Chapter 229 Graduation Assignment at Nantianmen? What kind of magical university is this!
The five large characters "South Heaven Gate Project" struck the world like a final thunderbolt, leaving it dizzy and disoriented.
Within an hour of the live broadcast ending, the phone lines of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs were ringing off the hook.
"Hey bro? We're from Pakistan! Um... could you sell us two of those mechs? We're open to negotiating the price!"
"Friends! We are Tanzania! How about we trade our mines for your guidance on orbital weapon technology?"
"Comrades of China! We are willing to open all our ports, only asking that we be given an observer seat in the 'South Heavenly Gate Project'!"
"Hello, we are from the Camel Country. Are the weapons on display today for sale? We want them all, 10 billion US dollars per unit, and we can add more if that's not enough."
High-level delegations from numerous friendly countries, carrying unprecedented sincerity and orders, boarded chartered planes overnight and rushed to Beijing.
In stark contrast, some countries are utterly desolate.
The United States, the Pentagon.
The conference room, which once echoed with lighthearted laughter, was now so quiet you could hear your own heartbeat.
On the ground, there were still bits of broken coffee cup residue.
"It's fake, it must be fake, it's all AI!" The Minister of Defense, his eyes bloodshot, muttered the same phrase over and over again, like a gambler who had lost everything.
"What are our intelligence agencies doing?! How did they build something this big?! Didn't they get a single tip-off?!"
"Immediately! Right now! Increase the annual research funding by another fifty percent! No! One hundred percent!"
Panic spread wildly among their top leaders. On one hand, they frantically increased investment in an attempt to catch up with that unattainable figure, and on the other hand, like headless flies, they used all their resources to try to find out the true level of China's technology.
However, no matter how they tried to probe, they always received the same cold and polite reply.
"This is a matter within the scope of our country's culture, and there is no room for discussion."
...
The unpredictable changes in the outside world did not affect the rhythm of the supreme command in the slightest.
The atmosphere inside the meeting room was warm and enthusiastic.
On the large combat screen, instead of approaching red arrows, there were genuine smiling faces and weighty cooperation agreements.
Commander Zhang stood in front of the screen, watching all of this, a gratified smile appearing on his aged face.
"Comrades, after the sword was drawn, we have ushered in a rare and precious period of strategic development."
His voice echoed in the conference room.
"We must seize this period, pick up the pace, and make the most of every minute and second to get going!"
A general stood up and said excitedly, "Sir, our national defense capabilities have achieved leapfrog development. Next, shouldn't we go all out to promote the 'South Heavenly Gate Project' and develop the space elevator and interstellar warships as soon as possible?"
"That's right! Let's concentrate our efforts on major tasks! Let's build the space elevator first, and then let's see who dares to point fingers at us!"
The atmosphere in the meeting room was electric.
Sun Jiuchou, who hadn't said much until now, suddenly spoke up.
"Distinguished leaders, now that our technology is on track, shouldn't we also accelerate our efforts in the other path—cultivation of immortality?"
"I recently did some research on how to promote the cultivation of immortality in a subtle and pervasive way. In light of the recent technological explosion, I have a new idea: to combine technology with the cultivation of immortality."
"These are two separate systems, how can they be combined?" someone asked.
"Not necessarily impossible!" Qi Si chimed in. "Our research on 'psychic bullets' at the Doomsday Base—that is, imbuing bullets with spiritual energy—has already yielded some results."
“Yes, but what I’m proposing today is a different direction,” Sun Jiuchou continued.
A look of confusion crossed everyone's faces. Sun Jiuchou explained calmly, "What do young people like these days?"
Before anyone could answer, he answered his own question: "A game."
“We can utilize the knowledge provided by Comrade Zhou Jue and the existing technology at the base, or collaborate with game companies, to develop an unprecedented holographic virtual reality game.”
"The game's world view is built on our ancient mythology system. Kunlun Wonderland, Penglai Island, Shushan Sword Sect... we've put them all in."
"Then, we broke down the most basic and universal cultivation breathing techniques and turned them into 'internal energy cultivation methods' in the game. When players 'meditate and practice' in the game, they are actually engaging in real cultivation."
"Let them complete the process of drawing qi into their bodies and becoming accustomed to supernatural powers through 'games' without even realizing it."
"Once most people get used to the 'characters' who can fly and teleport in the game, and get used to the existence of 'internal energy,' then we can tell them that everything in the game is real. Guess what will happen?"
"That's why I call it the 'Prairie Fire Plan'."
Sun Jiuchou's words plunged the entire conference room into a deathly silence.
Everyone was stunned speechless by this wildly imaginative plan.
Can a game usher in an era of universal cultivation?
This...this is simply a stroke of genius!
