They traveled through time at the same time, but the villainous scientist

Chapter 478 Golden Memory and Gaia Driver

Behind the hidden door is a spiral staircase extending downwards.

The walls are made of rough, unpolished rock, and a cold, damp air wafts out.

Every so often, a peculiar lamp is embedded in the wall, emitting a faint green light that is barely enough to illuminate the steps beneath one's feet.

Saeko Sonozaki followed behind, the "tap-tap" of her high heels on the stone steps sounding particularly jarring in the deathly silent passage.

Her breathing was a little erratic. This was her father's forbidden place, and even she had only been here once many years ago.

That memory was not pleasant.

Wakana Sonozaki, who was walking in the middle, seemed much more relaxed. She curiously reached out and touched the cool stone wall, as if she were on an interesting cave adventure.

Finally, the stairs came to an end.

Ryubei Sonozaki stopped in front of a smooth, mirror-like obsidian wall and placed his palm on a specific spot on the wall.

Silently, the entire wall receded inward, then slid to one side, revealing a deep and spacious secret room.

A powerful surge of energy erupted instantly, almost tangible.

It was not a single energy source, but a unique aura formed by the mixture of dozens of distinct yet equally pure and powerful memories of Earth.

Instead of paintings or weapons, the walls of the secret room were decorated with dozens of Gaia memory cells arranged in a special matrix pattern.

Without exception, they all presented a deep and dazzling gold color. Each memory module was illuminated by a soft beam of top light, and its surface flowed with a visible halo of data, like a work of art with life.

"here……"

For the first time, genuine surprise appeared in Sonozaki Wakana's eyes.

She knew this place existed; it was her father's deepest treasure, the Sonozaki family's greatest masterpiece over decades.

The father actually brought this man, whom he had just met, here...

What is he thinking? Or is there something special about this man named Zhang Qi?
In Wakana's heart, the playful mood quietly disappeared, replaced by a sense of solemnity.

Sonozaki took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling slightly.

She watched Zhang Qi's retreating figure, clenching her fists so tightly that her nails almost dug into her palms.

We've finally reached the last step...

She knew better than anyone how terrifying these golden memories were.

The amount of data they contain is so enormous that their accompanying psychotoxicity far exceeds that of ordinary memory.

Even members of the Sonozaki family with special physical conditions must use the power of the Gaia Driver.

"Go."

Ryubei Sonozaki's voice echoed in the empty, secret room, carrying an ancient priestly solemnity.

"These are the blessings that the earth has bestowed upon our family, and also the most severe trials."

They will choose their own users.

Go to me, and prove to yourself, that you are qualified to receive this blessing and become a member of the Sonozaki family.

Before he finished speaking, he raised his arm, and a golden streak of light cut through the air and flew straight toward Zhang Qi.

Zhang Qi reached out and caught it without missing a beat. It was a gold belt with an antique yet exquisite design. The buckle had a groove that fit perfectly with the interface of the Gaia Memory.

This is the Gaia Driver, which can only be used by core members of the Sonozaki family.

Its function is not only to stimulate the power of memory, but more importantly, to act as an advanced filter to neutralize the most harmful and toxic data in memory to the greatest extent possible.

Zhang Qi didn't ask any more questions, but simply fastened the driver to his waist, making a soft "click" sound.

Then, he raised his head and looked at the wall that displayed dozens of golden memory modules.

Each of the memory chips on the wall is engraved with a different English letter.

A, B, C... up to Z.

From their appearance alone, it is impossible to determine what concept or power they represent.

But as Sonozaki Ryuhei said, memories are selectively chosen by the user.

Or rather, a powerful soul will resonate with the "memory" that best suits it.

What suits you is the best.

Zhang Qi closed his eyes and tried to concentrate, following the cultivation experience from the world of Under One Person.

In an instant, countless fragments of information flooded into his senses.

There are the cries of birds cutting through the sky, the roar of volcanic eruptions, the deathly silence of the deep sea, the coldness of glaciers... Each memory cell records a vast amount of information.

Suddenly, amidst the cacophony, he caught a unique "note." It was neither violent nor cold; it didn't even possess any specific emotional color.

It simply...exists, yet it seems to be calling out to him...

