To reap the rewards of the fare, the flying car made a long circuit of the city, its onboard intelligence patiently introducing landmarks and their associated attractions, interspersed with advertisements but mostly with interesting historical news. This reminded Qin Zhongquan of his own childhood, when his adoptive mother, like him now, drove a similar vehicle, taking him to see the wonders of the orphanage.
For him, this mission may have a deeper meaning, so much so that the whole thing was planned in an orderly manner and he never let others interfere.
Forty minutes later, Qin Zhongquan returned to his birthplace, or rather the ruins of his birthplace.
The flying car landed in an open space, stirring up a large area of ochre dust. After the strong wind carried away the contaminated suspended particles, he jumped out of the car wearing a lightweight full-face gas mask and walked quickly to the edge of the deep pit not far away.
Looking down from this vantage point, the slope was littered with rubble, while the flat area at the bottom was piled with unidentifiable polymer sheets of varying colors. They didn't look old, but they weren't brand new either. He looked around, seeing virtually no signs of human activity nearby, and even fewer animals. Considering this place was far from the giant enterprise yet so close to the city, he felt a sense of melancholy and loneliness.
"Dear client, would you like to inquire about the Genetically Modified Human Research Center?" A holographic image from the flying car suddenly appeared next to Qin Zhongquan. The wind and sand carried some broken garbage through its body, causing some colorful mosaic-like ripples to appear on its surface.
Qin Zhongquan turned to look at the holographic image, which bowed slightly in respect. "Tell me, how did this place become like this?"
"The Genetically Modified Human Research Center is a scientific research institution controlled and built by a bio-chemical military company. Its purpose is to establish practical technologies that effectively extend human lifespan and improve human quality by studying biological samples left behind by the community. It has eleven sub-departments under its jurisdiction, all of which can operate simultaneously..."
"Just focus on the key points!" Qin Zhongquan became impatient.
"Received instructions, searching for similar answers." The shadow flickered a few times. "107 related entries have been retrieved. Do you want to play them one by one?"
"Since you haven't answered, I'll take it as your consent." The artificial idiot continued after a few seconds, "The Genetically Modified Human Research Center is..."
"jump over!"
"The Genetically Modified Human Research Center is..."
"jump over!!"
"base......"
"Skip!!! Can you be a little different?"
"Red Moon Flower Medical Service Center can provide the most advanced customized services in the world, ensuring that all your reproductive indicators reach the world's leading level..."
"Oh my god! Skip it."
"Does anyone know why the orphanage blew up? I came here as soon as I heard the noise, but I couldn't find anyone alive. The entire center collapsed. Is there nothing underneath?"
"Jump—wait. Exploded? When?"
“This reply was posted a week ago. There are no other comments yet.”
Qin Zhongquan knew what had happened a week ago, but he still didn't quite believe the two events were connected. "What else happened a week ago?" he asked.
The shadow's flickering was severe, taking several tens of seconds to return to normal. "We've retrieved 370 million related entries. Do you want to play them one by one?"
"To summarize."
"Instructions received. A week ago, the galaxy network experienced significant fluctuations, resulting in serious casualties in many locations around the world. The direct human casualties have been identified, but the total is still increasing."
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