Chapter 160: Getting Ahead—I'll Invent Things Too

(from ""Restarting the Farm at the End of the World"")

The whole incident went like this: someone tampered with the materials, leading people down the wrong path. Then, that same person revealed the truth, proving that those who had been misled were actually wrong.

It was a childish and low-level trick, but if it worked, it could still ruin someone’s future. After all, this was everyone’s first serious research project—those who stood out would easily be noticed by management, while anyone who made a major mistake would be branded as incompetent from then on.

First impressions can be deadly—this is a classic example.

Later, it was verified that the culprit was Hu Zhenyuan, a man in his late twenties who had advocated for making anti-theft doors and safes. The reason? He was originally Luo Jiuqing’s senior at the same university and already an assistant professor with some professional achievements. But after Luo Jiuqing was recruited by Bian Changxi, Luo ended up getting more attention than Hu. Feeling resentful, Hu took advantage of his access to the raw materials, using a diamond cutter to slice them into equally sized pieces—deliberately choosing the softer, lower-quality outer sections, while the piece left for today was from the denser center of the branch. This meant the melting point and hardness were much higher—almost like two different materials.

After Luo Jiuqing’s theory was refuted, he threw himself into experiments and actually achieved some results. At the very least, he managed to separate and extract the core and outer layers of the Xuan Iron Tree.

Although there was a minor issue with the container, Bian Changxi suggested trying materials from the Iron Dog. After all, the black dog and the Xuan Iron Tree grew together, and by the principle of mutual generation and restraint, it was possible one could counteract the other. She even left them a whole Xuan Iron Tree, so they could study it thoroughly from top to bottom, inside and out, to avoid making the same mistake again.

Luo Jiuqing was extremely excited and didn’t care at all about Hu Zhenyuan’s thoughts or fate. After a quick cleanup of the lab, he jumped right back into work despite his injuries—a total research maniac. You could even hear him barking orders at his assistants from outside.

“So young, but such a terrible temper,” sighed an elderly scholar, putting on his glasses as he slowly walked into the lab. “What’s with all the shouting? Can’t you express yourself properly without yelling?”

Bian Changxi shook her head. Luo Jiuqing was just that kind of person—brusque, with eyes only for his work and research. He treated those around him poorly, simply because he didn’t understand the need to consider other people’s feelings. In short, he was terrible at dealing with people.

But being bad with people had its advantages: he was less likely to betray or jump ship, and apart from research, he didn’t bother scheming. Just now, Bian Changxi had casually mentioned the Xuan Iron Tree’s material conductivity in front of him, and brought up the big, old-fashioned communicator. He immediately sprang into action, jotting down several testing objectives and rushing off with his assistants—never once questioning how she knew about these things.

A research maniac, but a total novice at life. Hopefully, he’d be able to make some real breakthroughs.

Bian Changxi smiled faintly, her eyes shining. She’d thought long and hard last night, and was now certain there were other reborn people in this world. Whether there was one, two, or more, she couldn’t say for sure—but she was certain she’d snatched the Xuan Iron Tree that one of them had their eye on.

Given that the communicator had been mentioned long ago but still hadn’t appeared on the market, she boldly guessed that the research had hit a snag, which was why the other party was so eager to get the Xuan Iron Tree. She didn’t know much about technological inventions, but thanks to Qu Yi, she did know that the ideal material for the communicator was a certain part of the Xuan Iron Tree.

She was skeptical about the premature appearance of many new inventions, but there were two she felt were truly necessary—one of them was the communicator.

There was no need to elaborate on the benefits of the communicator; just look at how the reborn person was leading the trend and making waves. If she did nothing, she’d always feel a subtle sense of loss. More importantly, the other party was hostile to her, which made them an enemy. Letting an enemy grow unchecked while she sat back passively—wasn’t that the height of stupidity?

She hadn’t acted before because she felt she couldn’t stir the waters of this era. But now, with Gu Xu as her backer—and with everyone else already setting up their own studios—if she kept hiding, she’d be a fool.

The Xuan Iron Tree was step two; the communicator was step three. As for step one…

Seeing Gu Xu busy, Bian Changxi walked over to a research lab marked “Lab (1)”—the first lab here. The vague label was intentional, so non-core staff wouldn’t immediately know what went on inside.