After a long while, Chief Zhang finally let out a long breath, his eyes full of admiration.
"What a brilliant 'boiling the frog slowly' strategy! What a brilliant 'wildfire plan'!"
The leader and Chief Zhang exchanged a glance, both seeing resolve in each other's eyes.
"Let's do it this way!"
The eldest brother made the final decision.
"Operation Wildfire, as the highest-level 'covert operation,' shall be launched immediately!"
He then changed the subject, adding, "There must be both overt and covert measures. The future of a nation lies in education. I propose that Yunlan University officially begin recruiting students from the public through the national college entrance examination this year!"
"yes!"
...
June marks the start of another year of the National College Entrance Examination (Gaokao).
Countless students and parents are engrossed in the thick "College Entrance Examination Application Guide," making the most crucial choice for their future.
Wang Hao, a senior high school student, is one of them.
His goal was clear: to get into the computer science department of Tsinghua or Peking University.
"Huh?"
He was flipping through the guide when he suddenly uttered a questioning sound.
In the list of key universities, he found a name that was completely unfamiliar.
—Yunlan University.
"Dad, what is Yunlan University? I've never heard of it before?"
His father leaned over for a look and frowned as well: "I don't know, is it newly opened? Could it be some diploma mill that snuck in?"
Wang Hao curiously flipped to the university's information page.
Then, he was completely dumbfounded.
This university's admissions brochure is absolutely bizarre!
[Top-tier programs: Quantum Physics, Warp Drive Theory, Genetic Engineering, Classical Philology (Specialized Specialization)...]
[Admission score requirement: Estimated 720 or above (for reference only)]
720 points?!
Wang Hao gasped in shock; the cutoff score was much higher than that of the most popular majors at Tsinghua and Peking Universities!
However, what happened next was even more outrageous.
Other majors: Sports, Arts, Culinary Arts...
[Admission score: Applicants only need to meet the undergraduate admission score; exceptions may be made for outstanding candidates.]
[Note: Our school specially admits students with "severe imbalance" in a particular subject who possess exceptional talent in a specific area; the required score may be appropriately relaxed for these students.]
[Note: All admitted students must pass an extremely rigorous political background check. Tuition is waived during their studies, and they receive substantial subsidies. Upon graduation, they will be directly enlisted in the military and assigned jobs by the state.]
Wang Hao stared at the brochure, his mind a complete mess.
What kind of school is this?
Meanwhile, online discussions about this mysterious university have exploded.
[Yunlan University? What the hell? What kind of fraudulent school would dare to set its admission scores higher than Tsinghua and Peking University? Are they crazy?!]
[No way, look closely! Graduation means direct entry into the military! State-assigned! This is practically a plus version of the Seven Sons of National Defense!]
[I checked! The business registration information and Ministry of Education filing are all real! This school was only registered this year, and it already has such a prestigious reputation!]
[That's not the point! The point is, I looked into the school's leadership! Guess what I found?!]
A single post instantly ignited everyone's curiosity.
The next second, a screenshot was posted.
[List of Yunlan University Leaders and Department Heads (Partial)]
[Principal: Zhang Yuanchao]
[Vice Principals: Qian Zhenhua (Father of Loongson Chip), Li Weiguo (Chief Designer of J-20 Fighter Jet), Zhou Jue (Major General)...]
[Dean of the School of Quantum Physics: Academician Pan]
[Dean of the Academy of Classical Literature: Sun Jiuchou (concurrently)]
...
When the name "Zhang Yuanchao" appeared, the entire internet fell completely silent.
The next second.
[Holy crap!!! I'm blind! I'm absolutely blind! The principal is Chief Zhang?!]
[The vice-principal is Academician Qian! Academician Li! Sun Guoshi! And a major general! This... this is like they just moved the entire National Academy of Sciences and the General's Register over here?!]
Is this school run by the Avengers? Do graduates get directly assigned to the South Heavenly Gate Project to operate interstellar warships?!
[Look! I found something! The notes for the Classical Philology major state: Applicants must possess extremely high proficiency in reading classical Chinese, and… those with unique insights into mythological genealogies such as the *Classic of Mountains and Seas* will be given priority!]
[Wait! The physical fitness test requirements... Holy crap! A 10km armed cross-country run, completed in under 40 minutes?!]
Countless pieces of information were unearthed, each one enough to send chills down the spines of all test-takers and their parents.
Online discussions about Yunlan University have even surpassed the college entrance examination itself in popularity, almost overwhelmingly.
Just then, a user with the ID "Research Party UP" posted a message with trembling hands.
"Brothers... I think I've discovered an incredible secret..."
"I don't know if you know this, but in ancient times, the word 'Yunlan' specifically referred to a certain place..."
"Kunlun Immortal Mountain, a place where spiritual energy gathers."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com