Chapter 117: Rebirth of the Tool Man in a Pampered Protagonist Novel

The crowd watched, utterly bewildered.

Meanwhile, Ross and Bert were having the time of their lives, fully immersed in a brand-new world. Although their bodies remained on the sofa, their senses transported them to a vibrant, blue ocean world. They were surrounded by colorful schools of fish, stunning coral reefs, and shells reflecting beams of sunlight in a dreamlike underwater scene. It was a delightful and mesmerizing experience.

Both Ross and Bert had always loved the ocean and often visited the seaside. However, Ross’s poor health had always prevented him from diving into the water, leaving them unable to explore the mysterious underwater world—a source of regret for both.

So, when they were asked to choose a scene, they unhesitatingly selected the underwater world. They had expected it to be similar to a high-quality 7D movie, with a somewhat immersive experience, but had assumed the “realism” aspect was just marketing hype.

To their surprise, once they actually experienced it, they realized the advertising hadn’t exaggerated at all—if anything, it had been modest!

This wasn’t just realism; it felt like they had truly entered another world!

This wasn’t just a “Mental Relief Device”—it was more like a simplified version of a full-dive holographic game!

When Ross and Bert finished their brief experience and returned to the real world, they were initially disoriented but quickly became excited, their faces flushed with enthusiasm.

The two of them eagerly grabbed the staff, speaking in a mix of excitement and disbelief,

“This is incredible! Is this what they call a full-dive holographic game? Like the ones you read about in novels or see in futuristic movies? It felt so real—I actually believed I was swimming in the ocean. Every sensation was so authentic; it’s unbelievable…”

“We still have four experience tickets each. Since no one else is here, can we extend our session and stay in the world a bit longer?”

Bert handed all their remaining tickets to the staff, eagerly proposing the idea.

A full-dive world, a true full-dive world—no matter how good the other projects might be, they were determined to spend the rest of the day here!

“Sure, no problem.”

Seeing the empty exhibition area, the staff member kindly agreed to their request.

So, everyone watched as the two men once again reclined on the sofa, closed their eyes, and started acting as if they were under a spell…

Someone in the crowd was confused, “Isn’t this supposed to be a Mental Relief Device? Something to relax and treat insomnia? Why do those two look like they’ve been bewitched?”

An older woman in the crowd asked curiously, “I heard that red-haired young man mention something about a holographic game. What’s that?”

A young man nearby kindly explained, “Granny, a holographic game is a really immersive game that feels like you’re in another world—pretty amazing stuff. They show it a lot in futuristic movies, but… wait, Granny, what did you just say? A holographic game?”

“Yes, young man, you heard right. I heard it too. So, if it’s really a holographic game, why are they calling it a Mental Relief Device?”

“Maybe we should… go in and check it out?”

The crowd in the back was puzzled, while those in the front who overheard bits of the conversation started discussing it immediately.

A good product name is crucial. The name “Mental Relief Device” didn’t evoke much interest. No matter how grand the advertising claims were, the name alone significantly diminished people’s enthusiasm. However, the words “holographic world” were like pouring cold water into hot oil—the reaction was explosive.

When Fang Ziyang and the others were deciding on a name, they considered going for something more eye-catching. But in the end, they decided against it.

Although this sleep software indeed had holographic features, it was different from a true holographic game, and it wasn’t meant to be a game. The primary function of the software was to relieve mental stress and treat insomnia; the entertaining aspects were merely additional features.

No matter what they called it, the product’s functionality wouldn’t change.

If they had focused on the software’s entertainment value, there was a risk that other teams might maliciously accuse them of straying from the competition’s theme. After all, the theme for this round was “life,” not games.

Besides, they planned to introduce a real holographic game later, so there was no need to steal the spotlight prematurely.

Once the first person tried it out, it was only natural for others to follow.

Curiosity quickly spread among the crowd, and within minutes, more people started entering the exhibition area.

And then…

The rest of the crowd noticed that once people went in, they didn’t come out.

After their first experience, just like Ross and Bert, they realized there weren’t many people yet and immediately used all their remaining tickets to extend their time in the experience.

This only fueled everyone else’s curiosity and eagerness to try it out.

As a result, more and more people began entering the exhibition area. In less than an hour, a long line had formed, just like at the other popular exhibits.

And the line kept growing, with the people inside smiling more and more broadly.

Humans are naturally curious beings. The less they know and understand, the more they want to try something out.

By the time the other teams noticed, Huaguo’s exhibition area… had gone viral.

Yes, it had inexplicably gone viral.

Because the people in line didn’t even know what they were lining up for—seeing everyone else having a great time, they figured… why not join the line too?