This lab had been proposed and planned by Bian Changxi herself on the day the studio was established. Unfortunately, something happened at the hospital that day and she had to rush back, so this was actually her first time visiting. Other than the research direction, which she’d set, all the staff had been handpicked by Gu Xu for their excellence and reliability, and he’d arranged everything inside.

The research was kept strictly confidential—even others in the same studio didn’t know what went on here. People usually looked at Lab 1 with a mix of confusion and reverence, knowing only the most trusted could enter. When the communicator project really got underway, they’d probably need a Lab 2 as well.

Bian Changxi took out her key card, matched it to the slot, and inserted it. With a beep, the outer door opened, and she walked in under the curious, envious gazes of others. After closing the outer door, she found another, even sturdier security door inside, with a short space between the two and a camera overhead.

She looked around curiously and pressed the doorbell. The security door opened, and a pretty, ponytailed girl poked her head out. When she saw Bian Changxi, her eyes lit up and she smiled, squinting: “Changxi, you’re finally here! I’ve been waiting and waiting, my eyes almost turning into holes from staring so long!”

Bian Changxi smiled knowingly. “You’re here to work—what are you waiting for me for? Shouldn’t you be waiting for your paycheck instead?”

The girl was none other than Lin Rongrong. Honestly, Bian Changxi had been surprised to see Lin listed as a core staff member—she’d thought Gu Xu was just picking people she knew. But that wasn’t the case.

After she’d gone missing, only a handful of people had stayed close. Gu Xu had questioned them about various things and brought them onto the team. Through all the chaos and the subsequent rebuilding at the base, these people had proven themselves, and now they were considered veterans.

These included Lin Rongrong, Zhang Bubai, and half of Chen Yisha. The first two were alone and thus completely trustworthy; Chen Yisha, on the other hand, had a family and many ties, so she could only be given peripheral tasks.

Whenever Bian Changxi thought about it, she felt Gu Xu was truly thorough and considerate—even handling her “afterlife affairs” with such care. Of course, if she were around, she wouldn’t have ignored these people either.

Lin Rongrong welcomed her inside. The room was large and filled with all kinds of workbenches and instruments. Among them was the old, bulky air-measuring device Gu Pei had acquired. Now, it had been thoroughly studied and modified—its accuracy even surpassed the ones used at the gates of the four major bases.

On a glass counter sat various jades, minerals, and pure ores. A bespectacled man in a lab coat was carefully cutting one of the materials. Another man sat at a table, rolling a jade bead between his fingers, deep in thought. Next to him was the air-measuring device, with a small square mineral being scanned by a red light. A woman sat at a nearby computer, observing data with a serious expression, occasionally discussing things with a younger man behind her, who was rapidly jotting down notes.

When Bian Changxi entered, all four paused their work and stood up. “Miss Bian.” She felt a bit awkward—she’d met all four before, but their solemn, respectful demeanor made her feel like a big boss inspecting the troops. It reminded her of her days as one of Yunhua Base’s leaders, a role she’d never really enjoyed.

She gestured for everyone to continue working and walked over to the man with the jade bead. “How’s it going?”

His name was Jiang Zhihuan, about twenty-five or twenty-six, with striking features and a gentle demeanor—a bona fide handsome guy. Before the apocalypse, he’d worked at Jiangcheng University’s affiliated research institute (the same one as Gu Pei), specializing in a field Bian Changxi couldn’t even understand. He’d been a government employee, young and promising, and was now a leading figure in Lab 1.

Gu Xu’s selection process was far more reliable than hers—not only did candidates need a clean background, simple relationships, and top-notch skills, but also good character.

Although Jiang Zhihuan was from the system, he had no backing. He’d worked his way up alone, seen plenty of darkness, and weathered many ups and downs, making him very thoughtful and considerate.

He stood up with a smile, showing no arrogance despite his talent and importance. He explained, “We tried many materials and finally determined that this unknown mineral and this mutton-fat jade are the most promising. For the same volume, the mineral can hold 0.5 cubic centimeters of space, while the mutton-fat jade can hold 0.7. The optimal shape for the mineral is a cube, and for the jade, it’s a sphere.”

As he spoke, he handed the jade sphere to Bian Changxi.

She examined the jade, feeling it was very similar to the material of her own long-broken bracelet. Her heart skipped a beat. She focused her mind and sensed a tiny, irregular space inside.

That’s right—the focus of Lab 1’s research was spatial devices, the other invention Bian Changxi believed would benefit survivors most if developed early.

Thank you to anna0626 for the peace charm!"