Wang Lizhi finally met Shen Yue, who had just returned from the new recruits’ training ground, and the first moment he saw him, Wang Lizhi immediately stepped forward.
He saluted Shen Yue, imitating Jin Zan’s gesture, and then said:
"Leader, I have important information to report!"
Shen Yue looked at Wang Lizhi with slight puzzlement, and the latter did not keep him in suspense, but directly and bluntly asked:
"I heard you have found a kind of ’living metal material’? Can I see that material?"
Shen Yue keenly sensed the other person’s slightly urgent state and did not immediately answer, but instead asked in return:
"Do you know about that material?"
"Or, are you looking for that material?"
Wang Lizhi slowly nodded and then said:
"We have been searching for this material for many years."
"To be precise, we began looking for this material 50 years ago."
"However, we have never succeeded—because the description of this material is too vague."
"We don’t know its properties, its distribution range, or even its uses..."
"The only clue is the fragmented information our leader deciphered from the pre-catastrophe knowledge repository."
"The material is supposed to be alive, and should possess metallic properties."
"Beyond that, we know nothing."
"So, even though we have spent a lot of time and effort, we still haven’t found this material."
"But today, from Jin Zan’s mouth, I heard that you already have a clue?"
As the words fell, Shen Yue slowly nodded.
"But before sharing this clue... I need to ask you first, why are you looking for this material?"
"The Circular System!"
Wang Lizhi answered without hesitation:
"The material is the key to restarting the Circular System, or more accurately, the Circular System is constructed from it!"
"Wherever it exists, there are clues to the Circular System; if we want to find the Circular System, we must first find it!"
Shen Yue’s eyes subtly changed.
He recalled what He Shuo had said earlier.
If two things appear simultaneously and are both in a state of "unknown and unsolved," then these two things are likely related.
How quickly has this hypothesis been confirmed?
Shen Yue did not immediately speak but gestured for Wang Lizhi to follow, then led him into Fortification 011, into the operations command room.
After closing the command room door and inviting Wang Lizhi to sit down, he continued to ask:
"Since the situation has developed to this point, I think we should be honest with each other."
"I remember you said before that once you open the passage to Mountain City, you would deliver intelligence about the ’Circular System’ to us."
"Now, we have fulfilled our condition."
"So, I should be able to ask our question now."
"What exactly is the Circular System?"
With the words falling, Wang Lizhi slowly shook his head.
Shen Yue’s eyes changed instantly, but Wang Lizhi immediately explained:
"This is not something we deliberately hide, but rather, we do not know the specific form of the Circular System."
"Even our leader has very limited information."
"We only know the Circular System is an artificial large-scale device that requires special programs to start and can produce special effects."
"However, we have never personally verified its specific use."
"Because we lack the corresponding materials, the corresponding knowledge—that’s why we are eager to enter Mountain City."
"Just like you, we believe that the most core, most important, and most complete knowledge from before the catastrophe is preserved there."
"Once we acquire that knowledge, we will have the opportunity to restart the Circular System...."
"This doesn’t make sense."
Shen Yue interrupted Wang Lizhi, then continued:
"If even you don’t know exactly what the Circular System is, how was your organization born?"
"An illusory concept cannot rally a large organization, especially since your organization is quite stable and united on all fronts."
"No, no, that’s not it!"
Wang Lizhi hurriedly interrupted Shen Yue and then said:
"When I said we don’t know the specific form of the Circular System, it doesn’t mean we have never seen it!"
As soon as he said this, Shen Yue was directly stunned.
You’ve seen the Circular System but don’t know its specific form?
Isn’t this purely contradictory?
He frowned, but before he could speak to question it, Wang Lizhi continued. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novel✶fire.net
"Not only have we seen the Circular System, but in fact, we control a ’miniaturized’ Circular System, which simulates the real Circular System."
"It was activated once—a long time ago."
"And according to the leader’s notes, when the Circular System was activated, it produced quite miraculous effects."
"I can’t describe that effect to you; perhaps you should talk to our leader directly."
"However, with my authority, I can confirm that this ’model,’ or ’miniature version’ of the Circular System, is already damaged."
"And to restore it, this living metal material must be used!"
This series of disclosures by Wang Lizhi could certainly be called candid.