Ning Hao was just casually complaining.

After all, Ninghang Technology’s original partner was Liu’s Heavy Industries. But as it happened, Liu Xuan founded United Pharmaceutical, independent of Liu’s Heavy Industries. To mitigate risk, Liu’s Heavy Industries then transferred the project to United Pharmaceutical.

Ning Hao, for his part, was somewhat dissatisfied with this.

But what was done was done, so Ning Hao couldn’t complain too much. He was just looking for an excuse to vent a little.

"Today’s task is the same as yesterday’s. After the experiment ended yesterday, I recalibrated the chip. The chip’s learning progress is meeting expectations, and your work efficiency is barely acceptable."

Ning Hao’s objections weren’t as strong as one might think. After all, United Pharmaceutical’s Prosthetic Engineering researchers all came from Liu’s Heavy Industries, so their Ability was never in question.

In fact, after being pushed so hard by Wei Wutao, their work Ability was perhaps even a bit stronger than that of a typical A-Class researcher at Liu’s Heavy Industries.

Any partnership requirements Liu’s Heavy Industries could meet, United Pharmaceutical could surely fulfill.

As he spoke, Ning Hao took out his equipment and connected it to United Pharmaceutical’s devices.

Once this was done, Ning Hao pulled up a chair, sat down next to the equipment, and began monitoring the data feedback in real time.

"Alright, stop dawdling! Let’s get to work!"

At Wei Wutao’s command, all the A-level Researchers started their work in a methodical fashion.

Data input, thought process input—these tasks were actually easier than their usual work.

They didn’t have to conduct new research, just break down their past designs and thought processes and feed them to the chip.

This type of work was much like the process AI companies used to train artificial intelligence during the early days of the Cyber Society.

In the current age of the Cyber Society, such work had become rare.

The researchers had no complaints; their attitude toward the work was excellent.

As for Lin Qi, just like yesterday, he bustled from one lab bench to the next, learning and surreptitiously picking up skills.

Lin Qi would need a great deal of knowledge in Prosthetic Engineering for what was coming in the Doomsday World, so he couldn’t afford to slack off now.

After two or three hours of this, Lin Qi had formed some clearer ideas about his next steps in the Doomsday World.

But in the midst of this, Lin Qi suddenly thought of something.

’When I observed this chip with my Spiritual Vision before, it seemed like a living thing.’

’I just so happened to gain a new Ability that lets me analyze and mimic living things. I should definitely try analyzing this chip.’

’If I can analyze it, that would mean my guess was right—it really is a living thing.’

’If I fail, there are two possibilities. First, I’m wrong. The chip only exhibits biological traits and isn’t actually alive. Second, besides its living traits, the chip also has the properties of an Extraordinary creature. After all, it already has the characteristics of an Extraordinary Item. If I can’t analyze it, that would mean it has Transcended Tier Two...’

Sitting at his lab bench, Lin Qi used the monitor to hide his expression.

Lin Qi opened the Prosthetic Engineering design panel on his workstation, pretending to be designing a prosthetic. At the same time, he activated his Spiritual Vision and locked onto the chip inside the main device.

Externally, the chip looked no different than it had yesterday.

It still possessed traits similar to an Extraordinary Item, while also exhibiting biological properties.

No matter how he looked at it, it seemed to be a living creature.

Lin Qi immediately activated his new Ability: Decomposition Mimicry!

A familiar sensation washed over him. The decomposition Ability had taken effect and was now analyzing the chip, bit by bit.

The moment the decomposition began, Lin Qi knew he’d been right.

This chip was definitely alive!

’This progress... it’s so slow. It’ll take at least three hours to finish the analysis. That’s even longer than it took me to analyze Xia Chu.’

The required analysis time was related to the Tier of the subject.

Xia Chu was in the first stage of Tier Two. By Lin Qi’s estimation, if this chip truly was a living creature, its Tier might be close to his own as a Wizard.

Any higher, and it would have reached a level Lin Qi could not analyze.

Just as Lin Qi began his analysis, Ning Hao, who was monitoring the equipment’s data, suddenly frowned.

Strange data had appeared!

Ning Hao immediately began to examine the data.

Lin Qi’s heart skipped a beat when he saw this.

’My Ability is extremely subtle when used in conjunction with my Spiritual Vision. It’s never been detected before. But this chip is actually giving off data feedback?’

Lin Qi used his Spiritual Vision to lock onto the device’s data feedback, monitoring the data along with Ning Hao.

"A change in the energy function?"

Ning Hao seemed completely baffled. The energy function displayed the chip’s energy loss rate during operation.

Theoretically, that value shouldn’t fluctuate much.

Unless the chip itself was changing.

Unable to immediately pinpoint the source of the change, Ning Hao contacted Ninghang Technology Headquarters and sent them the data report.

Lin Qi, watching Ning Hao, wasn’t worried.

Lin Qi had also seen the data. A mere fluctuation in the energy function couldn’t possibly be traced back to him.

Conventional logic dictated that the primary suspect would be a design flaw in the chip itself.

Ning Hao soon received a response from Ninghang Technology Headquarters: "Ning Xin is different from ordinary chips. Fluctuations in the energy function are normal. Current data suggests that it can be affected by the number of people in the environment, or by changes in its observed state. Perhaps a group of people just entered or left the building you’re in."

Ning Hao had received an absurd explanation from headquarters.

"This thing really is something special."