“Alright, Mr. Li Chen, this is our project team’s martial arts technique research room.”

Inside the spacious area filled with all kinds of instruments and fully equipped facilities that were obviously extremely expensive, a faint herbal scent lingered in the air.

Dr. Lisa held a panel terminal in her hand, rapidly inputting various commands on it and the enormous room immediately let out rumbling vibrations, after which a towering platform rose straight up from the ground.

“Director? You’re back?”

“Doctor, the second trainee failed the test again. Our deductions regarding the qi-sensing mana segment seem to have gone off track.”

“Boss, what should we do? We’re short on biological consumables again and the lab’s funds are almost completely depleted…”

On the raised platform, several women wearing the same white lab coats as Dr. Lisa rushed over the moment they saw her, chirping noisily like students reporting to a teacher after class.

“Don’t panic!”

Dr. Lisa tidied up her messy hair.

Her bloodshot and exhausted eyes, which had been filled with fatigue just moments ago, now once again shone with the sharp brilliance of a top-tier scholar.

With a push of her hand, a tall and upright figure was suddenly presented before the other female researchers.

“Ugh…”

Unlike Dr. Lisa, who seemed detached from worldly desires and whose eyes only ever held experimental data, the female researchers stared at Li Chen’s devastatingly handsome face and felt the frustration born from stalled research instantly melt away.

After all, with such beautiful things still existing in this world, what did a bit of research failure even matter?

“Boss, where did you find—”

One researcher with a flushed face adjusted her glasses.

Her intellectual and gentle features were filled with fascination as she subconsciously reached out and lightly touched Li Chen’s firm abdomen.

“So handsome…”

“He’s even better-looking than the virtual idol I’m following.”

“He’s actually real? Did you bring this super handsome guy here just to boost morale, boss?”

“Waaah, I’m so moved! Don’t worry, boss, even if the sponsor runs away and even the martial arts hall abandons us, I’ll still stand by your side!”

Li Chen’s arrival was like a stone thrown into stagnant water, instantly stirring ripples and injecting fresh vitality into an environment that had become lifeless due to repeated failures.

“Ahem.”

Dr. Lisa looked back and forth between her overly excited assistants and Li Chen’s face.

Even though she had absolutely no interest in that kind of thing, she wasn’t face-blind and possessed normal aesthetic judgment, so to her eyes his face still resembled a work of art.

After thinking for a moment, she finally sorted out the meaning of the scene before her.

“So that’s how it is. Appropriately supplementing the presence of an opposite-sex individual with sexual attractiveness can trigger such strong positive emotions? It seems my previous paper on biological reproductive instinct incentives was still insufficient in its conclusions.”

Rustle rustle.

Putting down the terminal, Dr. Lisa casually picked up a small notebook and rapidly recorded this important piece of “research data” with pen and paper.

“Alright, everyone.”

Putting the notebook aside, Dr. Lisa glanced at the female trainee nearby who was wearing a white experimental short robe and was already so exhausted that she had collapsed on the ground and was panting nonstop.

She waved her hand forcefully.

“Experimental Personnel No. 2, you may rest now. I’ll transfer your martial hall contribution points shortly.”

“It’s over… it’s over?”

The female trainee who had been lying spread-eagled on the platform and trembling weakly, looking like she was about to die at any moment, instantly sprang up at a speed Li Chen had never seen before and bolted straight for the exit the moment she heard Dr. Lisa say “you may rest.”

Boom—

A sonic boom at supersonic speed and it wasn’t driven by cybernetic assistance?!

Li Chen’s heart jumped.

‘A high-tier martial artist, seventh tier, someone with extremely solid inner cultivation rather than forcibly advancing through forbidden drugs, a true seventh-tier.’

“I see. After sensing a life-threatening crisis, the increase in explosive power caused by an adrenaline surge isn’t fixed? After the first experiment, explosive power only increased by 20% but the second time it rose to 42%. The variable here might be…”

Rustle rustle.

Dr. Lisa once again picked up her notebook and recorded everything without paying attention to anyone else.

