Chapter 3: Dangerous Science and Technology Bureau

The light from the incandescent bulb gradually stabilized, and Chen Fan finally saw clearly what was in front of him — it was simply a divine image hanging on the wall.

His face turned pale, and he lifted his trembling right hand to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.

Perhaps it was the lighting or the strange scenes he had just witnessed, but for a moment, he thought he was seeing things.

After the initial terror, an inexplicable anger rose within him.

Tear it up! Tear up the picture!

He stared at the female deity in the image with bloodshot eyes, his gaze filled with a kind of madness and an underlying fear that was buried deep inside.

Time ticked by.

Finally, with gritted teeth, Chen Fan suppressed the urge to rip the image apart, relying on the last remnants of his rationality. — In the religious era, tearing up an image of a god was undoubtedly an unforgivable sin!

He shifted his gaze away from the picture, stepping over scattered clothes near the door. Stumbling, he reached his desk and yanked open the drawer.

Inside, a number of scattered papers filled with writing lay. Chen Fan instinctively sighed in relief.

Carefully, he took them out and began reading by the dim yellow light.

Each sheet of paper was carefully dated.

Chen Fan, using a physical calendar next to the desk, sorted the notes in chronological order.

At a glance, he noticed something was wrong:

In the early days, a month ago, the writing was clear, but as time passed, the handwriting grew more and more hurried, each stroke looking rushed.

This phenomenon was particularly obvious in the last three days' notes!

By today, the day of the original owner's death, the writing had turned into an abstract tangle of lines, almost impossible for anyone else to read.

Clearly, the original owner's mental state had been deteriorating over the past month and had rapidly worsened in the last three days, leading to suicide!

When Chen Fan recalled the strange behavior of the divine statue in the living room, his face darkened.

He tried to calm his uneasy emotions and began reading the earliest notes in detail.

June 18, 2067, Sunny: Tomorrow is another God Selection Ceremony. Come to think of it, the ceremonies have been happening more frequently in recent years...

June 19, 2067, Cloudy: During the God Selection Ceremony, I became the chosen one!

June 20, 2067, Sunny: Ever since becoming a chosen one, everything is different. The neighbors seem to respect me much more, except for Sister Huai who lives next door. I don't know why, but her attitude towards me has changed...

June 21, 2067, Sunny: The church sent us a lot of supplies, and the standard of living at home has improved a lot. Thank the Lord for his blessings...

Chen Fan silently flipped through the low-quality, slightly yellowed rough paper, his eyes glinting with contemplation.

It was clear that the original owner's family situation hadn't been great, and becoming a chosen one had brought unprecedented honor. As a result, the early notes were filled with praise and gratitude toward the god.

Since most of the notes were trivial matters, Chen Fan sped up his reading.

Suddenly, his brow furrowed, and he stopped flipping through the pages.

July 1, 2067, Heavy rain: I went to the church today, and for some reason, the people there seemed... strange.

From this day onward, the handwriting became increasingly illegible, and the notes grew shorter.

July 2, 2067: The next God Selection Ceremony will be held on August 18. The church servant said that we, the new chosen ones, will go to the divine kingdom on that day to serve the gods.

July 3, 2067: I heard... the previous chosen ones never came back.

July 4, 2067: I don't understand... is the divine kingdom really that good? Why don't those chosen ones want to return?

Looking at the sloppy handwriting, Chen Fan felt a chill run through him.

Going to the divine kingdom, serving the gods...

As a modern person, the first thing he noticed was the creepy connotation in those words.

Crap, is it a human sacrifice?

Chen Fan quickly looked at the calendar next to him.

July 18th...

In other words, a month from now, he would have to participate in the so-called God Selection Ceremony!

Realizing this, Chen Fan's expression changed drastically.

"Shit!!!"

What the hell is going on?

He had just regained his second life, and now he was supposed to become a sacrificial offering to some god?

No, no, no, it's not determined yet!

The so-called human sacrifice was just his imagination. There might still be a way out!

His breath quickened as he frantically flipped through the notes, trying to find anything that could disprove his guess.

However...

The handwriting had already become so sloppy it was nearly illegible.

Chen Fan strained his eyes and barely recognized a few recurring words.

[It's fake! All fake!!]

[Chosen ones? This is a scam!!]

[False god!]

...

"Creek..."

A cool breeze blew in from the open wooden window, making the window sway slightly, causing the incandescent lightbulb on the ceiling to flicker as well.

As Chen Fan stared at the shadowy figures swaying on the yellowed paper, he felt his hands and feet go cold.

The chill from the breeze made him shiver violently, and his bloodshot eyes filled with a deep terror!

The god is fake, the chosen ones are fake, everything is fake!

No wonder the original owner committed suicide — the collapse of faith could destroy a person to their core!

So, what was the truth? What had the original owner discovered?

He didn't know!

But one thing was certain:

The God Selection Ceremony a month later was likely his time of death!

"Xiao Fan?"

A familiar voice came from outside the door: "It's time to sleep. Don't forget you have to go to the church to study tomorrow!"

Study?

Study what? How to become a better sacrificial offering?

Chen Fan was silent for a moment, then responded in a low voice. He closed the incandescent light above him with a prayer.

The faint starlight filtered through the window, casting a shadow on the divine image, making the once-beautiful goddess appear suddenly grotesque.

Lying on the bed, Chen Fan's mind was a mess, filled with confusion, unease, and fear... Countless negative emotions filled his heart.

Time passed slowly, and eventually, he couldn't resist the combined fatigue of both body and mind and closed his heavy eyelids.

It was an incredibly vast space, with twisted light bands scattered in an irregular pattern throughout the wide expanse.

The lights were dazzling, with colors beyond description — they far exceeded human perception.

More accurately, this "vastness" was Chen Fan's feeling in his mind.

It felt like he was thrown into an empty void, a familiar sense of floating rising within him.

After a brief moment of confusion, Chen Fan suddenly realized: Isn't this the scene he experienced before he crossed over?!

Did he die again?

He didn't do anything wrong, how could he be so unlucky?!

As he was about to examine the surroundings, a strong wave of dizziness hit, and a series of unclear and vague whispers filled his ears.

It was like the static noise from a radio not picking up a signal. Chen Fan frowned uncomfortably and instinctively covered his ears.

But it had no effect; the whispers still filled his mind, and over time, they grew louder!

Damn it!

A single thought flashed in Chen Fan's mind before the obscure whispers and murmurs overwhelmed his consciousness.

Suddenly, amidst the chaotic whispers, a faint, but very clear voice emerged.

"Universal Human Alliance Central Academy, Dangerous Science and Technology Management Bureau, 3673rd call, TE913 research ship, please respond."

"Signal detected, attempting to establish contact..."

"First communication request received no response, initiating second communication request..."

Overwhelmed by the disorienting whispers, Chen Fan, barely conscious, opened his mouth and shouted with all his might:

"Fuck you, shut off the open mic!!"

The next second.

"Communication link established successfully, confirming the target as a carbon-based high-intelligence lifeform."

"Coordinates successfully located, preparing for cross-universe long-distance transmission..."