Kong Mingan couldn't help but feel strained: "You're wearing my clothes?"
The young girl nodded again, her tone still completely justified:
"When you left before, you said I could use anything in the lab, so I just 'inherited' your wardrobe while I was at it.
"Anyway, you can't wear these old clothes now, so I just took them to wear. They're definitely more comfortable than my own clothes."
Watching the girl look at him with smiling eyes, Kong Mingan had every reason to suspect she was doing it on purpose, but he had no proof.
"Fine."
Unable to find evidence, he reluctantly chose to accept the explanation.
"Why do you sound so unwilling?"
Xu Tianzhen whispered, thought for a moment, and then the corner of her mouth curled up slightly.
She stepped forward slightly, approached Kong Mingan, and then very naturally reached out, slowly pulling up the thin black shoulder strap on her shoulder with two fingers, and then gently released it—
"Snap!"
The strap bounced back onto her skin, making a soft sound.
The young girl tilted her head, her eyes innocent yet slightly provocative: "Since you don't like it, how about I take it off right now?"
Having said that, she reached out, preparing to lift the hem of the oversized shirt.
"I like it, stop messing around."
Kong Mingan decisively reached out and pulled her restless little hand down, then adjusted her collar upward, all while repeatedly admonishing himself mentally.
He must not commit a crime.
"Hmph hmph."
Xu Tianzhen couldn't help but hum softly, yet she threw herself into his arms again, her hands skillfully wrapping around his neck, her small face showing a hint of satisfaction.
It was still the same—if she didn't proactively fight for it, was she supposed to be the aggrieved party? That absolutely wouldn't do! It was just a pity that her fiancé was a bit too principled and refused to make a move on her.
She still had to wait a few years.
Kong Mingan lowered his eyes, holding the small, soft, and lightweight body of the girl in his arms. One hand gently rested on her slender waist to prevent her from moving around and falling off. Kong Mingan paused slightly, realizing something more.
Although there was a layer of fabric, based on the sensation transmitted through his palm, he could roughly determine that aside from her innermost garment, the girl was likely wearing nothing underneath.
And concerning the overly large short-sleeved shirt belonging to him that she was wearing, if the girl moved even slightly, the hem would inadvertently lift a little, revealing the same black color as the shoulder strap.
She truly was constantly testing his resolve.
Kong Mingan grumbled internally, then reached out and silently pulled the girl's shirt hem back down.
In response, Xu Tianzhen moved even more vigorously in his arms... She rubbed and squirmed against Kong Mingan for quite a while before Xu Tianzhen finally calmed down contentedly, settling into a more comfortable position.
Only then did she begin rambling about the many things that had happened in the Capital City during this period.
Kong Mingan adjusted his posture to let her lean more comfortably, while he relaxed and listened quietly.
It had indeed been a while since he had paid much attention to the specific affairs of the Capital City.
During this time, he had been staying in Shrek City, focusing on the various matters concerning Shrek.
And even earlier than that, he had been immersed in the laboratory, dedicating himself entirely to the research of Wang Donger's Spirit and Wang Donger's Soul structure, completely ignoring the outside world.
Under such circumstances, it was naturally impossible for him to constantly focus on the Capital City.
Of course, he wasn't worried that the Capital City would encounter any problems. After all, with both his Grandpa and Elder Yi—two Super Old Ones—in charge, it would be difficult for problems to even arise.
"...Because the military reform was successful and the army's strength increased significantly, for a period of time, there were constant ideas within the Empire to launch a direct war against the Douluo Three Kingdoms.
"However, after Grandpa Kong announced the completion of the crucial experiment on the Fusion of spirit tool and Spirit, those troublemakers and the nobles of the Empire quieted down.
"The warmongers who previously clamored for radical expansion, as well as the various other factions seeking balance and compromise, now all shared the same mindset.
"Even my Imperial Father agreed with the strategic policy formulated by Grandpa Kong:'Stable development, accumulating strength, developing spirit tool technology, and achieving victory through absolute superiority.' Also..."
"Wait a moment." Kong Mingan suddenly interrupted. As if he had caught a key phrase, his tone carried a clear hint of surprise.
"Did you just say... that Grandpa's experiment concerning the Fusion of spirit tool and Spirit has succeeded?"
Xu Tianzhen blinked her deep purple eyes, nodded affirmatively, and then spoke while recalling the details:
"Yes, it succeeded. It happened about two or three months ago, right? However, the news is currently only being circulated quietly among the Empire's high-level officials and inner circle; it hasn't been widely publicized."
As she spoke, she looked strangely at Kong Mingan's confused expression and asked in return: "You didn't know? Grandpa Kong didn't tell you?"
Kong Mingan shook his head. He was certain he hadn't received any related news. Could it be that I was so engrossed in experiments during this period that I forgot about everything else and overlooked it?
Kong Mingan paused. It wasn't impossible, as he was indeed prone to getting carried away.
He felt slightly confused, but Xu Tianzhen paused for a moment and then continued to add:
"...But I heard my Imperial Father say that Grandpa Kong doesn't seem very satisfied with the results of this experiment.
"His Elder self mentioned to my Imperial Father privately that the outcome of this experiment was not the truly perfect form he envisioned, and he intends to continue his attempts."
Upon hearing this, Kong Mingan thought for a moment and roughly understood the situation.
Unlike his Grandpa in the original work, who could only research alongside his subordinates, many Rank 9 Soul Engineers, and finally completed the experiment on the Fusion of spirit tool and Spirit more than ten years later,
in this life, due to his intervention, Grandpa Kong Deming's strength had long surpassed his peers, reaching the level of a Rank 98 Super Douluo. He had also come into contact with and mastered the "Body Cultivator" system.
While possessing powerful cultivation, an unmatched Physical Body, and the power of Qi and blood, his Grandpa had also obtained various theoretical knowledge and potential research directions from him.
With a completely different starting point, his goals and vision naturally broadened and became more far-reaching.
In short, his Grandpa's standards were too high, causing the "Fusion of spirit tool and Spirit," which would have been considered epoch-making and set as a primary goal in the past, to be relegated to a temporary, imperfect "minor goal."
This perfectly explained why, while Elder Yi continuously released achievements like the "Fusion Limit Elevation Method" and the "Artificial spirit ring Method," his Grandpa's side remained completely quiet, with no major news emerging.
It turned out it wasn't a lack of progress; rather, his Grandpa was holding back, aiming for something much bigger!
The successful experiment on the Fusion of spirit tool and Spirit that was completed now was likely just one step in his Grandpa's overall research plan.
(End of Chapter)
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