‘This old demon woman is really dangerous.’

Even Li Chen, who was used to storms and upheavals, felt a rare hint of tension after witnessing the scene just now.

The last time he had felt this tense was when he had forced his way into a forbidden laboratory as an apprentice martial artist.

“Alright, ladies, please make some room.”

Seeing that the other researchers were staring at Li Chen without any intention of moving aside, Dr. Lisa put on a stern expression and began directing them.

“Please stop disturbing Mr. Li Chen. Anyway, once the experiment—ah, I mean once we begin testing the new martial arts technique deductions, you’ll have plenty of chances to thoroughly look him over from head to toe.”

“Experiment?!”

However, Dr. Lisa’s so-called “advice” had the opposite effect.

One after another, worried and tense gazes focused on Li Chen.

“What? Such a handsome man is actually a new experimental subject the doctor brought in?”

“No, no, I can’t bring myself to do it.”

“Just looking at that face makes me feel like I’m committing a crime. Director, honestly, couldn’t you just grab some trainee short on contribution points instead? Why pick this innocent little brother?”

Faced with the emotionally charged objections, Dr. Lisa raised an eyebrow.

Having never understood romantic feelings since childhood, she naturally couldn’t empathize with what her subordinates called “heartache.”

In Dr. Lisa’s black-and-white world, only two things existed.

Experiments and experimental subjects.

Everything else was nothing more than irrelevant background.

She rationally knew that Li Chen was a very good-looking man and knew which aspects women liked, such as his tall and well-built body, his sharp brows and star-like eyes and that gentle yet masculine aura that didn’t come off as effeminate.

But he was still just an experimental subject.

Dr. Lisa rubbed her messy hair in frustration.

Even so, she stubbornly put on gloves and gestured politely toward Li Chen.

“Mr. Li Chen, we’re very pleased that you’ve voluntarily agreed to serve as a test participant for this martial arts research project. According to our martial hall’s rules, you may enjoy the following benefits…”

Beep beep.

A string of information, clauses and contracts appeared before Li Chen’s eyes.

“Huh?”

Looking at the lines of text on the screen, Li Chen studied the document for a long time in surprise.

“What, are you dissatisfied?”

Dr. Lisa seemed to have expected this.

After thinking for a moment, she continued.

“Alright then. Your aptitude is simply too suitable for this new technique of mine. As long as you help me complete the project, I can grant you lifetime priority usage rights. From then on, whenever the martial hall teaches this technique to anyone, you’ll receive a 10% share…”

Li Chen didn’t continue listening to Dr. Lisa’s long list of inducements.

All his attention was focused on the contract bearing the Thunder Martial Arts Hall seal.

Not because the conditions were harsh.

But because—

‘I already knew Thunder Martial Arts Hall was free, but this contract goes way beyond just freedom, doesn’t it?’

Had he misread something?

Rubbing his eyes, Li Chen examined every detail with the sharp insight he had honed since transmigrating, scanning the contract from top to bottom without missing a single detail.

‘No traps? No backdoors? No restrictions? Just a completely ordinary and normal contract that’s basically no different from pre-transmigration business agreements? Is this still Hive City? Did I transmigrate back to the modern world?’

Staring at the contract on the screen, Li Chen remained silent for a long time.

“Mr. Li Chen.”

The Schufestan family’s eldest young miss, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke.

Her beautiful face carried a warm smile as she lightly stepped closer to him.

With her clothes not particularly expensive yet perfectly suited to her, she resembled a pure lily, naturally exuding a faint and alluring fragrance without any deliberate effort.

“If you feel that Dr. Lisa’s contract isn’t satisfactory, I’d be willing to offer you even better compensation…”

Kate Schufestan smiled brightly, waiting for the man to lower his head.

After all, he was of civilian origin, just a bit good-looking.

Although he had seemed resistant to her threats and inducements earlier, his heart must already be wavering.

Kate was very confident.

She had seen far too many people like this.

