Due to Wendy's special circumstances, Chen Ran is fortunate enough to avoid participating in the mundane tasks of ordinary researchers.
He has not given up on exercising, but Wendy's expectations of him are not high; as long as he meets a standard above that of a normal person, a slightly stronger physique will suffice.
"So, why am I still so tired after running five kilometers?"
Chen Ran feels like he is going to have a grudge against 'five kilometers.'
According to Wendy, five kilometers should be a standard for a normal man.
He is, of course, a normal man.
So, he is being tortured by 'five kilometers' every day.
Wendy looks at Chen Ran and says: "Your method of exercising is somewhat problematic; running too hard can easily injure your knees."
"I think the problem lies with running itself," he argues. "This has seriously caused me to reject life."
Wendy shot him a glance and said, "Forget it, I'm doing this for your own good. I heard researchers have very little free time, and I don't want to see a chubby Chen Ran in two years."
The relationship between the two had progressed rapidly over the past couple of days.
Mainly because Chen Ran was shameless enough.
He said, "What's wrong with being a couch potato? The joy of life is for oneself."
"However, you did remind me. If I can find a formula that can replace the taste of cola without making one gain weight, wouldn't that mean there's a market for it?"
Wendy tilted her head, "Are you really that short on money?"
"Yeah, I'm planning to save up to get a wife. Since you won't be my wife, I have to find one myself."
Chen Ran still hadn't changed his flirtatious ways.
Wendy had already gotten used to it.
She wouldn't take Chen Ran's words seriously, but this almost boundary-less way of interacting made her feel very happy.
To be precise, it was probably because the sense of loss brought on by her physical issues was being overshadowed.
After finishing his workout, Chen Ran began to handle firearms, practicing shooting under Wendy's guidance.
No man could resist firearms, and he was no exception.
However, researchers didn't have individual weapon allocations, so he and Wendy shared a Colt. This piece of junk, which would be dismantled if drawn in a game, was the most advanced product they could touch at the moment.
As for Chen Ran's shooting skills, Wendy stated there was a lot of room for improvement.
However, she didn't want to discourage Chen Ran professionally; everyone had different responsibilities, so the standards varied. As long as Chen Ran could shoot, that was actually sufficient.
After a brief training session, Wendy suggested taking a break.
She was already quite tired; the day had been rich enough.
…
…
After taking a shower, Chen Ran logged into the Schicksal intranet in his dorm.
He began searching for all information regarding the Herrscher Core injection experiments. Due to his identity, his internal permissions were actually quite high.
After all, if his permissions weren't high, he wouldn't be involved in this plan.
[Divine Authority Project.]
[Since the Second Honkai Eruption in 2000, Schicksal has conducted research on the corpse of the Herrscher of the Void, resulting in stable artificial Stigmata technology, the Valkyrie Armor's time-space rupture system, and several other technologies. In 2002, Schicksal's various laboratories began research on the Herrscher Core, intending to unravel the mysteries of the Herrscher's authority.]
[In 2003, the research on the Herrscher Core by various Schicksal laboratories successively declared failure, and by the end of the year, Schicksal sealed all the gems.]
[In 2004, Bishop Otto proposed to center the research around the Herrscher Core, seeking suitable subjects for core integration experiments. The goal of this experiment was to allow individuals to acquire the Herrscher's authority through the injection of the Herrscher Core without any cost, thus achieving a stable artificial Herrscher.]
[This plan was named the 'Divine Authority Project' by Otto and was overseen by the Schicksal Ocean Branch.]
[From 2004 to 2014, the Ocean Branch was continuously searching for individuals for the Divine Authority Project, with the first proposed experimental subject being Bianka Ataegina, who was vetoed by Otto himself.]
[In 2014, A-rank Valkyrie Wendy graduated from the Far East Branch Saint Freya and was recommended to the Ocean Branch by Theresa, becoming the first experimental subject of the Divine Authority Project.]
After quickly reading through the files, Chen Ran couldn't help but admire Otto.
It was clear that the Divine Authority Project was actually a supplement to the Sirin Project. If Otto's plan of 'creating controllable Herrschers through emotional bonds' failed, he would undoubtedly turn to the Divine Authority Project to create a pseudo-Herrscher of the Void.
But Chen Ran also knew that this Divine Authority Project had also declared failure after the Third Honkai Eruption.
The fact that Raiden Mei, who was also implanted with the Herrscher Core, became the Herrscher of Thunder and was controllable meant that the principles of the Divine Authority Project were successful; it was just that Wendy and the Gem of Desire were incompatible.
After the complete failure of the Divine Authority Project, would Wendy still be valued by the Ocean Branch?
Recalling what was said today, the Ocean Branch personnel mentioned that Wendy's physical condition was good, and the rejection phenomenon from the Herrscher Core integration had lessened...
He inexplicably had a terrifying guess.
Relying on Wendy's body for the Herrscher Core integration experiment, the final result was not failure, but rather abandonment.
After the Third Honkai Eruption, the Ocean Branch deemed that continuing the experiment was a meaningless act, thus halting it and instead allowing Wendy to become a human container for the Herrscher Core.
Calculating purely from a profit perspective...
This was indeed possible.
"Damn it, I suddenly can't remember the exact date of the Third Honkai Eruption."
He slapped his forehead: "No, I must accelerate this process and complete the Divine Authority Project before the Third Honkai Eruption erupts."
"Thus, allowing Wendy to become a Herrscher like Raiden Mei."
If that were the case, his simulation could be considered a success, rather than having to wait until the fourth Honkai eruption two years later.
"I can't continue at this pace." He said, "The cost of the Divine Authority Project is an entire Gem of Desire, so it shouldn't be simply abandoned; it's very likely that it went through some discussions. But I can't afford to gamble."
He immediately wanted to leave the room.
If he wanted to understand the specifics of the Divine Authority Project and truly participate in the plan for Wendy, he had to go find another person.
The main person in charge of the Divine Authority Project.
However, just as Chen Ran was about to walk out the door, a sudden sense of crisis washed over him.
He instinctively stepped back, only to see a flying knife miss its target and embed itself deep into the wall.
A woman with a mask, her eyes filled with murderous intent.
"Sorry, you've influenced too many things."
She was a killer on the Karon leaderboard.
And the one who commissioned her was named Gray Serpent.
Chen Ran's pupils constricted slightly; at that moment, he quickly pieced together the reason based on the plot.
There was a mole from World Serpent within the Ocean Branch!
In 2014, people from World Serpent had already set their sights on the Herrscher Core!
The woman, holding the flying knife, suddenly lunged at Chen Ran, slashing his neck.
The fear of death engulfed all his consciousness.
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