Chapter 18 Patient Number Twelve
Xiao Wu's voice was stable, and his diction clear.
Therefore, even though he would suddenly pause due to Ji Tianqi's actions and voice, he would observe, think, and then resume, correcting his narration as if he were rewinding a tape—like saying, "Sorry, I misspoke just now. It should be like this."
But everyone could still understand him.
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Ji Tianqi returned to the Otherworldly Wuliang Mountain. He didn't have time to appreciate the scenery of the Otherworldly Wuliang Mountain, nor did he carefully sense everything about the Otherworld like before to reaffirm his belief that he was not mentally ill with real touch.
He set out immediately, relying on his century-old skill and surprisingly choosing to travel using the Wave Striding Steps—a form of qinggong.
No, he was not simply hurrying on his way, but also practicing Inner Strength.
Wave Striding Steps and Beiming Skill complement each other; they are not purely qinggong but also a profound form of Inner Strength.
Completing one circuit of the Yi Ching Sixty-Four Trigrams' directions resulted in a boost to his Inner Strength, truly worthy of being called the supreme qinggong for travelling.
However, to ensure such a boost, the speed of travel could not be maximized.
And it was precisely for this reason that the treadmill, which only had a surface area of a little over two hundred square meters, was able to accommodate Ji Tianqi's travel without him running out of control.
He reached the city closest to Wuliang Mountain and began to inquire about his destination.
The dubious multitude of information made him hesitant and unsure about where exactly his 'serendipitous encounter' would be.
He even started to doubt whether he should pursue this non-encounter encounter or instead focus on easier-to-obtain, yet stronger, serendipitous opportunities.
But for the sake of his heroic mission, he still strived hard to acquire his first 'Control type Skill'.
It was like that.
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Xiao Wu's commentary paused because Ji Tianqi had started travelling again, and he bought a horse in the city—a process that did not require commentary at all.
And also because...
"Just give the commentary, why are you adding personal opinions?" Little Wang voiced his dissatisfaction.
"What personal opinions have I added?" Xiao Wu retorted sharply: "You, an extra who's about to say goodbye, make yourself clear."
"I'm about to say goodbye? I'm an extra?" Little Wang got angry: "He wants a serendipitous encounter, so he wants a serendipitous encounter. What's this talk of a sense of a hero's mission?"
"Then you tell me, why doesn't he go after the easier-to-obtain aggressive martial arts, even those powerful ones that can kill from a distance? Why is he insistent on finding skills like Acupoint first?"
"..."
Little Wang was at a loss for words, also because the responsible person Cong Wen was watching him with a cold gaze.
It wasn't just Cong Wen, but other members of the research team as well.
This made him realize something—he should not view Ji Tianqi with the same attitude as before because Ji Tianqi, after suddenly gaining 'seventy years of skill,' was no longer the old Ji Tianqi.
The former Ji Tianqi was just an ordinary Single Soldier Level superpower user, and among those, he was on the relatively weaker side.
His Physical Enhancement and Energy Release were quite ordinary, and with an Energy value of only five, he could be described as a bottom-tier fighter.
But now... and in the foreseeable future...
It was not just the changes within Ji Tianqi, but also the various levels of authority the research team could gain because of these changes!
As is well-known, an increase in authority often signifies an improvement in benefits and compensation.
With the current situation, as Ji Tianqi continued to grow stronger, and he was able to 'leave the hospital' to perform some missions, the originally sufficient research team staff was definitely not enough.
If it meant merely asking the Science Academy to send more people, then the issue was not too significant.
But if his attitude caused the Science Academy to directly replace Ji Tianqi's research team...
Realizing this, Little Wang fell silent.
Bai Xiuchu raised a question: "Ji Tianqi's speed will become faster and faster, especially when he battles with masters in the Otherworld. It's pretty clear the treadmill will not suffice."
"It's not just the treadmill; this training field is also easily damaged," Xiao Wu added.
Cong Wen nodded and said, "I know; applications have been made. Don't worry."
Bai Xiuchu was unaware what the so-called 'precautions' were; she didn't ask further, as her 'Guardian' department was not strictly under institutions like the Security Administration Bureau or the Science Academy.
In a sense, it was a relatively independent organization.
Compared to official superpower users like Enforcers, Trackers, Explorers, and Researchers, most of whom are instead played by ordinary people, the biggest difference with 'Guardians' was that they had to undergo very strict qualification screenings.
For instance, superpower users proficient in detecting lies and probing thoughts would conduct regular checks on their innermost thoughts, which were nearly impossible to conceal.
The key point being 'regularly'.
Only in this way can they ensure that they are able to fulfill their duties well and live up to the dual meanings of the title 'Guardian.'
