Li Gaoliang swore that this was definitely the strangest military mission he had ever done.
It had been a month since he joined this top-secret research project.
Their task was simple.
Their daily job was to lie down on a dozen or so devices and cooperate with the researchers here to complete simple actions in virtual reality environments, as well as completing multiple-choice tests…
Honestly, being inside a virtual reality world felt strange.
In the beginning, they had more common environments such as grassland, ocean, mountain, etc. Then they began entering into strange worlds, worlds made of fragmented objects that seemed like pieces of their memories.
That feeling was difficult to describe.
Sometimes, it made people feel psychologically uncomfortable.
But, just like Academician Lu had promised, they were given regular medical check-ups, making sure there were no side effects or reactions.
Li Gaoliang had nothing to complain about the mission. After all, Li Gaoliang had a huge amount of respect and appreciation for Academician Lu. Academician Lu was the one that helped invent the neural interface prosthetics. Without them, Li Gaoliang wouldn’t even be able to get out of bed.
However, Li Gaoliang didn’t know what was the point of these experiments.
He was walking in the corridor when he heard several soldiers talking inside the laboratory.
“… I feel my head and neck hurt every time I’m in the virtual world.”
“That is painful to you? Grow up.”
“It’s just not comfortable… Are you sure this thing won’t affect my brain? My mother said I’m not a bright kid, if this makes me even dumber—”
“No way! We have physical examinations once a week. If there’s any, they would have found the problems.”
“But who knows how accurate the physical examinations are.”
While the two were speaking, they heard a cough outside the door. They instantly shut their mouths.
Li Gaoliang walked into the laboratory and looked at the soldiers. He smiled and spoke.
“What’s going on, gentlemen? How come it’s so quiet now?”
The four soldiers felt intimidated, and they all held their breath, afraid to speak.
They had a serious look on their faces.
Li Gaoliang looked around the silent laboratory and spoke.
“You guys are soldiers, and it is your responsibility to do what you are told.
“If anyone wants to quit, they can get dishonorably discharged.
“Remember, I don’t care what your worries or doubts are. Shut your mouth and do your mission!”
Li Gaoliang shouted at the four soldiers.
“Understood?”
“Yes, sir!”
Li Gaoliang nodded and spoke.
“Dismissed.”
The four people sighed in relief. They put down their helmets and quickly left the laboratory.
Li Gaoliang looked at the people leaving. He then picked up the helmet and placed it neatly aside.
When he heard footsteps at the door, he looked up and saw Lu Zhou.
Li Gaoliang smiled and spoke.
“Academician Lu? Do you need anything?”
“Nothing.” Lu Zhou smiled and said, “I happened to overhear your conversation. There’s no need to be so strict.”
Li Gaoliang shook his head and spoke.
“Academician Lu, this is how the military is. I don’t know anything about scientific research, so I’ll listen to anything you say. But I know my men.”
Lu Zhou nodded.
“Okay then, I’ll leave you guys alone.”
He paused for a second before asking, “How is it going? You’ve been here a month, are you used to it?”
Li Gaoliang: “Are you talking about the experiment or living here?”
Lu Zhou: “Both.”
Li Gaoliang said, “I’m getting used to living here, but the experiment… I feel like it’s a bit weird.”
Lu Zhou said, “What kind of weird?”
Li Gaoliang paused for a second before speaking.
“I’m a straightforward and honest guy, so don’t be offended. I was told the mission was going to be about testing virtual reality training equipment, but so far, it feels like… we’re just messing around, not doing anything useful.”
He wasn’t the only one who felt this way.
Over the past month, he had heard many soldiers talk about how they felt the same.
The soldiers of the Airborne Brigade had elite combat skills, and their loyalty was impeccable. Because of this, they were trusted to execute tasks under high stress.
However, when they did not have a target goal or a mission in mind, they would struggle to perform.
“How is it not useful? Thanks to you guys, the system is almost complete.” Lu Zhou thought for a second and said, “How about this, I can show you what we’ve done.”
Suddenly, Lu Zhou said some unexpected words.
“Have you seen Starship Troopers before?”
Li Gaoliang paused for a second and said, “I think so… But I don’t remember much about it.”
Lu Zhou said, “What about Halo? The PC game.”
Li Gaoliang: “I don’t really like playing games, and the guns make me dizzy. I might play the occasional mobile game.”
Lu Zhou nodded.
“Good.”
Li Gaoliang was baffled.
He didn’t know why Lu Zhou was asking these irrelevant questions.
Lu Zhou paused for a second before speaking in a serious tone.
“Right now, I need you to find the best men from your regiment… Including yourself, I need ten people.”
Li Gaoliang quickly responded, “I need to know the specific mission details.”
Lu Zhou: “It’s sort of like an outer space airborne mission.”
“What’s the target location?”
Lu Zhou: “Reach, the planet in Halo.”
Li Gaoliang: “…???”