The members of the M team next door looked both frustrated and bewildered.

“Witchcraft! They must be using witchcraft!”

The team member who first suggested the idea of witchcraft reaffirmed his belief. Although he was a serious researcher, he also believed in the existence of witchcraft. He was convinced that the so-called “superstitions” debunked and discredited by society were just poor imitations, and that true masters were hiding in the shadows!

The others rolled their eyes at him, annoyed.

“Witchcraft, my foot! Didn’t you hear someone mention something about a ‘holographic world’? I remember two years ago, Huaguo released a ‘sleep software.’ Although it was short-lived, it caused quite a stir because it contained a super trojan virus that wreaked havoc within Huaguo. Some of that news leaked out…”

“Yeah, I’ve heard about it too. Apparently, that software had holographic technology. My professor wanted to research it, but Huaguo’s government locked it down so fast that no information managed to escape.”

Another member chimed in.

“It’s said that the latest chip ID cards in Huaguo use this technology. My professor speculates that Huaguo’s rapid technological progress in the past two years is largely due to the data and information contained in that software.”

The others, whether they had known about this or not, listened intently, their expressions growing more serious.

Although many countries publicly deny the significance of Huaguo’s chip ID cards, with various news reports dismissing them, saying that this kind of cutting-edge technology couldn’t possibly come from Huaguo and predicting that the technology would fail soon… those who truly understand technology know what these chip ID cards represent and how terrifying the technology within them is.

Countries have tried countless methods in secret to spy on and crack the technology, hoping to acquire it, but so far, they’ve come up empty-handed.

It’s precisely for this reason that the M team adopted the research results provided by the James family and why their government painfully agreed to cooperate with the James family, sacrificing significant power in the process.

Otherwise, they would have no chance of winning this technology competition.

Everyone felt a bit uneasy.

But with the competition underway, they couldn’t afford to lose confidence. Besides, their project wasn’t inferior either. The outcome of this competition was still uncertain.

“Alright, there’s nothing to worry about. Our project is strong too. And let’s not forget, Mr. Moore is on our side. This technology competition is our stage, not someone else’s stepping stone. We are still the leaders in global technology. Stand tall and proud, gentlemen…”

The captain clapped his hands, using an air of arrogance and confidence to encourage the team.

But his words didn’t truly comfort everyone.

Except for a few, most of the team members felt a sense of unease in their hearts despite the captain’s speech.

Most people in the tech field tend to be rather proud and hold their academic integrity in high regard, making it difficult for them to accept anything underhanded or unethical. While they were confident in their own skills and the projects they were working on, the higher-ups often made decisions that crossed ethical boundaries to ensure 100% success. This left the team of technicians feeling conflicted, troubled, and deeply uncomfortable.

It made them feel as though their expertise was being questioned.

This was particularly true given that Mr. Moore was a member of the James family—a name that sent shivers down the spines of the senior professors in the field…

Even though there were plenty of spectators flocking to their exhibition area, indicating that they were likely to achieve great results, most of the M team members couldn’t find much joy in it.

**

Because the second round of the competition involved audience participation, each round would last for half a month.

On the first day, since the public was unfamiliar with the research outcomes of each team, the competition was relatively calm, and the experience data for all 10 teams was about the same.

However, starting from the second day, the data for each team began to show differences.

The teams that saw the most significant rise in their data were the Huaguo and M teams.

One team had holographic technology that fulfilled people’s fantasies and expectations of future technology while also treating the common issues of insomnia and mental stress; the other team solved the challenges of exercising and losing weight, making healthy movement no longer an insurmountable test of willpower.

Both teams had absolute, strong advantages, causing the spectators to struggle with choosing between them, and leaving the other teams feeling crushed and wanting to cry out in frustration!

It wasn’t that the other teams’ projects were bad; it was simply that these two projects were so groundbreaking that there was no real comparison.

The other teams watched with envy, their eyes turning red with jealousy.

In the midst of this intense yet calm competition, half a month quickly passed, leaving only three days remaining.

Then, an issue arose at the competition.

To be precise, the problem occurred in the M team’s exhibition area.

A group of spectators who were thoroughly enjoying their experience with the healthy movement device suddenly noticed that something seemed… off.

In a corner,

“This young lady, quick, quick! You were watching Grandma use this just now—Grandma didn’t do anything, didn’t touch anything, but it suddenly stopped working. It wasn’t Grandma who broke it; you’ve got to testify for me!”

A stylishly dressed elderly lady, looking panicked, grabbed a nearby young woman, her tone urgent.

She had the look of someone who feared she was about to be accused of breaking the device and was pleading for the young woman to vouch for her innocence.

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