Building a sect from scratch.

Chapter 203 Resignation
"I need as much experimental data as possible! This is an absolutely revolutionary result! Its impact is beyond your imagination! How could you possibly ask me to log off at a time like this!"

Wang Qiqing was so excited that he was spitting as he spoke. He impatiently waved his hand at Tan Xin, who came to persuade him to log off, as if shooing away a fly.

Then, he pulled Lü Wenyuan aside and said, "Could we invite that weapon-refining master from last time back again? We're willing to pay any price. I've already made progress on the laser emitter. I've extracted neodymium and yttrium from that Nine Nether Jadeite Mine and Nine Nether Evil Iron. As long as we can make the laser emitter, our experiment can take another step forward!"

Tan Xin stared in disbelief: "They extracted neodymium and yttrium?! When did this happen?!"

Mentioning the experiment, Wang Qiqing immediately perked up, pulling Tan Xin aside and saying, "Just the other day, let me tell you, it was all an accident. I collected a bunch of ores from players who got them from the Nine Nether Demons in dungeons, and many of them were called 'evil stones.' They said that prolonged contact would cause dizziness and nausea, and that ordinary people could even die from being infected with some kind of 'Nine Nether Evil Qi'! When I heard that, I thought it sounded a lot like the radioactive elements on our Blue Star! So I got them to study, and you know what? Some of them were exactly the same as some famous rare earth minerals on our Blue Star! Not just neodymium and yttrium, I also extracted a lot of other elements! But the purity might be a bit of a problem, alas, the conditions just didn't allow it!"

As he spoke, Wang Qiqing even beat his chest and stamped his feet, saying, "If only the higher-ups had put in a little more effort, would we be living such a miserable life now?!"

Just then, there was a knock at the door: "Takeout! Thirteen silver coins and three hundred cash!"

Wang Qiqing called out skillfully, "Put it in the lounge next door! The money's in the box on the table by the door! Take it yourself!"

"Received! Fellow Daoist, remember to eat it while it's hot! There have been a lot of takeout orders these past few days, and the boss said they're out of insulated paper, so they can only deliver it as is. I was worried it would get cold, so I delivered it first!"

"Alright! Thank you for your hard work, fellow Daoist!"

Hearing this conversation, which was clearly not the first time, Tan Xin's expression immediately became somewhat strange.

"Insulating paper" is a new "technology" developed by the Fried Chicken Research Institute. The principle is to print a Type 21 Yellow-Rank Isolation Array on the outside of the paper wrapping the food—a simple spiritual array for heat preservation that has been innovated countless times. This method can isolate the wrapped food from the outside world as much as possible, not only maintaining the temperature of the food but also ensuring its taste. The latest experimental data shows that a piece of insulating paper, which costs only 10 coins, can keep food in its freshly made state for more than three days. Changes such as melting and cooling can be delayed up to seven days. As for the degree of spoilage and deterioration, there is still no data—because the insulating paper has been designed for less than a month. In other words, it can keep food fresh for more than a month, and the price is far lower than spatial spiritual items or equipment such as Qiankun bags!
This made it an essential product favored by major catering businesses as soon as it was released. Ordinary people might think that 10 coins a piece is ridiculously expensive, but for players who are not short of money, 10 coins a piece...

It's a bit expensive, too!

Tan Xin thought jealously, "I'm not going to spend an extra ten or twenty cents on a thermal wrap when ordering takeout. That's the price of a cup of milk tea! I'd rather save that money to buy lab supplies!"
Her lapse in concentration was only momentary. Soon, she remembered the task she was responsible for and quickly advised, "But, Professor Wang, no matter how important the experiment is, your health is the most important thing! You can't take the food and drinks out of the game. You've been in the game pod for a whole day and night! If you don't get out soon, you won't be able to take it anymore! Even if you can replenish your energy with nutrient solution and meal replacement powder, you still need to go to the toilet!"

Wang Qiqing said defiantly, "If all else fails, ask the organization to send me a caregiver. I'll eat, drink, and relieve myself in the game pod!"

Tan Xin frowned and continued to persuade her, "Please don't be stubborn!"

"What happens if you guys don't 'log off' for a long time?"

Lu Wenyuan, Wang Qiqing, and other players had been playing together for a long time and already knew many specialized terms, including the players' "logout," which meant returning to their own world. However, they weren't very clear on some specific details. Seeing that Tan Xin's anxiety seemed genuine, they couldn't help but ask, even using the flower language they had almost mastered, their tone perfectly accurate!
Tan Xin seemed surprised that the other person would communicate with her using the language of flowers. She paused for a moment before replying, "I'll die! We can't cultivate immortality on Blue Star. We'll definitely die if we don't eat or drink!" "Don't listen to her nonsense!" Wang Qiqing immediately became agitated and retorted, "It's not that exaggerated. It's only been one day! Look at the mortals in the Guixu Realm, none of them die in a day!"

Tan Xin quickly entered battle mode and retorted to Wang Qiqing, "The Guixu Realm still has spiritual energy! Does Blue Star have it?"

Wang Qiqing simply started arguing unreasonably: "So what if there's spiritual energy! There's no experimental proof that spiritual energy can extend human lifespan! Besides, it's only one day! A person only dies after starving for seven days! I still have a long way to go..."

Tan Xin was furious: "But a person dies if they don't drink water for three days! How can they survive for seven days?! Professor Wang, you're an adult, a renowned professor and one of the youngest academicians. Please don't be so willful!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Qiqing was speechless for a moment, and finally simply resigned himself to his fate, saying, "Then I won't log off! Let's see what you can do about it! Humph!"

Tan Xin was so angry that she took a deep breath to calm herself down. Before she could say anything, she heard Lu Wenyuan's voice, which was more beautiful and melodious than ever before, say, "Then I'll quit!"

Wang Qiqing stared wide-eyed in disbelief, his expression as if he were looking at a traitor: "Wait, Wen Yuan? What does this have to do with you?!"

"If you die, wouldn't all my investment in this lab be wasted?"

Lu Wenyuan said confidently, "So, you'd better log off on time every day from now on. I'll keep an eye on you while you rest, or I'll resign and have all my fellow disciples and friends blacklist you so we won't cooperate with you anymore!"

As the only collaborator and investor in the lab, Lü Wenyuan clearly hit Wang Qiqing's sore spot. The latter looked frustrated and resentfully compromised, saying, "Fine, fine, I'll log off after I finish my takeout, okay?"

"No need for that. You're not going to get anything out of eating here anyway. Consider it an apology to Fellow Daoist Xiao Tan. Let her eat your share. You should log off and rest now, at the earliest..."

Lu Wenyuan glanced at the clock on the table, thought about it carefully, and then gave Wang Qiqing a bolt from the blue: "Come up no earlier than tomorrow morning, or I will resign!"

"What the hell -"

Wang Qiqing was about to make some sarcastic remarks when Lü Wenyuan interrupted him with two words, his face expressionless: "Resign!"

"!?"

(End of this chapter)