I accidentally joined a group of charlatans, so I immediately called the police and handed it over t

Fifteen minutes.

It really was only fifteen minutes.

Sitting in the ergonomic chair in the conference room, Chen Xi personally experienced what "national will" meant.

The roaring noise outside the window made the glass tremble.

A powerful gust of air swept up fallen leaves and dust from the ground, slapping against the curtain wall of the office building.

That was the sound of an attack helicopter's rotor blades tearing through the air.

Immediately afterwards, several dark figures descended from the sky.

The sizzling sound of the rope rubbing against the metal buckle was sharp and piercing.

Several special police officers dressed in all-black combat uniforms and wearing tactical helmets slid down to the outside of the 18th-floor window in an instant, like superheroes in a movie.

The dark muzzle of a gun, through the glass, locked onto every corner of the conference room.

The red laser sight, like the eye of death, flashed over Chen Xi.

The sound of hurried yet orderly footsteps echoed in the hallway, the heavy thuds of tactical boots on the ground.

Suddenly, the loudspeakers throughout the entire Kexing Building blared.

"Emergency notice: A fire drill is being conducted inside the building. All personnel are requested to immediately cease work and evacuate in an orderly manner using the evacuation routes."

There is absolutely no room for negotiation.

The office workers who were cursing and complaining while working overtime were quickly cleared out.

The entire science park seemed to have been muted, leaving only a suffocating and somber atmosphere.

The conference room door was pushed open again, and this time it wasn't police officers who entered, but two men in plainclothes with cold expressions.

They wore earpieces with air ducts hanging from their ears, their eyes devoid of any emotion, only the coldness of carrying out a mission.

"Mr. Chen, please."

There were no handcuffs, no pushing or shoving.

Chen Xi stood up and straightened his slightly wrinkled shirt.

He glanced back at the corner.

The two local police officers who were the first to arrive at the scene were now surrounded by several men in suits.

The veteran police officer's hands were trembling as he signed a thick document.

The two large, blood-red "Top Secret" characters on the cover were so striking they hurt your eyes.

Even the loud and boisterous young policeman from before was now ashen-faced and didn't dare to breathe.

They only glanced at the Golden Core, and their life trajectories could be drastically altered.

It could even be a form of "disappearance" or "surveillance" to some extent.

Chen Xi withdrew his gaze, took a deep breath, and stepped out of the conference room.

A completely black Hongqi sedan was parked downstairs.

There is no license plate.

The car body was wide and heavy, and the glass was as black as ink, making it impossible to see inside.

Three layers of police tape were set up around the area, and heavily armed special police officers stood with their backs to the vehicles, vigilantly watching their surroundings.

Chen Xi was led to the back seat.

The moment the car door closed, all the noise from the outside world was shut out.

It was eerily quiet.

A middle-aged man was sitting inside the car.

He was dressed in a crisp Zhongshan suit, his hair was neatly combed, and his temples were slightly gray.

His facial features were sculpted from rock, resolute and hard.

Those eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, as if they could see right through a person's very bones.

"Hello, Comrade Chen Xi."

The man spoke, his voice deep and resonant, carrying an air of authority cultivated from years of issuing commands.

"My name is Li Guobang, and I come from the Special Security Department."

There was no extra small talk, and no handshake.

Li Guobang just sat there quietly, and the invisible pressure he exuded was heavier than that of the hundreds of special police officers outside combined.

He didn't rush to ask about the immortals or the origin of the golden elixir.

He just stared at Chen Xi.

It was like examining a rare treasure, or assessing a nuclear bomb that could explode at any moment.

Chen Xi felt as if he had been stripped naked and thrown under a microscope.

My heart was racing and my palms were sweating.

But he forced himself not to look away and met Li Guobang's gaze.

Li Guobang took a bottle of mineral water from the car refrigerator next to him; it had no label.

He unscrewed the bottle cap and handed it to him.

"Have a drink of water."

Chen Xi took the water; the bottle was icy cold, stimulating the nerves in her palm.

He tilted his head back and gulped down a large mouthful of ice water, which slid down his esophagus into his stomach, finally relieving the feeling of tension that had made his throat dry.

This is not just about drinking water, but also about giving yourself a few seconds to catch up.

He was observing Li Guobang, and Li Guobang was also observing him.