"So, the most pressing issue we need to address now is..."
Bai Xiuchu, observing Ji Tianqi maintaining a 'horse-riding' posture on the treadmill, voiced her thoughts.
"How to help him locate that guesthouse more quickly!"
Although the related plans had been devised by researchers/doctors like Xiao Wu and Little Wang, Cong Wen still curiously asked, "What are your thoughts?"
Bai Xiuchu looked around.
They were not staying inside the safe house today but were, at some distance, within the same training area as Ji Tianqi.
This indicated that their level of trust in Ji Tianqi had not diminished as he became stronger; instead, it had increased.
The training area, reminiscent of a warehouse, was about seventeen meters in height and very spacious.
After surveying the area, Bai Xiuchu turned to Cong Wen and replied, "I think we can build a guesthouse right here."
Cong Wen was stunned for a moment.
"Build a guesthouse?"
"Yes, just like how they construct sets for filming movies and TV shows, we can create a guesthouse set inside a studio."
Having articulated this wild idea, Bai Xiuchu continued to let her imagination roam.
"Not just a guesthouse, I think if we can get higher clearance, we could even build something like a Film and Television City specifically designed for shooting historical dramas, to use as our base.
With such a base, we could provide Ji Tianqi with more... environments from ancient times that match his fantasy of an Otherworldly setting.
Or rather, the necessary props to make his fantasy consistent! This way, his Superpower of Fantasy Materialization could be realized more quickly."
She preferred the description 'Power of Thoughts,' but since she was dealing with the professional members of the research team, she opted for a more appropriate term—Fantasy Materialization.
"..."
Cong Wen and the others were astounded by Bai Xiuchu's idea; indeed, they had prepared many 'contingency plans,' some of which could also be described as outlandish.
For instance, the "Theoretical Feasibility Analysis Report on Ji Tianqi Using Missiles" that Xiao Wu had worked on.
However, none seemed quite as outlandish as Bai Xiuchu's.
Considering that Bai Xiuchu was undeniably Ji Tianqi's 'Guardian,' unless Ji Tianqi disagreed or his power surpassed the strategic level.
Cong Wen began to discuss the matter with Bai Xiuchu earnestly.
"At the current stage, building an entire Film and Television City is quite challenging, but we could rent parts of an existing one for our use, similar to how movies are made.
The issue is, when Ji Tianqi crosses back, he'll certainly see the Film and Television City we've built for him. I think this could potentially affect him."
"[Cross back?]"
Little Wang, hesitant at the sidelines, wanted to remind everyone—they usually referred to it as an onset and termination of an episode.
However, no one paid attention to him, nor was this point mentioned, as everyone listened attentively and seemed accustomed to the phrase 'cross back.'
"Ji Tianqi knows he has a mental illness," Bai Xiuchu said earnestly. "He even used to watch the videos we recorded of him in the real world after his crossings, yet he still insists that he can cross."
Cong Wen frowned slightly, "You mean, even if he sees the Film and Television City base we construct, due to his fantasy and cognitive issues, he would perceive a completely different environment after crossing?"
"That's what I believe," Bai Xiuchu nodded. "After all, during his penultimate crossing, he completely ignored the chessboard I brought and it did not affect the abilities he acquired."
In Ji Tianqi's penultimate 'crossing,' the chessboard Bai Xiuchu had brought was a crucial prop; it was on that chessboard that Ji Tianqi played chess.
However, when he crossed back, though he saw the chessboard, he paid it no mind.
The answer the research team got upon inquiry was—the chessboard in reality and the chessboard in the Otherworldly realm were entirely different.
Cong Wen pondered deeply, then said, "Let's start with constructing a guesthouse set; for the rest, we need approval from our superiors."
Curious, Bai Xiuchu asked, "How long would it take us to construct a guesthouse set? I mean, time flows at a different speed for Ji Tianqi in the Otherworldly realm, ten to our one, so I think we should move quickly."
"Under unfavorable conditions, about three days," Cong Wen said with an odd look in his eyes. "If all goes well, three hours."
"Huh?"
"Xiao Wu," Cong Wen didn't explain further but called out instead, "go check on the situation with Patient No.12."
Patient No.12?
Bai Xiuchu, not very familiar with the patient information of this research center, suddenly thought of a question.
Ji Tianqi, as preposterous as he is, is only Patient No.9.
Though this ranking of illness numbers was set before Ji Tianqi's sudden increase in power, and it may not necessarily rank according to the 'preposterousness' of their superpowers.
But combined with the high security level she had witnessed,
Bai Xiuchu suddenly felt that the Abnormal Human Research Center might be described as unfathomable.