Automatic equipment

Lin Feng was highly suspicious of whether Raven 12345 was truly a member of the Imperial Temporal Management Bureau—a bizarre individual, to say the least. He couldn't fathom how such a grand civilization could be composed of such an unreliable character. Unfortunately, he hadn't yet had the opportunity to encounter other members of the Temporal Management Bureau or senior officials from the Helian Empire. Raven 12345 had mentioned that in this remote corner, with its administrative level insufficient, it was entirely possible that no one had visited for many years...

Nevertheless, Lin Feng no longer doubted Raven 12345's identity or the authenticity of that super-civilization. Leaving aside everything else, the imposing mansion in the alternate space and the sophisticated, understated luxury facilities within it were definitely beyond the capabilities of humanity. For instance, the room he currently occupied, known as the New Employee Reinforcement Center, looked like something straight out of a science fiction film.

Accompanied by Raven, Lin Feng meandered through the mansion for what seemed like an eternity. Along the way, they passed through many peculiar rooms filled with crystals or strange devices. The latter resembled rustic contraptions, gaping wide like country bumpkins. Just when he was beginning to doubt whether this mansion had an end, Raven led him into a grand hall that stood out from the rest.

This hall exuded a technological aura, its overall shape resembling that of a regular hexagon. Each wall emitted a metallic silver-white gleam, with blue-white currents pulsating like veins across them. The hall was exceptionally tall, with numerous faintly glowing crystals suspended from the ceiling, suffusing the entire room with a gentle blue glow. Along the walls of the hall, Lin Feng saw many incomprehensible and peculiar devices resembling some form of control panel. However, they lacked any buttons or levers commonly found on Earth's machinery. Each "control station" suspended a holographic image, with the only possible control component being a hexagonal crystal panel—utterly unlike any machine device on Earth.

"This is the Reinforcement Center, in a downsized version," Raven 12345 pointed to the devices in the hall, a hint of pride on her face. "Initially, the Reviewers had to undergo unified reinforcement and assessment in the Imperial Capital, which is on the other side, the Shadow City. Back then, the Temporal Management Bureau was not as large, and there weren't as many macro-world matters to attend to. But things have changed. Now, the assessment, primary training, and reinforcement of new Reviewers have been decentralized to various nodes and even basic worlds. This place is quite remote; even the nearest void node requires several jumps to reach. So, I simply applied for this place at my own home. I originally wanted to apply for magical devices; I'm hopeless with these technological contraptions... But I made a mistake in the report..."

Lin Feng listened with a spinning head. Raven 12345 had a habit of rambling, regardless of whether her audience could follow. Lin Feng was currently clueless about various common knowledge of the Temporal Management Bureau; this white-haired witch's balabal was incomprehensible! 

"What exactly is this 'reinforcement'?" Thankfully, Lin Feng hadn't been bombarded into oblivion by a plethora of information yet. He still maintained some basic vigilance. The atmosphere of this place inevitably reminded him of research centers that spent their days slicing and dicing. And in his mind, the Helian Empire was still an "extraterrestrial group" (after all, he had been an atheist for over twenty years; the term "divine" was far easier for him to understand than "extraterrestrial"). Let's imagine: an Earthling, landing in an extraterrestrial bio-laboratory, undergoing reinforcement... If Hollywood got their hands on this, it'd be a screen full of bloodshed!

Those characters in the novel who would joyously accept body reinforcement from extraterrestrials clearly lacked Lin Feng's foresight. Of course, if you insist that Lin Feng was more timid than those fellows... well, there's nothing to be done about it...

"Just a routine body adjustment, rest assured, it won't be uncomfortable or harmful," Raven 12345 led Lin Feng towards the center of the hall, her face quite pleased. "Hundreds, even thousands, of new Reviewers undergo reinforcement every day, and there hasn't been a single accident. Our standard has always been humane... Stand here, don't move! I'll bring the adjustment chamber up."