They might have outstanding talent in certain areas, but lacking the elite education and training provided by consortium families from childhood, once they reached a crucial moment, they could only become playthings of true Hive City rulers like herself.

She had no doubt about that.

“You!”

Seeing the target she had her eyes on about to be “turned,” Dr. Lisa cried out anxiously and wanted to say something, but the words died in her throat.

What could she even say?

Among the many consortiums at the top of Hive City that decided its fate, the Schufestan family might rank lower, but it was still a lofty consortium.

Compared to Kate, who had immense backing and wealth, what could she, an ordinary person, compete with?

So Dr. Lisa fell silent.

If it were her, she would choose Kate as well.

Was all her hard-earned research really about to be snatched away by those ungrateful traitors?

She was unwilling.

So very unwilling.

But this was Hive City.

“I’m sorry.”

A gentle voice sounded.

Lisa raised her head.

The excessively handsome experimental subject slowly walked up to Kate, looked straight at the consortium young miss and spoke word by word.

“I won’t cooperate with anyone who threatens me using my most beloved fiancée, so…”

Rip.

Li Chen tore up the document Kate handed him on the spot.

“I refuse.”

“…”

The expression on Kate’s face, which had seemed eternally icy, finally showed a crack.

“Mr. Li Chen, huff.”

Kate gently patted her chest that was rising and falling.

“In my experience, matters concerning one’s future prospects should be given careful consideration. Otherwise… you’ll regret it.”

‘That was a naked threat. Heh. As expected, these consortium heirs were all cut from the same mold. That arrogant attitude was exactly like that certain young miss who expelled me from the company back then. Unfortunately, I’m not afraid of anyone’s threats, especially not from someone who in the original work was inexplicably wiped out. Still, who was the true mastermind behind it all?’

* * *

At the same time, in the Uppermost Hive.

Solares Consortium headquarters.

Those standing at the very top of Hive City’s food chain, people who decided countless lives with a word, were now standing rigidly and barely daring to breathe, as if something terrifying might devour them the next second.

And that was indeed the case.

Seated in the luxurious chair of the round-table conference room was an arbiter who could decide their survival.

The Solares Consortium’s president, Daili Solares, coldly glanced at them.

“Sit.”

Whoosh.

The executives hurriedly pulled out their chairs and sat upright in unison.

“How are the preparations for the Montmorency patent lawsuit?”

Swish!

An executive immediately stood and reported respectfully.

“Yes, President. Everything is ready. At your command, we can swallow up all enterprises related to the No. 00–19 singularity technology ‘Myriad Renewal,’ including Newborn Pharmaceuticals…”

All eyes eagerly turned toward the silent president, holding their breath as they waited for the hunter who had never tasted defeat to strike.

“Mm. In that case, proceed.”

Daili lightly tapped the table.

“I don’t want the target individual to see tomorrow’s sun. The location will be… the Central Commercial District.”

Exhale.

‘Another corporate war was about to begin?’

The executives watched the solitary figure rising to leave the conference room, curious about her deeper intentions.

Strategy, operations, Hive City balance…

Yet Daili paid no attention to those “trivialities.”

She merely curved her lips slightly.

‘Wait for me, Xiao Chen. Once I take this singularity technology, I’ll directly let you shed your skin and transform, becoming a true martial arts genius.’

Looking down upon the masses below, Daili appeared like a queen reigning over Hive City.

This was the power of a consortium.

‘Xiao Chen, I’ll prove to you that compared to me, the master of Hive City’s number-one consortium, that so-called thunder-hall mercenary woman is nothing but trash. What best sister? Just a mere Thunder Martial Arts Hall. Hmph. I’m the one who can help Xiao Chen the most.’

Ding.

[A user you specially follow has posted a new update.]

[Hehe, training seriously at the martial hall, but I ran into a woman from a consortium family. As expected, consortium young misses are the most annoying.]

‘The most annoying?! No, no, no. That can’t happen! Which family’s woman dared anger Xiao Chen and even implicate me?!’

The uncrowned queen ruling at the very top of Hive City panicked completely.