A suffocating atmosphere filled the room as everyone was jolted by Liu Yaowu's words. After a long pause, Lilia feigned a timid expression and whispered, "Is there any way to solve this problem?"

Upon hearing this, everyone turned their gaze to Liu Yaowu. This was the question on all their minds. Though they followed Chen Pingchuan, each of them was still an individual, which meant they all had their own thoughts.

Seeing their reactions, Liu Yaowu wore the expression of a man with everything under control. The only exception was Chen Pingchuan, whom he couldn't quite figure out. Chen Pingchuan currently had his head lowered, frowning and lost in thought.

"There's a way. Of course, there's a way," Liu Yaowu said, pushing up his old-fashioned square-framed glasses, which gave him a highly professional air. "You just have to sever the artificially inflated physical abilities granted by the genetic agents, and everything will naturally resolve itself."

Silence fell over the room once again. Everyone wore a different expression, each lost in their own concerns.

Suddenly, Chen Pingchuan raised his head, his gaze fixed on Liu Yaowu's faintly smiling face.

"Cut the tricks and get to the point!" he demanded. "I want to know what secret you're really hiding!"

As he spoke, Chen Pingchuan produced a dagger from seemingly nowhere.

WHOOSH!

The dagger embedded itself in the backrest of Liu Yaowu's chair, its sharp blade a hair's breadth from his neck. Had he moved even an inch, his life would have been forfeit.

Liu Yaowu met Chen Pingchuan's sharp gaze, his own expression shifting once more. "How did you know?" he asked softly.

Chen Pingchuan didn't answer.

As for how he knew, it was quite simple. It was the same reason as before: a directional change in the simulator would only occur for an event that would have a major impact on the world. While Dr. Liu's secret was indeed confidential and valuable, it was a trivial matter compared to the fate of the entire world.

Liu Yaowu paused, a look of conflicted difficulty on his face. Seeing his struggle, Xu Lingyin, who was sitting to the side, couldn't stay quiet any longer.

"Dr. Liu, you'd better speak up, or he really will kill you." This time, Xu Lingyin's words were both an urging and a threat. Coming from an extraordinary background, she naturally understood the principle of yielding when at a disadvantage. Now was not the time to provoke Chen Pingchuan. As for the beating he'd given her earlier, which she had enjoyed, that was just some petty amusement.

"Alright, there's no harm in telling you," Liu Yaowu sighed. "After all, none of us are getting out of here now."

"Our research has cracked the original sequence of the genetic agents."

Having said this, Liu Yaowu expected everyone to look at him with shock and awe. He received none of those reactions. It made him feel like a performing monkey in front of an audience of brawny pigs. The only one who seemed normal was the calm young man from before.

"So what if you cracked it? What does that have to do with solving the problems with the genetic agents?" the Great Fierce Bear asked gruffly. He had no desire to listen to vague official statements. If his own power was going to stagnate in the future, he needed a real, practical solution.

Liu Yaowu adjusted his glasses. "It has everything to do with it. Once we crack the original sequence, we can alter the formula from its very source. We can remove the harmful components that cause genetic solidification and disorders, and develop a safe and effective Genetic Bomb."

At the mention of the "Genetic Bomb," the conference room erupted with chatter.

"A Genetic Bomb? Is that thing safe?" Wei Hao, who had been silent until now, suddenly interjected.

"Safe?" Liu Yaowu laughed. "Hahaha, it's called a bomb. How can you even talk about safety!" His words suddenly carried a tragic, heroic finality. "The day this bomb explodes will mark the prologue to a new world. From that day forward, humanity will rise up and become the masters of this planet."

His maniacal tone and expression made the others realize something was deeply wrong.

Maybe only the boss knew what was going on.

The next second, all eyes turned in unison to Chen Pingchuan.

What was Chen Pingchuan thinking at this moment? The moment Dr. Liu mentioned the Genetic Bomb, he had already guessed the hidden truth. Having survived several nuclear apocalypses, he understood the grim reality of a 'peace' enforced by global destruction. This so-called Genetic Bomb most likely targeted ability users. It was a poison, just as he'd first suspected. Therefore, when the most powerful faction, the Great Ming Empire, faced a major crisis, the other factions, large and small, would surely scramble to seize territory, carving up the land for themselves, just like in the history of the old world.

"When empires rise, the people suffer. When empires fall, the people suffer!"

Chen Pingchuan's words were powerful and resonant. While the others were still confused, Liu Yaowu knew his counterpart had understood the meaning behind his words.

He sneered. "This world has been quiet for too long. It's time for a new master."

"Do you know how the nobles of the Great Ming Empire, or Celestial Palace I which occupies the coastline, treat ordinary people?

"Do you know what kind of suffering the people in the outer districts live in?

"How could you, who enjoy the Empire's privileges and control its resources, possibly understand the hardships of those at the bottom?"

Just as Liu Yaowu was about to continue his tirade, Chen Pingchuan cut him off.

"I know. Because I'm from the outer districts."

This statement not only shocked Liu Yaowu but also caused the others to stare in disbelief. In their minds, those 'mudlegs' from the outer districts had no chance of moving up in the world. The Empire's system wouldn't allow it.

Chen Pingchuan's brow was tightly furrowed, his gaze fixed on Liu Yaowu like a hawk. "How long until it happens, and what will the impact be? Also, when was this genetic sequence you mentioned discovered? Has it been leaked to the outside?"

He knew this was something he couldn't stop within the simulation. Besides, the simulation had only been running for a few hours. It was too much of a coincidence for it to have been discovered just then.

Liu Yaowu shook his head slightly, his expression casual. "The Genetic Bomb is not a weapon for indiscriminate slaughter. Its blast radius and power can be precisely controlled. It will only affect our chosen targets, eliminating ability users below Level Seven who have benefited from genetic agents."

"In the short term, ability users will lose all their powers. Over time, their abilities will stabilize at a certain level, giving them a chance to start anew."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"It's fair to everyone."

Chen Pingchuan remained noncommittal. He didn't even have the energy to argue with such an idealist. "Perhaps you're right."

"Tell me, when did you discover this?"

Liu Yaowu didn't understand Chen Pingchuan's angle, but he answered nonetheless. "Yesterday. No, to be precise, it was at 2 AM today."

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