Chapter 513: One Hundred Cells
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The dark room was on the same s.h.i.+p, embedded in the hulk. People had to jump into it from the deck.
The officer and a group of bystanders followed Jiang Chen. They were curious to see how much progress he could make in three entries.
Having to go back to their battalions to change s.h.i.+fts, many soldiers felt it was a pity that they couldn’t see the results in person.
“It’s said that all of the newly recruited generals were given 1,000 war merit points.”
“In my opinion, he has no idea how difficult it is to get war merit points. When he goes onto the battlefield, he’ll regret spending these 300 points this way.”
“Even the best need ten-odd entries to achieve something. What makes this guy think he can make achievements after only three entries?”
The people’s discussion amused Jiang Chen.
All legends started from nothing. As easy as it was, many people didn’t understand.
He didn’t expect to achieve anything big through these three entries. He only wanted to make whatever progress he could get, using these chances to the fullest.
But he didn’t bother to explain that to these people.
The right way to deal with these idiots was to not correct them so that they’d stay foolish forever.
“What kind of weapon do you use?” the officer with him asked. The dark room wouldn’t adjust to its visitors automatically to help them improve.
It required a change of settings, like knife and sword mode or spear and stick mode.
Naturally, Jiang Chen’s answer was sword.
The officer wasn’t surprised. He went to the entrance of the dark room and moved a triangular indicator with much effort to make it point at a small sword carved on the ground.
“You’ll only have 15 minutes each time. You must leave the room no matter what when your time is up.”
Jiang Chen noticed the ceiling of the room was made of darksteel. Along with the round entrance and exit in the center, the other parts were different functional zones, like the zone where the officer had moved the indicator to point.
The officer then pointed at the upper right corner, where there was a circular slot with a diameter of a little over three feet. It was currently empty, nothing in it.
“Many people claim the dark room doesn’t work for them. This is the slot that indicates the progress you make in there.
“Take a close look at it. Don’t complain to me later.”
They had seen too many people who had made no gains in the dark room make a scene before, so they preferred to make things clear before anything happened.
Jiang Chen walked over and saw the energy slot was composed of 100 long cells.
“It’s already good enough if you can illuminate one cell after each entry. You won’t really sense any progress until you can do more than ten cells. If after these three chances, you don’t get there, don’t complain.”
The officer didn’t believe he could do it at all. He was impatient and disdainful of Jiang Chen.
While the officer was opening the round lid of the room, Jiang Chen suddenly said, “It seems you believe I’ll definitely waste these chances. Why don’t we make a bet?”
The people around became interested.
Glancing at him, the officer said with disdain, “What do you want to bet?”
“If I fill half of the cells after three entries, you’ll give me 1,000 war merit points. If I fail, I’ll give you the spiritual herbs I just bought.”
“I helped you exchange for those herbs. They’re only worth around 500 war merit points.” The officer appeared to be tempted.
“But you sounded like it would be impossible for me to achieve half of them, meaning 50 cells,” Jiang Chen said with a gentle smile.
“Yeah. Don’t chicken out! You’ll win anyway!”
“I want to see this guy’s face when he loses everything, getting nothing in return for the 1,000 war merit points he spent.”
“Say yes to him!”
The other soldiers started to jeer at the officer. Military life was so boring that they didn’t want to miss any possible chance for fun.
“Okay. I agree. Show me if you can achieve 50 cells after three entries.”
The officer agreed without thinking about it too much. He said, “Don’t think you’re smart. The result is based on an individual’s fight doctrine. Your past achievements have nothing to do with it. It’s not easy to achieve 50 cells.”
He thought Jiang Chen was going to play a trick. That was the only explanation he could think of.
If that was the case, Jiang Chen would be really stupid for thinking he knew the dark room better than the officer did.
“Don’t overthink it.” Smiling disdainfully, Jiang Chen jumped into the entrance.
The lid of the entrance closed automatically. Jiang Chen felt like he was in an airtight iron cage that no light could enter, but everyone knew the dark room was safe. The only thing was, it didn’t work.
Fifteen minutes wasn’t too long, but not so short, either.
Standing above, the officer was thinking about how he could exchange Jiang Chen’s herbs for more war merit points.
It was impossible to return them and get the points back.
The only way is to take others’ points when they want the same herb, the officer thought, even complaining about the trouble he would be in, thinking it would be perfect if everything had started before Jiang Chen had requested the spiritual herbs.
“Xu Ping, you look so confident, like you’ll definitely win,” the other military officers joked.
“Haha, of course.”
Smiling complacently, Xu Ping said, “If he had said ten cells or five cells, I definitely wouldn’t have agreed to bet with him. But he said 50 cells. Of course I’ll win!”
The other officers couldn’t help but nod, agreeing with him.
The 15 minutes pa.s.sed as they talked. The lid of the dark room opened automatically.
As if the lid of a pot had been lifted, white hot air kept gus.h.i.+ng out.
Jiang Chen jumped out of the room, sweating heavily, either due to heat or fatigue.
Then they heard gears and chains moving where the round slot was and saw the slot cells lighting up, one after another.
“How?”
According to what Xu Ping had said, for average people, one cell each time was already good enough. He didn’t know what to say upon seeing the cells lighting up one by one.
In an instant, ten cells had lit up. However, it didn’t stop there. More cells were illuminated.
When 20 cells had been illuminated, the people on the scene were all struck dumb.
When 30 cells had lit up, it was so quiet on the s.h.i.+p that people could even hear a needle fall on the ground.
When the number had achieved 40, Xu Ping’s facial expression was extremely interesting.
Fortunately, after 47 cells, the process finally stopped.
Xu Ping felt relieved, but soon, he went up to the energy slot like a madman and pushed a b.u.t.ton to clear all of the illuminated cells.
“You didn’t achieve 50, like we said. Keep going,” Xu Ping calmly said after.
“d.a.m.n. He could do that?” a bystander shouted in surprise.
Usually the energy slot wouldn’t be cleared up until a different person came.
Jiang Chen had achieved 47 cells after the first entry. He would surpa.s.s 50 easily on the next try.
But Xu Ping had cleared all of them so that Jiang Chen had to start from scratch. Obviously, he didn’t want to lose the bet.
“Look at you. Now I’m even more eager to win.”
Although Jiang Chen didn’t know, Xu Ping’s guilty face told him that he couldn’t afford the loss.
“Stop bragging!” Xu Ping said in anger.