Confused about why the test is taking place in the underground garage, Pei Yan follows Elder Lin, Engineer Li, Hu, Miao, and others out of Jiezhi Space. They take the elevator down to the underground garage and find a large and a small person already waiting by the hidden Teleportation Array.
The smaller one, Pei Yan, couldn't be more familiar with, it's Xia Yü, and the middle-aged man with a long scar on his face—Pei Yan knows his identity but has never interacted with him. From the earliest combat videos Pei Yan watched to the training in Jiezhi Space, he often saw this man standing with Elder Lin, occasionally whispering and pointing at him.
Being able to communicate equally with Elder Lin must mean he's no ordinary person. Pei Yan privately asked Wang Wenze, who told him this man is the head of the bureau, Director Gu Shenghui, Director Gu.
"Xiaopei, this is the leader of the bureau, Director Gu!" Hu Wenjun quickly steps forward to introduce them.
Pei Yan pretends not to know him and extends his hand excitedly, "Hello, Director Gu!"
"Xiaohu, why bother pretending, you already know who I am. You're too young to feign such maturity; your shifty eyes have already betrayed your thoughts." Saying this, Gu Shenghui slaps Pei Yan's hand hard, then says, "Alright, no more chatter, get into the Teleportation Array, they're waiting!"
Pei Yan is initially startled by Director Gu's pitch-black teeth, then awkwardly lowers his head and steps into the Teleportation Array, standing like a statue beside Xia Yü behind everyone. As the Teleportation Array's light starts to rise, Pei Yan feels a jolt, and looking down, Xia Yü nudges his waist with her elbow and teases in a whisper, "How does it feel to be roasted by the old guy? The more he roasts you, the more he values you. You'll get used to it!"
"Who's the old guy? Such cheek!" Just as Xia Yü finishes, Gu Shenghui's cold voice returns from the front row. Xia Yü pouts and mimics Gu Shenghui's words, exaggeratedly moving her mouth so Pei Yan can see.
Pei Yan is about to laugh but is suddenly surrounded by light, his mind blank, as that soul-tearing sensation returns. But luckily, he's in a mechanical state now and doesn't feel much pain.
When awareness returns, a large hand appears before Pei Yan. On one knee, Pei Yan grabs the hand and stands, realizing it belongs to Gu Shenghui.
"Still not used to the Teleportation Array? That's not good! It's how you'll be dispatched on missions in the future! You need to adapt quickly!"
"Understood!" Pei Yan wipes the cold sweat from his face with his restored hand and resolutely responds.
After saying this, Pei Yan and the others leave the room with the Teleportation Array. Gentle sunlight hits Pei Yan's face, and after adjusting to the changing light, he squints at two military jeeps, an armored car, and several soldiers waiting for them outside.
"Get in the car. Pei Yan, you're in the armored vehicle!" Gu Shenghui waves his hand with authority and enters the jeep with the others from the bureau.
Following orders, Pei Yan gets into the armored vehicle, nodding amiably to the two curious soldiers examining him, "Hello!"
"Hello! You're with the Otherworld Investigation Bureau, right? Wow, your ability is so cool! Can I touch you?" One of the soldiers leans over and asks curiously.
Having heard this request countless times, Pei Yan understandingly spreads his hand, "Go ahead, no problem. But you guys know about the Otherworld Investigation Bureau?"
"Of course, we're brother units! We're the Golden Eagle Special Forces! We have abilities too." The other soldier presses Pei Yan's arm strongly, being startled when it leaves a dent. He quickly withdraws his hand, thinking he caused trouble, but relaxes when it soon returns to normal.
"The Golden Eagle Special Forces... so that's Captain Hu's unit of ability users, codenamed Golden Eagles. Wow, what a grand name. And then look at our Otherworldly Affairs Office..." Listening to the soldier, Pei Yan can't help but inwardly grumble.
Amid laughter and conversation among the three, the vehicle slowly stops. The two soldiers glance at each other, get up, open the door, and agilely hop down, welcoming with open arms, "Come on, mechanical police officer from the Otherworld Investigation Bureau, welcome!"
Pei Yan doesn't hesitate either, swinging his arms and striking a pose as he jumps down, raising a cloud of dust, drawing cheers from the two soldiers.
"Look at that show-off! What's he flaunting! Get over here!" Hu Wenjun, who had disembarked first, sees Pei Yan's display, shakes his head with a wry smile, and loudly scolds.
Upon hearing the call, Pei Yan shakes hands with the two soldiers to say goodbye and jogs to Hu Wenjun's side, following the group through a side door into the large warehouse before them.
This warehouse is constructed much like the military warehouse Hu Wenjun first took Pei Yan to, only much larger. Seeing rows of dismantled equipment, Pei Yan finally understands why the next test is being held here.
"Next, we'll test what items you can absorb. Is it only steel and electronics-related tech products? How much can you absorb? How does absorption affect your body? We'll conduct a complete test today! Starting with your basic steel!"
Engineer Li walks to the neatly stacked steel inventory, loudly explaining, "Although these aren't China's best special ultra-hard steel, they are military-grade steel used for the Type 99 tanks, totaling three hundred tons of raw materials! I think that should be enough for you to absorb!"
Fifteen minutes later, Engineer Li looks at the empty shelves before him, feeling incredulous as he sees Pei Yan, seemingly unsatisfied, and voices, "You, you! Absorbed it all!"
"Ah, no, isn't that possible?" Pei Yan's heart sinks, seeing Engineer Li's expression. Did he absorb too much? Releasing it would be hard, and three hundred tons of special steel must cost a fortune!
"It's fine, it's fine! How does your body feel, do you think you've reached any limit?"
Pei Yan shakes his head, "No, I feel like I can absorb more!"
"Proceed to absorb the next item! We'll talk about the rest later!" From the moment they entered the warehouse, Gu Shenghui, standing in a corner with Elder Lin, chatting with a colonel officer, sees the situation and shouts loudly.
"Alright! Proceed to absorb the next item!"
From new electronic screens made of graphene, rubber products, silicone products, to Aramid fiber, carbon fiber, and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene, Pei Yan, like a voracious beast, almost clears out half the warehouse's materials prepared for him, leaving only unprocessed natural materials like diamond intact.
"Oh my gosh! You really brought a big eater with you! I thought these were just for show, but he actually used them all up." Liu Xuan declines the cigarette Gu Shenghui offers, takes off his military cap, and rubs his head in disbelief.
"Well, who knows what the final outcome will be?" Gu Shenghui lights a cigarette and takes a puff, feigning dissatisfaction.
At that moment, Hu Wenjun comes rushing over to inquire, "Engineer Li asked me to ask you, should he still absorb the pre-prepared engines?"
"Ah, this, this...!" Liu Xuan adjusts his cap, stepping forward to speak, but Gu Shenghui steps forward, blocking him, and scolds Hu Wenjun: "Do we need permission? We came here for a reason! Our brother unit gave us such great support, and you're not going to do everything thoroughly at once? We'll have them running back and forth! Quick, get it done!"
"Yes, understood!" Seeing the situation, Hu Wenjun nods quickly and runs back.
"I say, Old Gu, why the theatrics at my place? I didn't say you couldn't have it, these things were approved above to be given to you." Liu Xuan sees the decision's finalized, pushes away the arm blocking him, adjusts his military cap, and says generously.
Patting his stomach and then Gu Shenghui's, Liu Xuan tentatively suggests, "Furthermore, didn't you say it? We're brother units, there's no you and me! I also came from the Investigation Bureau! What's mine is yours, yours..."
"Is still mine!" Gu Shenghui presses down Liu Xuan's hand, cutting him off bluntly.