Another day passed.
At the excavation site of Emerald Lake...
A group of uninvited guests arrived.
They entered the tent and, after a brief conversation with Kyle—
"What? You want to take over the whole operation?"
Kyle stared at the black-clad government agents in front of him, his expression filled with displeasure as he demanded:
"I'm the one who discovered this site, I'm the one excavating it, and I'm also the foremost expert here. And now you want to kick me out?"
Ordinary people might be intimidated by government officials, but Kyle was someone with status.
He had connections with top political figures and wasn't about to show deference to the people standing before him.
Hearing his resistance, the leader of the agents sighed and pulled out a walkie-talkie from his coat.
He stepped out of the tent to consult with his superior.
Before coming here, he had already done a background check on Kyle. He wasn't someone they could just strong-arm into compliance.
A few minutes later...
The agent returned to Kyle and reiterated the same decision: the excavation was to be taken over by the U.S. government.
However, there were some changes to the terms. Kyle would not be forced to leave the site and could still participate in the dig.
Upon hearing this, Kyle's expression shifted slightly, and he was just about to agree when—
BOOM!
A powerful explosion suddenly echoed from outside the tent.
Kyle's face turned pale in an instant. He rushed out.
There, he saw a female TV host still recording her segment, while behind her, clouds of dust were billowing from the excavation site.
"Right now, it seems the excavation has unearthed something. Which makes us even more excited to see what comes next!"
Just as she finished speaking, a humanoid figure burst out of the dust cloud and shot into the sky!
The entire excavation site fell into a stunned silence.
No one could quite process what had just happened.
After a few seconds of awkward quiet, the female host blinked in confusion and asked the camera—and the countless viewers watching live:
"...Uh... was that Superman just now?"
That very day, the episode caused an uproar across the country.
After all, leaping from archaeology to the supernatural was a first.
Countless viewers bombarded the TV station with calls, questioning how the program suddenly shifted from realism to science fiction.
Just as many people began analyzing whether what they had seen was real or staged.
Arguments flooded the internet.
Even the authorities found it hard to suppress the broadcast.
A live national broadcast like this was nearly impossible to bury once aired.
---
Later that afternoon...
Inside a confidential research facility...
A middle-aged man bearing a general's insignia sat listening to a scientist's report.
"Sir, based on our inspection, this device is nothing more than a cryogenic pod—its primary function is to preserve the biological functions of the lifeform inside. As long as the subject isn't already dead, it can indefinitely keep them alive.
And some of the tech inside... we believe it incorporates solutions to problems we haven't even cracked yet. But this device has already put them to practical use."
After hearing the report, the general asked, "So how far ahead of us is this thing in terms of technology?"
The scientist replied, "Based on current trends in technological development, this thing is at least 60 to 80 years ahead of us."
The general pondered for a moment before asking again, "Is it possible to reverse-engineer it?"
Upon realizing the full implications of the pod, he immediately saw it as a way to extend human lifespan.
As long as someone was placed inside, even if they were dying of age or illness, their life could be preserved.
Then, when technology advanced enough to solve their ailments, they could be revived—essentially achieving unlimited life extension.
For that kind of opportunity, countless elites would pay any price.
Faced with the question, the scientist hesitated and then sighed, "The internal chip has anti-tamper measures. If we want to replicate it, we need tech at least close to its level. So realistically... we won't be able to replicate it for another 30 years at minimum."
The general's brow furrowed.
Thirty years? He'd likely be dead by then.
And if he were dead, what use was this breakthrough to him?
So he pulled out his communicator and barked an order to his subordinates:
"Increase troop deployment—capture the target as soon as possible!"
---
At the same time...
The old man who had been hypnotized by Orsaga was now facing a confrontation with his child.
"Father, why did you transfer two hundred million dollars of company funds?. The board is already demanding answers about where that money went!"
The old man slammed his hand on the table, visibly displeased.
"This company was built by me—and I'm still the chairman. I have full authority to use company funds however I see fit. As for where it went or why, you don't need to know!"
His son—a middle-aged man in a tailored suit—clenched his fists at the cold dismissal.
But he didn't dare talk back.
After all, he had several siblings. If he provoked his father, he might lose his shot in the succession war.
In the end, with a sour look on his face, he had no choice but to storm out of the office in frustration.
In the hallway, as he contemplated how to fill in this financial crater, he gave his assistant an urgent order:
"Track that money down immediately. I want to know exactly where it went."
The assistant quickly bowed and set off to investigate.
A little over ten minutes later...
He returned to the man's side, face solemn.
"We need to find out where that money went, fast. I don't want the board getting involved."
Of course, the man wasn't expecting results that quickly—his father was no fool. He knew it would take time to uncover everything.
What he didn't expect was the assistant's response:
"...We already found it."
"?"
The middle-aged man blinked in surprise. "That fast? Did you bring in a top-tier hacker?"
"Nope," the assistant said, rubbing his forehead. "It was actually pretty easy. The money trail was fully transparent. After receiving the two hundred million, the guy just went straight to the The Imperial Orchid Hotel, booked the most luxurious presidential suite, and ordered the most expensive meals. He even used the funds to hire several of the most beautiful, most expensive escorts in all of New York—right from Broadway and the Metropolitan Opera House next door."
"???"
The man's jaw dropped in rage and disbelief.
As the eldest son of the family, he had spent his whole life under the spotlight, strictly disciplined and never indulging in worldly pleasures.
Now an outsider was living the life he had always dreamed of—with his money no less!
How could he not be furious?
"Goddammit!"
"Keep digging! I want every scrap of intel on that bastard!"
As this order was issued, Orsaga, who had been living it up and sleeping around wherever he pleased, suddenly felt a ripple of awareness.
He could vaguely sense that someone was trying to investigate him.
But then he yawned, rolled over, and went back to sleep.
Let them investigate.
He didn't care in the slightest.
_____
T/N:
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