Government?
Major General Xie Zhao held a high position as the commanding officer of the Pioneer Team.
Xie Xu was a senior member of the Research Institute, one of only a few senior members, and the youngest among them. His ability to independently create a valuable memory reader indicated his considerable skills.
