Chapter 161 – [Time Pause]
Tu Ran’s gaze uncontrollably shifted towards the top of his head.
[Time Pause]
[Description: Can pause time for one second; within this second, only you can perceive the passage of time in the entire universe.
Level: Primary]
Tu Ran: Such a high-level superpower, and the description is so sophisticated… only you can feel the passage of time in the entire universe…
While her own superpower was only described as—”literal meaning”
Tu Ran: …
If Zhao Yan only had this one superpower, Tu Ran would have thought he had obtained it by chance, much like the [Wheel of Time] obtained by chance from eating insects.
However, when Tu Ran saw the second and third superpowers above his head, she realized that Zhao Yan was already aware of the inner core.
[Mental Control]
[Description: Controls any object within a ten-meter radius with your mind; the weight of the object depends on the owner’s strength.
Level: Intermediate]
[Telepathy]
[Description: Captures the thoughts of any species within a ten-meter radius; can transmit thoughts over long distances.
Level: Primary]
Tu Ran: ?! Damn it!!
Didn’t Zhao Yan just hear everything she was thinking?!
Sure enough, Zhao Yan’s gaze had shifted to her at some point.
Their eyes met, and a voice suddenly appeared in Tu Ran’s mind: You actually noticed that I have superpowers? I’m curious, how did you figure that out?
He was tempting her thoughts to move in the direction he wanted to know.
When he asked this, the answer to the question typically appeared in most people’s minds immediately.
Just like when she used illusions—
Tu Ran quickly interrupted her own thoughts.
It was too dangerous; she had almost exposed her own secrets just now. Indeed, thoughts were the most difficult to guard against.
It was already ten o’clock, and the conference room door was closed. Xie Zhao began speaking.
“I’m glad to see everyone here. As usual, today’s meeting will start with the announcement—”
Tu Ran stood up abruptly.
Xie Zhao’s words were left hanging, and he stopped speaking.
“Tu Ran, do you have a question?” Xie Zhao looked at her. Out of courtesy, he wasn’t angry at her sudden interruption; instead, he politely inquired.
Her inexplicable behavior seemed particularly odd in the quiet conference room. All eyes turned to her, including Li Wenchuan’s beside Xie Zhao.
Tu Ran didn’t care about that anymore.
She absolutely could not stay within ten meters of Zhao Yan.
“My ears were injured within the Threshold, causing some hearing loss. I can’t quite hear what Commander Xie is saying, so I request to sit closer to Commander Xie,” Tu Ran said calmly.
Li Wenchuan frowned at her, clearly not believing her explanation. He was already guessing in his mind why Tu Ran was deliberately moving closer to Xie Zhao.
Xie Zhao paused, evidently not expecting this reason, and said, “Sure, you can sit wherever you like.”
Tu Ran turned and, dragging her chair, walked to Xie Zhao’s left side in full view of everyone, sitting down confidently.
This distance put her at least ten meters away from Zhao Yan. She was not worried at all that Zhao Yan would pick up her thoughts.
She looked arrogantly at Zhao Yan, who merely gave her a faint glance before focusing entirely on Xie Zhao.
Xie Zhao was discussing the losses incurred by the Pioneer Team within the Threshold.
“Our 36th pioneering operation in the Threshold involved a total of 842 people. As of 10 a.m. today, with the Threshold gate closed, 581 have come out. About 30% remain inside the Threshold with their fates unknown. There are 440 present here, while the remaining 141 are receiving medical treatment.”
Xie Zhao put down the electronic screen in his hand and looked at everyone present.
“This data is not very good. Our Pioneer Team suffered heavy casualties. I want to ask everyone what the reason might be.”
No one spoke. Over four hundred people collectively lowered their heads.
Indeed, regardless of age, there was an inexplicable sense of fear when answering questions from a “teacher.”
Xie Zhao was their commander and had also taught them some knowledge during the training years ago. In a certain sense, he was considered their teacher.
“Tu Ran, please share your thoughts on the cause.”
He turned his dark green eyes to Tu Ran, who was seated closest to him.
Tu Ran:…
So she was supposed to lower her head as well, wasn’t she? It was too late now; everyone’s gaze in the conference room was fixed on her face.
This woman, who had once performed exceptionally well during training, had been silent for a year, and they had almost forgotten about her.
Li Wenchuan stared at Tu Ran, his brows furrowed tightly.
She was too conspicuous today.
Tu Ran racked her brain for the right words. “Um… I think it’s a matter of probability. The extent of casualties within the Threshold largely depends on the location where people are delivered after entering.
If more people are sent to dangerous areas, the chances of survival naturally decrease. If most people are sent to places where the combat strength of alien species is relatively weak, the survival rate increases.”
Xie Zhao nodded. “That is indeed one reason. However, according to the latest data released by the research institute, the number of pioneers deployed to each area within the Threshold is nearly equal.”
“The desert and island areas are the most dangerous with the highest death rates; the plains and highlands are considered low-risk with higher survival rates. If the number of pioneers sent to each area is the same, then the probability issue you mentioned should not exist.”
Xie Zhao paused and added, “Or rather, there might be slight fluctuations in probability, but it should not be as high as 30% of people remaining in the Threshold. You should know that in the previous 35 pioneering operations, the highest percentage of people left in the Threshold was only 22%.”
“As we gain more experience, the probability should logically decrease, so why has it suddenly become so high?”
Tu Ran pressed her lips together, speechless.
How could she explain it? Should she mention the competition for the inner core or internal strife?
For example, she had dealt with three pioneers herself?
Fortunately, Xie Zhao didn’t press further.
Who can truly predict probabilities?
Winning the lottery with a 0.000001% chance still means some people might win twice.
“There is one more thing to notify you about,” Xie Zhao said. “The second batch of pioneers has completed their training, and a graduation party will be held for them tomorrow. If anyone is interested, you can attend and also take the opportunity to relax.”
“Alright.”
“I want to see the juniors!”
“I’ll go and take a look!”
“I didn’t expect they would graduate so soon.”
“Finally, someone will share the burden we’ve been carrying.”
The conference room buzzed with activity. The mood had shifted from frustration to lively conversation as people began to chat with each other.
Xie Zhao raised his hand to signal for quiet. The room fell silent once more, returning to a state where a pin dropping could be heard.
“Zero should have informed each of you. Starting from now, we will use a combination of holographic recording bracelets and memory readers to reconstruct the scenes inside the Threshold.”
Everyone nodded in agreement.
