Chapter 363: The Awakening of Power

After arriving, do as I instructed.

If you need any equipment or extra hands, just speak up.

Once the soundproof van was set aside, Yenir calmly turned to the somewhat nervous middle-aged man beside him.

The black, military-licensed vehicle glided steadily along the avenue to the Research Institute, and the leading military awakener drew many curious glances along the route.

Inside, next to Yenir sat a middle-aged man in a wrinkled white research uniform, with small bloodstains on his cuffs, nodding repeatedly.

His hair was a disheveled mess, like a bird’s nest, and the dark circles beneath his eyes betrayed a sleepless night.

Pale and emaciated, his bony wrist cautiously rested on the leather armrest as if he feared soiling the vehicle; he shrank against the door.

At first glance, he seemed less like a researcher and more like a scavenger who had found a lab coat.

The man was none other than Sun Li Cheng.

“Commi…”

Staring at the youth’s almost incredulously youthful face, Sun Li Cheng stuttered, unsure of how to address him.

Ever since Yenir had ‘dragged’ him to the Capital, he’d been on edge, feeling as if his life was nothing short of a surreal nightmare—especially because…

The other party had bluntly exposed his research and casually resolved a long-standing, critical issue! In his eyes, the youth’s status was unimaginably high; he still didn’t know what this big shot wanted from him…

“Call me Committee Member Yenir when you’re out, and just Yenir among ourselves.”

Not fussing over titles, Yenir smiled gently, signaling him to relax.

This shabby, almost ghostly middle-aged man, however, played the most critical role in all his plans. To Yenir, his worth was no less than that of a half Fourth Stage, if not more!

Pressed for time, after capturing him, Yenir exchanged only a few words with the man to confirm his research progress; otherwise, Sun Li Cheng would never have trailed behind him in such a disheveled state to the Institute.

“Here’s what you need to do.”

“Once you arrive, if you spot any equipment you like, just speak up—if needed, write out a list.”

“If the Military or Research Institute personnel ask about your project, or if your future subordinates inquire, just say it’s about power enhancement.”

“Understood?”

Yenir whispered, satisfied as Sun Li Cheng nodded repeatedly.

It wasn’t that Yenir didn’t want to reveal the Supernatural Plan to the Authorities; early on, he had to keep it firmly in his grasp. The whole plan couldn’t afford any interference or outsiders.

For Yenir, the Supernatural Plan—which could dramatically speed up the awakeners’ power surge—was not only key to his rapid ascent to Fourth Stage but also essential for recruiting his own elite troop later on!

After the incidents in the Capital and the East Sea, he had completely revised his strategy.

He still needed the Military’s might, but no longer through gradually winning over upper management—instead, by negotiating benefits to quickly build his own force until…

he seized control with raw power! Commanding the troops was everything—he wouldn’t let another East Sea debacle occur!

With a unit under his command, any adversary would think twice before acting, and operations would be far more efficient.

To put it bluntly, Yenir was already preparing for a power grab! Even though the Military currently appeared favorable, with most high-ups admiring him,

he knew that failure would mean total ruin. Yenir would rather be vilified than face another collapse!

Indeed, compared to his original thoughts upon rebirth, Yenir now fully realized that the pre-calamity period of peace wasn’t entirely to his advantage.

Before many senior officials ‘fell in battle’ and mindsets shifted, no matter how he acted, he would face overwhelming internal resistance. Especially with the sudden emergence of Hong Tiangang and that Elder, he sensed an unwelcome power lurking within the Military!

This wasn’t right!

Yenir remembered clearly how, in his previous life as commander—though briefly and mostly on the battlefield—

he had perused all the secret files and knew Huaguo’s military strength inside out. Yet now, he was shocked to find that many high-level awakeners and senior leaders were complete strangers to him!

The implications of this discovery made him extremely wary!

It shouldn’t be this way! Even if these people had perished during the calamity over three years, records should have been preserved!

In his endless speculations, Yenir found only one plausible explanation!

That is, in his previous life the Capital had undergone a massive upheaval within those three years—and it happened just two years ago! Amid this chaos, countless documents went ‘missing,’ and the high-ups he now encountered had all been replaced! Under unknown circumstances, all traces of the change were obliterated!

It was unimaginable—despite having reached the highest levels in Huaguo in his prior life, he had completely missed this monumental shift!

Contrary to appearances, even though Yenir seemed secure externally—as long as nothing major happened, he was set to be the next commander…

inside him, an inexplicable unease began to stir.

It was as if something was watching him… something that had once triggered a cataclysm in his previous life without leaving a trace.

And that force might even be from within! The suspicions he had faced earlier might have been fueled by an enemy’s subtle provocation.

Thus, Yenir resolved to change his strategy, deciding to quickly assemble his own forces. Moreover, his pace of power enhancement had to accelerate—step up, then step up again!

He hoped he was overthinking it, but he couldn’t afford to be careless.

“Commi… Committee Member Yenir… do you really have such high hopes for my project?”

“Can I truly set up my own laboratory?”

Gazing thoughtfully at Yenir, Sun Li Cheng, careful not to divulge any more about his project, timidly asked again.

It was no wonder he behaved this way.

Hearing such a grand promise from Yenir, Sun Li Cheng couldn’t help but feel elated. Having the support of someone of his stature was an unparalleled honor!

In truth, Yenir believed there was no need for secrecy.

He had spent his life researching his project, yet no one ever believed in him—only mockery, insults, and derision…

For over a decade, ever since he whimsically set out to study Spirit Energy absorption without any financial backing, he had lost everything…

Just look at his state—at the Institute, he was stuck with menial tasks and completely overlooked.

Everyone laughed at his foolish dream of extracting the energy from Spirit Crystals so that anyone could safely absorb it… as if asking someone to drink gasoline.

The last time he was chased, it was simply because he had taken an expensive instrument from a private research institute amidst chaos, desperate to secretly pursue his lifelong dream.

He didn’t even dare to tell Yenir…

The reason he had managed to avoid detection wasn’t due to the strict confidentiality of that private research institute—it was because he had been freeloading at the Institute. After the former awakening leader passed away, the entire Institute lost its funding. With no one to oversee it, he had quietly risen to the rank of ‘Researcher’ and carried out his experiments in secret each day.

Day after day, his name wasn’t even listed on the Institute’s official roster…

Honestly, even though Yenir had inexplicably dragged him along, he couldn’t care less. His real fear was that Yenir might discover his research was utterly pointless… perhaps doomed to fail.

As if sensing that Sun Li Cheng still didn’t grasp the immense value of his work, Yenir smiled, gave him a light pat on the shoulder, and softly said:

“Trust me, you’ll leave everyone utterly astonished.”

“And even change the world…”