Chapter 155: Launched

Along with a sharp cry, Guo Yunhai began to tremble all over, as if he had been struck by lightning. Then, with a dull thud, he collapsed straight to the ground.

......

Except for Dong Xin and Chen Xiaolong, everyone else stared blankly at the scene before them, speechless for a long time.

Everyone guessed that there must have been some kind of electric shock device hidden in Chen Xiaolong's clothes, much like the Black Widow's leather suit in the Avengers. Ah... poor Guo Yunhai...

At this moment, Chen Xiaolong crouched halfway in front of Guo Yunhai, repeatedly poking the latter's head with a single finger. "Sigh... You big guy with a big head and thick neck, haven't you ever read Gu Long's novels and learned any lessons from them? Never mess with the elderly and children; the terror they possess is beyond your imagination!"

"Pfft!" Hearing this, Chen Hao burst into hearty laughter. What Chen Xiaolong said was so true—never mess with the elderly and children. Today, Guo Yunhai had truly comprehended the meaning of those words.

Earlier, because he had provoked Elder Fang, his hands and legs had been snapped by the northern old man. Fortunately, Guo Yunhai's physical constitution was tough enough. After having his limbs reattached, without even needing gauze or bandages, he was able to jump right back around.

And now, he had been electrocuted once again by this unassuming, careless kid Chen Xiaolong, thoroughly enjoying the sensation of paralysis. Until now, Guo Yunhai still hadn't recovered his strength, lying on the ground and twitching from time to time.

Currently, aside from casting a resentful glance at Chen Hao, Guo Yunhai looked at Chen Xiaolong with eyes full of lingering fear.

Chen Hao sighed, walked over, and slowly helped Guo Yunhai up. He patted the dirt off Guo Yunhai's clothes and gave him a meaningful look. "Yunhai, you'd better behave yourself!"

As for her friend being taught a lesson by someone else, Zhuge Taxue didn't seem angry at all. Instead, she asked Chen Xiaolong with great curiosity, "What kind of gadget did you use to shock him? It seems pretty high-tech! Do you have a spare one you can give me? If any hooligans or scoundrels try to harass me in the future, I can use this thing to deal with them."

Chen Xiaolong did not answer her immediately. Instead, he glanced at Dong Xin. Seeing Dong Xin nod, he reached into his pocket, fumbled around for a moment, and tossed a small box to Zhuge Taxue. "This thing is a disposable device. Before using it, just clip it anywhere on your clothes and turn on the switch.

Don't worry, I've calibrated this thing so it won't cause any actual harm to the user. If anyone harbors malicious intentions and tries to lay a hand on you, as long as they touch your clothes, the electric current will automatically strike them.

However, it can only be used once. It breaks after a single use, just like this."

With that, Chen Xiaolong pulled a similar small box out of his cuff, except that this one showed some signs of being scorched. Presumably, it was the device used to attack Guo Yunhai earlier.

"Actually, my original plan was to make this thing into a rechargeable, reusable component, meant to be installed in specialized combat uniforms.

However, the instantaneous discharge of electricity from this type of weapon would directly destroy the internal power storage device, making it impossible to reuse. So for now, it can only be a flawed, disposable product.

I suppose if I am given some time, I might be able to solve this recharging dilemma."

"You made this?" Everyone looked at Chen Xiaolong with astonishment. It seemed Dong Xin was right in calling him a genius! To be able to create such a weapon at such a young age—although still imperfect—was more than enough to surprise anyone.

Chen Xiaolong acted as if it were no big deal. "What's so special about this little gadget? I know how to do plenty of other things!"

Just as Chen Xiaolong was about to start bragging, he suddenly stared at Chen Hao and began to size him up carefully. "Huh? You... who are you?"

"Hmm?" Chen Hao was taken aback by the question. What did this kid mean by suddenly asking this at a time like this? Although he indeed hadn't introduced himself to Chen Xiaolong, why did the boy single him out instead of asking anyone else?

Puzzled as he was, Chen Hao still answered politely. After all, considering the boy's status as a genius, he wouldn't treat him lightly. "Well... Hello, Chen Xiaolong. My name is Chen Hao, and I'm... I'm..."

Chen Hao racked his brain for a long time, trying to figure out how to describe his relationship with Dong Xin, and finally settled on a vague, ambiguous statement: "I'm someone your superior invited to help out."

Chen Xiaolong waved his hand. "I'm not asking about that. I mean... you... how should I put it? Could you also be an electronic engineer?"

"Ah?" Chen Hao hadn't expected Chen Xiaolong to ask such a question. How on earth did he figure that out? Chen Hao nodded. "Well, I suppose you could say that. I used to work as a senior technician in the technical department of Phantasm Corporation."

"Oh? That's the place where the commanding officer works, right? Are you colleagues?" Chen Xiaolong asked again.