A moment later, a hint of surprise flashed in Li Guobang's eyes.

He saw neither hysterical fear nor the greed for overnight riches on this young man's face.

They rarely even show the awkwardness that ordinary people feel when meeting high-ranking leaders.

Is there only one kind of peace of mind that comes after you've figured things out?

Or is it a kind of "whatever" attitude or a sense of giving up?

This is abnormal, but very interesting.

The vehicle drove very smoothly, without even the slightest bump.

Outside the window, it was pitch black, and the one-way glass meant that Chen Xi could only see his own pale reflection.

After an unknown amount of time, the car entered a highway that did not exist on the map at all.

At the end was a huge bunker disguised as a barren mountain.

The heavy metal doors slid open slowly to the sides, revealing a bottomless tunnel inside.

Layer upon layer of checkpoints, heavily armed sentries, and complex biometric scanning.

The security level here is so high that even a fly would need to undergo a DNA test to get in.

Finally, Chen Xi was taken to a room deep underground.

The walls, floors, and ceilings were all made of high-tech composite materials, gleaming with a cold light.

In the center of the room was a long metal table with two transparent, specially made evidence boxes on it.

On the left is that pitch-black [Marrow Cleansing Pill].

On the right is the radiant "Wealth-Attracting Golden Pill".

Under the illumination of the shadowless lamp, the copper coin pattern on the golden pill was clearly visible, as if it contained some kind of magic.

Li Guobang sat opposite Chen Xi, without an interrogation chair or bright lights shining on their faces, like two old friends having a heart-to-heart talk.

But the first question he asked was like a sharp knife piercing his heart.

What do you want?

These five words carry immense weight.

Li Guobang leaned forward slightly, his eagle eyes fixed on Chen Xi's pupils.

He is waiting.

This is a trap, and also the final test.

As long as Chen Xi shows even the slightest desire for power or greed for money.

Then what awaits him may be another scheme called "control".

After all, who wouldn't be tempted by holding the key to the world of gods?

Who doesn't want to live forever? Who doesn't want to control the wind and rain?

Chen Xi looked at Li Guobang and suddenly smiled.

He laughed with a relaxed expression, as if he had unloaded a heavy burden.

"Minister Li, before answering your question, I'd like to say something from the bottom of my heart."

Chen Xi pointed to the two boxes on the table.

"From the moment this thing fell out, I knew that my old days were completely over."

"I'm just a 9-to-5 office worker, getting yelled at by my boss every day, and worrying about how to pay my mortgage next month."

"My biggest dream is to be able to sleep in and wake up naturally, without having to worry about what others think."

Chen Xi paused, his tone becoming extremely sincere.

"This power to change the world is too great, too heavy."

"My small body can't handle it."

"If I had this in my hands, it would be a death warrant."

"A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime; this principle was taught in elementary school textbooks."

"I don't want to have to wear sunglasses and masks every time I go out in the future. I don't want to be kidnapped by foreign forces, I don't want to be dissected and studied, and I don't want to implicate my parents and family."

"I don't want to live like a rat in a sewer, living in constant fear."

"So I handed it over."

"In this country, only the great hand of the state can hold this sword."

The room was so quiet that the only sound was the faint hum of the ventilation system.

Li Guobang did not interrupt, but listened quietly.

Chen Xi took a deep breath, his gaze intense.

So, to answer your question.

"What I want is very simple, even humble."

"I have only one request: protect me and my family."

"To allow me to live like a normal person, with dignity and safety."

That's enough.

After saying this, Chen Xi leaned back in his chair and completely relaxed.

I've said everything I needed to say; the rest is up to fate.

Li Guobang looked at the young man in front of him.

To be able to exercise such restraint and rationality in the face of the temptation of instant success is itself an extremely formidable talent.

This is not a threat, it is an opportunity.

It is the key to the unprecedented changes that will take place in China for the next hundred or even a thousand years!

Li Guobang nodded heavily.

"The nation will not fail any meritorious official. On behalf of the organization, I grant your request. From now on, your safety and that of your family will be at the highest level."

After saying that, he picked up the internal intercom next to him and pressed the call button.

"Notify the Biology and Physics groups to activate the Pangu Protocol."

"Highest level experimental preparations are underway. I need preliminary analysis reports on these two pills within ten minutes!"