That's it. Zhang Qi opened his eyes, his gaze precisely locking onto a spot slightly to the right of the middle section of the wall.

He stepped forward, and the air around him seemed to thicken with his movement.

Saeko Sonozaki's heart was in her throat, and Wakana Sonozaki held her breath.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, Zhang Qi reached out and took a memory chip engraved with a "T" from a groove in the wall.

"Huh? It's...this?"

The usually composed Sonozaki Ryubei's expression of complete control finally cracked the moment she saw Zhang Qi's choice.

His pupils contracted, his eyes revealing shock, reminiscence, regret, and a hint of anticipation that even he himself was unaware of.

His son, the one who should have inherited everything from him, fell into a "well" when he was young.

Although his son miraculously survived, at the cost of his physical body being digitized and becoming part of Earth's memory, he also gained a unique ability to connect directly with Earth's consciousness.

To maximize this talent and to make his son the perfect "Son of Earth," he devoted himself to developing this unique Gaia Memory.

The concept it represents is neither a concrete thing like fire or wind, nor a pure emotion like fear or hatred.

It represents—Truth.

It is the key to exploring the origins, analyzing all things, and connecting to the Earth's database.
The memory chip was his masterpiece, tailor-made for his son.

Unfortunately, before it could be fully completed, his son was taken away.

Since then, this memory has been sealed here and never touched again.

Because it places too high demands on the user...

And now, this young man brought back by his daughter, this guy whom he thought was just an opportunist, has actually resonated with "Truth" among dozens of memory modules.

……

A few days later.

An explosive piece of news, like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirred up a huge wave throughout the entire "Museum" company.

Zhang Qi, a new researcher in the research department, is about to marry the company president, Sonozaki Saeko, the eldest daughter of the Sonozaki family.

The news spread like wildfire, leaving everyone from top management to ordinary employees on the production line stunned.

"Are you kidding me? What makes that kid so special?"

"I heard he improved the production line, increasing both output and purity. He's a genius."

"Genius? There are plenty of geniuses out there! What kind of prestigious family is the Sonozaki family? The uncrowned kings of Fuuto! Their businesses cover energy, manufacturing, entertainment... almost every profitable industry!"

Ms. Saeko Sonozaki is the head of a company; with such beauty and status, how could she possibly fall for a poor boy who has nothing but a bit of cleverness?

"They must have used some shady methods! That pretty boy must have seduced Miss Saeko!"

Similar discussions were brewing in every corner of the company, filled with jealousy, resentment, and malicious speculation.

The area where this negative sentiment was strongest was near the control panel of separator No. 7.

Inukai looked at his reflection in the mirror. His face, which was usually passable, was now twisted and looked particularly ferocious due to extreme jealousy.

He couldn't stand it.

He couldn't stand that newcomer who had only been there for a little over a month, that pretty boy he used to boss around, who was about to become his boss and a member of this huge family.

He couldn't understand why, after working diligently for so many years and being so knowledgeable about the memory chip manufacturing process, all the limelight had been stolen by that kid.
It's just a small parameter optimization, right? Just lucky!
What he found even more unbearable was that man standing next to Ms. Sonozaki Saeko.

That noble, beautiful, queen-like figure was someone he wouldn't dare to desecrate even in his dreams.

And now, a guy of unknown origin is about to easily obtain everything he's always dreamed of.

Damn it! On what grounds?
The jealousy burning in Inukai's heart was almost burning away his reason.

He can't let this happen.

He wanted to prove that the pretty boy was completely unworthy! He wanted to destroy him!

Therefore, there is only one thing he needs to do.

Thinking this, Inukai's eyes became crazed and resolute. He tremblingly pulled something out of the inner pocket of his work clothes.

It was a Gaia Memory that was entirely dark red.

REACTOR.

This was not a mass-produced product, but a high-risk memory module that he modified by taking advantage of his position.

It grants users the ability to manipulate high-temperature energy, but its side effects are also extremely terrifying.
He stared intently at the memory in his hand, as if it were a ticket to hell.

Then, he abruptly pulled open his collar, and without hesitation, aimed the cold memory chip at the bio-interface on his chest and pressed it down hard…

(End of this chapter)