Chen Hao shook his head. "Not really. She and I weren't in the same department. By the time she transferred to my department, I had already resigned. How did you figure it out?"

"There are very intense network signal fluctuations coming from you, which is why I thought of it." Chen Xiaolong replied very seriously. After answering, he looked at Chen Hao with intense curiosity, muttering to himself as he observed him, "It really is strange. It's my first time seeing someone with such obvious network signal fluctuations on their body.

That shouldn't be right! If you're just a technician, your network signal fluctuations shouldn't be that strong. It feels as if you're a mobile network service base station."

"What the heck? A mobile network service base station? Is that any way to describe a person?" Chen Hao was utterly speechless.

To his surprise, Chen Xiaolong's next remark left him even more at a loss for how to respond.

The boy shook his head with utmost seriousness. "No! I'm not describing you; I'm emphasizing an objective fact."

"What do you mean?" By this time, Chen Hao also sensed that something was amiss. It seemed Chen Xiaolong wasn't just casually making a frivolous joke, but was talking about a matter very seriously. Out of trust in Chen Xiaolong's professional competence, Chen Hao humbly asked for clarification.

"It's very simple. It means that the network signal fluctuations radiating outward from your body are as massive as those of a mobile network base station," Chen Xiaolong stated simply and clearly.

"How is that possible?!" Not only was Chen Hao startled, but Gu Mengyan and Dong Xin, both of whom had exposure to electronic and information technology among those present, also expressed their shock.

Both of them knew very well that if such massive network information fluctuations truly existed around Chen Hao, his body should have long ago been turned into a vegetative state by the stimulation of those overwhelming radio wave signals.

"What? Do you not believe me?" Chen Xiaolong could tell they were doubting him just by looking at their expressions. In truth, let alone them doubting it, even he himself found it puzzling. Leaving aside whether Chen Hao's own body could withstand such massive information transmission if he himself were a large base station, even the people standing near him—including himself—should have long since suffered from splitting headaches caused by the electromagnetic waves. In a more severe case, fainting on the spot would be entirely possible.

Yet currently, not only was Chen Hao completely fine, but everyone else was also safe and sound. That precisely was what Chen Xiaolong found so bizarre.

At this moment, Gu Mengyan raised a question: "Xiaolong."

"Don't call me Xiaolong. We're not that close, please use my full name!" Chen Xiaolong didn't give the great beauty Gu Mengyan any pleasant expression. "Don't look at me like that, and don't think I'll be polite to you just because you're a beauty. I'm still a minor, not an experienced veteran, nor some little kid who loses his ability to walk upon seeing a pretty older sister. I am Xiaolong the Great, a person determined to become the number one technological talent in the country, the world, and even the entire universe."

......

Dark lines covered everyone's foreheads. This precocious little fellow...

"Cough, cough! Fine, Chen Xiaolong!" Gu Mengyan couldn't bring herself to get angry at a child much younger than her. "I'd like to ask, how did you know that Chen Hao has strong network signal fluctuations? You didn't use any electronic instruments or equipment, did you figure it out just by looking at him?"

Hearing Gu Mengyan bring this up, everyone else came to their senses as well. That's right! Just now they had been too busy being shocked, completely forgetting how Chen Xiaolong had managed to discover this in the first place.

Just as everyone waited for Chen Xiaolong to provide an answer, his next words made them feel even more exasperated.

Only to hear him say, "None of your business! I don't want to tell you. It's a boy's secret..."

"Pfft—"

"Cough, cough! Well..." Just as Dong Xin was about to smooth things over, her phone suddenly rang. She made an apologetic gesture and answered the call first.

"Hello! Commander, hello! This is Dong Xin! Yes! They are with me, Yunhai is here too, along with Chen Hao and his friends." Dong Xin answered respectfully.

"Yes! We were just getting ready to carry out the mission, I am picking up the equipment Xiaolong prepared for me.

What? You're saying the mission is canceled? But......

Alright! I understand! I will pass it on to them.

Phantasm Corporation? I haven't received any notification? Did something happen?

......"

Then, an unprecedented look of shock suddenly appeared on Dong Xin's face.

"What? Are you certain this news is accurate?

Okay, okay! I understand, I'll head right back to find out what's going on!

Alright, goodbye, Commander!"

"Grandpa's call?" Seeing Dong Xin hang up the phone, Guo Yunhai quickly spoke up.

Dong Xin nodded.

Chen Hao also spoke, "It seems something extraordinary has happened..."

Dong Xin's expression was extremely strange. "The commander just notified me that the reconnaissance plan is temporarily canceled. Someone else will take charge of this operation, and the commander has ordered us to leave Kestar immediately and return to our respective posts. Chen Hao, you and your friends should also rush home immediately and stand by."

"What on earth is going on?" Zhuge Taxue asked perplexedly.

"We just received word—Virtual Reality has officially gone live!!!" Dong Xin announced the jaw-dropping news to everyone.