YM778.TV Chapter 217 - 217: 171: What on Earth Do You Want to
Chapter 217 - 217: 171: What on Earth Do You Want to
As a seasoned traveler who could set off at a moment’s notice, Harrison Clark slipped away quietly before dawn after bidding farewell to Nora Camp.
By the morning, since Needham Brown couldn’t find him, he went to block Daniel Thompson’s door.
Feeling a sense of loss about his beloved apprentice, the moody Lion said, “I know where he went, but I don’t want to tell you.”
“You must tell me!” Needham Brown stood in the way with his hands on his hips, not letting him pass. “As a lieutenant colonel, I order you, Captain Daniel Thompson.”
Daniel Thompson was shivering with anger.
He was furious, but there was nothing he could do.
As a captain, he had to bow down to someone else’s colonel.
Although they belonged to different systems and Needham Brown was not his direct superior, Daniel Thompson could refuse his orders during wartime. However, since they were in a state of daily training, Needham Brown had certain authority.
Unable to bear such humiliation, Daniel Thompson’s eyes darted back and forth.
He quickly came up with an idea, “Fine, there’s no use in me telling you anyway. You won’t go looking for him, and there’s no point in doing so.” “If you don’t tell me, how do you know I won’t go?”
“Alright, if I tell you and then you decide not to go, you have to stay at Black Bear Training Base and help me train my new recruits.”
“Fine!”
Needham Brown agreed without hesitation.
“Harrison Clark has gone to the Institute of Life Sciences. He’s shifting to scientific research and setting up a project team there.”
“What?!”
“You probably don’t know, but besides being a new recruit, he’s also an expert research fellow at the Institute of Life Sciences. Are you going to challenge a scholar at the Institute of Life Sciences?”
It was now Needham Brown’s turn to be upset, “I…”
Daniel Thompson: “You can go, no one is stopping you. Go on. I’ll be happy to see you off.”
“Forget it, I’ll be your assistant teacher.”
Needham Brown sighed, utterly disheartened.
On the other hand, a huge city was located in the central region of the United Kingdom.
This city covered tens of thousands of square kilometers and had a strong sense of technology. Various metal structures were built high into the sky, and several high-power superconducting microwave cables connected to outer space power transfer satellites.
In the sky, numerous vehicles were densely arranged, with people sitting or standing on chairs, reading books with their legs crossed.
Although there were countless flying vehicles, their operation was very stable and orderly, crisscrossing each other.
The distance between each vehicle remained constantly fixed, with countless light bands forming a woven network that covered the entire city.
Just by looking at the contented expressions of the passengers on the flying vehicles, it was clear that behind the city, an incredibly powerful artificial intelligence maintained order, bringing convenience to people.
This city was the world-renowned Science City, with a total population of up to 500 million.
More than 70% of the global scientific research practitioners lived here.
Harrison Clark’s fast shuttle landed on the transportation hub platform at the edge of the city.
Starting from here, his personal transportation would be replaced with a flatboard vehicle like everyone else’s.
If he wanted to go somewhere, all he needed to do was enter the destination in his personal intelligent assistant, and the vehicle would automatically integrate the route into the city’s three-dimensional traffic network, taking him to the desired location in the shortest amount of time.
Even crossing the entire city would take less than ten minutes.
However, he wasn’t in a hurry to start his journey and instead chose to sit on a bench at the southwest corner of Hub Square.
Before setting off, he had a friendly and intimate conversation with his only student, Martha Owen.
Martha Owen “voluntarily” offered to pick him up, show him around Science City, where he hadn’t been before,register and settle his accommodation.
The two agreed to meet at 9:15 in the morning, but Harrison Clark arrived about twenty minutes early.
Since there was still time to spare, he asked his personal terminal to play a few 21st-century songs while he gazed at the crowd coming and going on the floating hub platform.
Every second, thousands of people would leave Science City through this platform, or they would step off the Fast Shuttle, and stand on a flatboard vehicle that would take them into the city.
Everyone was very busy and in a hurry.
Almost no one stopped.
Most people were engaged in reading documents, giving verbal reports, participating in wireless meetings, or being busy with various things in the holographic system while on the move.
Almost no one engaged in idle conversation.
Even acquaintances who happened to meet each other would only briefly glance and share a smile before passing by each other without exchanging further pleasantries.
On the vast square, there was only the incessant, raindrop-like sound of footsteps and the rapid takeoff and landing of vehicles.
From time to time, some people would also lie on flatboard vehicles, covered in blankets, flying towards the hub platform. When they were about to reach, they would suddenly open their eyes, sit up, and stretch their hands wide.
Their eyes quickly focused, and they tapped several times in the air with their fingers.
The switch from a brief rest to work mode took less than five seconds.
The atmosphere was intense and bustling.
Harrison Clark furrowed his brow slightly, was this the legendary 24-hour high-intensity non-stop work mode?
This…
In the military camp, he couldn’t feel the external atmosphere.
He may have passed the training easily while others struggled, but Harrison Clark was not quite aware of the hardships others faced.