Lin Feng stood nervously in place as Raven Raven tapped a few times in the air. The ground beneath his feet began to tremble slightly, and then a device full of technological aura slowly rose from a rectangular opening in the ground.

It was a silver-white metal box over two meters long, roughly rectangular, with one end larger than the other, exquisitely decorated. On top of it was a lid, and on the lid was a cross made of crystal...

As the lid of the metal box slid open slowly, Lin Feng became increasingly puzzled. "...Why does this thing look somewhat familiar?"

Raven 12345 immediately widened her eyes, "How is that possible! This is the latest model of the universal adjustment and reinforcement integrated chamber. It was just unpacked a few days ago. Where could you have seen it?"

Lin Feng thought for a moment, then slapped his forehead and exclaimed, "I remember! This shape looks damn like a coffin!"

Raven 12345 slapped Lin Feng's shoulder, "Forgot the employee code of conduct? No swearing in front of your superior! If you must swear, wait until the superior finishes speaking!"

Lin Feng shrugged his shoulders and tried to retreat, "Are you sure you want me to lie down in this thing? Let me tell you, I'm a principled person. Just the shape alone is creepy... Hey, don't push me! I absolutely refuse to go in! Just because you've plated it with silver doesn't make it not a coffin! And with a cross on top..."

With a single hand, Raven 12345 lifted Lin Feng and threw him into the "coffin," "Quit being such a fuss! Get in there!"

Lin Feng was completely helpless against this lunatic-like white-haired witch. After a dizzying moment, he found himself lying inside the large box, while a transparent barrier extended from the walls of the metal box, completely trapping him inside.

Lin Feng could only resign himself to fate, but after waiting for half an eternity without any further movement, he craned his neck to look around. He saw Raven 12345 engrossed in a data terminal nearby. He pounded the walls of the metal box, "And then? What's next?"

Without lifting her head, Raven 12345 replied, "Quit yelling, I'm looking for the manual... Why are these technological things always so complicated? Where's the darn switch?"

Lin Feng: "...Damn it! I resign! I breach the contract! I quit! You're utterly unreliable! I..."

"Oh, found it!" Raven 12345 slapped somewhere beside the "coffin," and Lin Feng's vigorous protests came to an abrupt halt. The last thing he saw was a glaring white light piercing through his retinas.

Darkness, coldness, boundless chaos. Space seemed to have lost its meaning, and Lin Feng felt his soul detached from his body in that moment, drifting in an ethereal and indescribable dimension floating in the void, Lin Feng experienced a sense of detachment from his physical form. He tried to grasp onto any familiar senses but found none—no sound, no light, no warmth, no touch. His consciousness seemed trapped in a tiny bottle, drifting alone...

After what felt like about ten seconds, he heard a loud "thud" beside him, and he was abruptly pulled up by someone, his vision gradually returning.

The light and lines in his field of vision coalesced into a figure—it was Raven 12345, with her beautiful face and signature silver hair. She patted Lin Feng's shoulder, looking pleased. "All done."

Lin Feng jumped up, realizing he was still standing inside the coffin-shaped metal box. He almost lost his balance, but he steadied himself and carefully jumped down to the ground. "Is that it? Why does it feel like only a short while has passed?"

"Yeah, twelve seconds," Raven 12345 waved the data terminal in her hand. "Just like the manual says: press the switch, select the dummy mode, wait twelve seconds, listen for the 'ding' sound, the red light comes on, the cover pops open automatically, then take the user out—though you jumped out yourself."

"Is this thing a microwave?!" Lin Feng exclaimed.

Raven 12345 shrugged, "Pretty much, the process for dummy devices is like this."

Lin Feng was dumbfounded by the nonchalance and audacity of this white-haired witch. In the end, he could only console himself: at least there were no accidents, and all his body parts seemed intact.

He then clenched his fist, as if to check the reliability of this extraterrestrial reinforcement technology. Was he really embarking on the path of becoming a master who came and went like the wind, clad in white as snow, as described in novels? But when he checked, he was surprised to find out—well, that's a story for the next chapter.