Chapter 32: Activate! Activate! Activate Everything!

Minmin, full name Li Min, is Li Kang’s daughter! She was also once a classmate of Chu Zhu.

"Understood. Just leave it in Linglong’s room," Chu Zhu said calmly, cutting off Li Kang’s words while issuing an instruction. Li Kang replied with a hearty "You got it!" but it wasn't until he had actually walked in and set the items down that he suddenly realized, "Wait a minute, you’re treating me like a porter, aren't you?"

"Uncle Li," Chu Zhu didn't respond to that, naturally moving on to his next instruction. "Now that you mention it, I seem to have forgotten to sign up! Why don't you, as an elder, pull some strings for me? The District 3 Government Office is right next door; I’m sure you have that kind of influence, right?"

"Are you joking?" Li Kang’s eye twitched. "Do you have any idea how strictly this is audited? An assessment like this..."

Chu Zhu suddenly recalled something. "It seems Minmin ran into some small issues when she was taking the civil service exam... how was that resolved again?"

"Of course, I mean, you want me to help you pass directly!" Li Kang’s expression remained steady as he shifted his tone. "Simply helping you squeeze in an extra spot is just a matter of pulling strings. You wait here..."

The next moment, Li Kang rushed back into his room and grabbed two well-packaged wine bottles. Staring into Chu Zhu’s eyes, he said through gritted teeth, "Don't worry, I’m going to drink the District Administrator under the table tonight! This wine was kept in the base and blessed by the gods themselves. I imagine he will give me that much face."

With that, Li Kang strode toward the main entrance.

"Are you serious?" Chu Zhu’s voice suddenly rose. "It’s not even off-duty time yet, is it? Doing this... is that really okay? What if you get reported? Won't you be forced into early retirement?"

Ning Linglong’s eyes suddenly brightened.

"..." Li Kang forcibly suppressed the urge to curse and quickly disappeared from sight.

After a brief silence, Bi Xuan cautiously raised his hand. "Chu... Chu... Brother Chu... Uncle Chu!"

Bi Xuan felt like crying. If he were to judge by his sister’s relationship, calling him "Brother" already felt awkward, but he couldn't handle the sharp gazes of the two seniors.

"If you haven't practiced before, sir, even if you take the exam..." Bi Xuan said very tactfully. Mostly, he felt that even if Li Kang went over there to lower his pride and sign him up, it wouldn't be of much use...

"I’ll pass," Chu Zhu said noncommittally. In truth, even without Nuwa No. 17 providing the correct answers, if Chu Zhu really wanted to pass without a reset and just guessed randomly, it wasn't impossible.

Never underestimate his connections!

"By the way, you all have other things to do today, right?" Chu Zhu suddenly remembered.

"No..." Bi Xuan had barely uttered the word before Guan Fei gave him a heavy elbow to the ribs, knocking the wind out of him. Guan Fei maintained a calm expression. "Yes, we do. We have many, many things to be busy with today!"

"We shall take our leave now!" Then, Guan Fei grabbed Bi Xuan and pulled him out of the base.

"Um," Ning Linglong looked at Chu Zhu, struggling for a long moment before gritting her teeth. "My dad said, don't forget to have dinner with him tomorrow night!"

Then, she also fled in a hurry.

"These youngsters!" Chu Zhu shook his head, feeling both amused and helpless.

...

"So... what exactly did the old man mean?" Bi Xuan still couldn't understand.

Guan Fei glanced at Bi Xuan, who possessed the clear-eyed stupidity typical of a university student. He took a deep breath, constantly consoling himself that everyone had been this way once, then said, "Mr. Chu’s words were a subtextual way of telling us to leave."

"That’s how it is," Ning Linglong, who had caught up, said calmly.

"?" Bi Xuan thought for a long while before asking in confusion, "Wait, if I recall correctly, this underground base... the proper name is the Underground Temple, right? So who exactly is the guest here? We’ve been in the Underground Temple longer than he has... never mind!"

Feeling the familiar sensation of a finger pressed against his temple, Bi Xuan’s eyes became even clearer.

"But having said that, it is true. Why does Mr. Chu want to be in the Underground Temple..." Ning Linglong frowned. No one was a fool, especially not members of the Constable Department. Even if Bi Xuan looked like a simpleton, he was still a university student—a well-deserved elite of this era.

The special nature of the Underground Temple meant they only entered when working. Furthermore, one had to maintain proper decorum, neat attire, and an attitude of reverence at all times inside... the requirements were numerous.

In truth, they were very reluctant to stay inside; it was stifling and uncomfortable.

Under these circumstances, the attitude Chu Zhu consistently displayed was truly thought-provoking.

"Why don't we," Ning Linglong said jokingly, "go back and take a look now?"

"I’m warning you!" To this, Guan Fei replied coldly, "Deputy Captain Ning, as long as there is no order from above to strictly investigate Mr. Chu, I will unconditionally stand on Mr. Chu’s side regardless of the occasion. Please do not put me in a difficult position."

Ning Linglong narrowed her eyes. Guan Fei knew very well that she hated the title "Deputy," but she was still trying her best to emphasize it. She said, "I was just curious. Fine, I was only joking! Uncle Chu has been a benefactor to me. Unless he truly does something that leads to a divine decree, I won't go out of my way to pry into what he wants to do."

"Actually, instead of worrying about me, you should worry about the Captain!"

"I can't control the Captain, but as for you! I think I can still do a little bit for Mr. Chu." Guan Fei said noncommittally. He casually pulled a chicken leg from his pocket, brushed it lightly against his mouth, and the meat was gone.

...

Chu Zhu was naturally unaware of the hidden tension after everyone left. He chose—

"Black Monkey, start! Wait... why is a payment interface popping up?"

"No, it’s this era, and you’re telling me I have to pay? Even if I actually pulled out a phone to scan a code, where would the money go? You’re not going to tell me the manufacturer of Black Monkey is still around in this era, are you? Nuwa No. 17!"

After some thought, Chu Zhu had a flash of inspiration. "Nuwa No. 17, find me some pirated versions!"

Looking at the slogan supporting legitimate copies, Chu Zhu was left speechless.

Of course, frustration aside, in the end, Chu Zhu could only look for the free content in the database.

"My goodness... ninety percent of the games require payment! Novels, on the other hand, are ninety percent free. Wait, there are even free movies and music! Good, good, good..."

"Wait, what is this *Black Captain 18*? They’re already on the 18th installment of *Black Captain*? My goodness! It must be so bad I have to watch a bit. Alright, all-black cast, no need to watch."

I must say, watching movies with Nuwa No. 17 is truly heaven-defying! The silver walls inside the massive base, which could project images, all transformed into a 360-degree cinematic experience, making one feel truly immersed!

However, if the film was entirely black actors! This heaven-defying technology gave a feeling that was just...

"The novels I was waiting for in the real world! Everything I can find is completed? And there’s a pile of new novels written by various big-name authors..."

"Thanks to the gifts of nature! Nuwa No. 17, start!"