However, in Science City, he truly felt the efforts and urgency of people in this timeline, united by humanity’s common hatred and truly embodying a republican system.
Middle-aged men with white hair and bald spots were everywhere. To become a top scholar, many people would have gone bald or white-haired at an early age.
Hair loss was a cruel reality faced by heavy mental laborers in the 31st century.
Even if they could barely grow hair using technology, it would still fall out soon, so people just let it be.
Men like Martha Owen, who had become expert research fellows and senior scholars without going bald, were few.
Even if they did not go bald, they were likely to have white hair at a young age.
At this thought, Harrison Clark’s emotions became rather complex.
Occasionally, he would feel resentment for his lonely struggle.Why me?
Why must I have to work so hard?
Isn’t that unfair to me?
Now he doesn’t think that way anymore.
Others may not know as much as he does, but that doesn’t prevent everyone from trying their best.
What drives them to work so hard?
It’s not hard to guess.
Before the decisive battle day, leave behind as many valuable research results as possible, or see their own creations being used in war.
Even if it’s just adding one lab product, or finishing the debugging of a new weapon’s extreme parameters, it can slightly improve humans’ chances of winning.
Soldiers fight on training grounds and future battlefields.
For the researchers, their battlefields are in their own laboratories and projects.
Never rest, never stop.
Struggling until the last moment of life.
This is the one and only life creed for the researchers in these times.
Harrison Clark checked some data on his personal terminal.
Just as he thought.
At this time, the average lifespan of soldiers and ordinary workers has exceeded 200 years.
But the average life expectancy of researchers is only 150 years.
Even with the most advanced medical and life-extension techniques, the average life expectancy of renowned scholars is still less than 180, significantly lower than the overall human average.
The ones who have been sacrificing for humanity without the war even officially starting, are these researchers.
Researchers work hard and sacrifice longevity, rightfully deserving respect.
That’s why Needham Brown, despite his unwillingness, eventually gave up his idea after learning that Harrison was coming to the Science Institute.
Apart from being a genius soldier, Harrison also achieved great results in the field of scientific research.
“Excuse me, are you Harrison Clark?”
While Harrison was engrossed in his thoughts, a crisp voice sounded beside him.
He suddenly woke up and looked over, his eyes slightly brightened.
What rare treasures are these?
Do all of Martha Owen’s subordinates have such high appearance values?
Standing beside him were seven or eight girls in white uniforms.
In contrast to the omnipresent silver-haired bald heads in the square, these slender girls with jet-black hair were particularly eye-catching.
Harrison secretly thought if Martha was instructed by Nora Camp to arrange a bunch of beautiful young female researchers to test him.
How boring.
Am I really that worldly, with such weak willpower?
They are really underestimating me.
He stood up and smiled amiably, “Yes, I am Harrison Clark. Are you Martha’s friends? Are you here to pick me up?”
A short-haired girl from behind shouted, “No… aow!”
Her foot was stepped on by the long-haired girl in front of her.
That long-haired girl just greeted Harrison earlier.
The long-haired girl smiled, “Yes, we are Mr. Owen’s friends. She has something urgent to do and can’t come, so she asked us to pick you up.”
“It’s no trouble, one person would have been enough. What’s the point of coming with so many people?” With no doubt, Harrison got up and followed them.
About a few minutes later, Martha Owen and an elderly man stood at Hub Square looking at each other.
Martha asked, “Where is he?”
The old man said, “Should you call him?”
Five seconds later, Martha shook her head in astonishment, “Can’t connect, it says he’s in a confidential area and outside contact is not allowed.”
She was at a loss.
Where could he have gone?
Could it be that in today’s highly advanced world of information, a grown man like Harrison Clark could still get lost?
On the other hand, Harrison was sitting bewildered in a hall made of white metal inner walls, drinking tea.
After he left the hub with the group of people, he didn’t fly far on the vehicle before driving straight into a big house on the edge of Science City.
The people then told him to sit down and said they would inform Martha right away and ask him to wait a moment.
The most beautiful girl among them stayed behind to pour tea and serve fruit plates and chat.
Although he enjoyed looking at the beautiful women, his time was invaluable, and just waiting wasn’t an option.
Especially since he could feel the floor starting to vibrate after he sat down, meaning the building was on the move.
It felt strange.
If it wasn’t for knowing that the whole humanity is extremely united at this point and there are no traitors, he would have thought he’d been ambushed.
Harrison waits another few minutes and still doesn’t see Martha. Even when he tries to find her through his personal communication system, there’s no signal!
He can’t sit still anymore.
Ignoring the girl trying to retain him, he stands up and heads towards the metal hall, with his hand on the Morrowind System card on his waist.
Then, he sees a large building complex looming ahead.
And above the buildings, there’s a huge projection of the Life Science Research Institute.
He suddenly feels a chill, his hair standing on end.
“Oh god! Martha Owen is from the Material Science Institute, right? Why would she bring me to the Life Science Institute? Who the hell are you guys? What do you want to do? Dissect me?”