"The plaque outside, combined with this sleek metal building, leaves no doubt—this is the research institute."
Yu Jing glanced around at the bustling street, the occasional patrol police passing by. If this were a fake institute, it would have been shut down long ago by the authorities. No one would dare to run such a sham so brazenly in such a central location.
As Yu Jing inspected the entrance, a woman approached from beside him. She wore a white turtleneck sweater and held a map of A-grade Shengyuan City. She twisted her waist as she stopped before the institute's door.
After confirming the location on the map matched the name on the metal plaque, she turned and eyed Yu Jing, who was dressed plainly in cheap clothes.
With a hint of disdain, she asked, "You're one of the chosen test subjects too?"
"Yeah."
Yu Jing studied her carefully. Though her makeup and figure were enough to attract many men, Yu Jing noticed a flicker of contempt in her eyes.
"So you're a competitor? Kid, better go back to school. Money's not that easy to come by."
The woman sashayed forward and knocked on the heavy copper door. Moments passed without any response.
"What kind of place is this? The call made it sound so high-class, but no one's even answering?" The woman's temper flared. She banged the door with her handbag, but still no reply came.
"Let me try."
Yu Jing was used to reading people and paying close attention to his surroundings.
While the woman was knocking, he noted a few details: a slot near the bottom of the door handle, likely for inserting a card, and a small bell tied at the upper left corner, meant to signal visitors.
Yu Jing stepped forward. The woman gave him a disdainful look and sidestepped, seemingly afraid of getting her clothes dirty.
Yu Jing pressed the bell. Immediately, a liquid crystal display appeared on the door, though it seemed unpowered.
He then took out his ID and slid it into the slot beneath the handle.
"Beep beep!"
The screen flickered on, scanning Yu Jing's face with a soft light.
"Facial recognition successful. Iris recognition successful! Tester Yu Jing, welcome to the 19th District Life Research Institute!"
"Please take your tester ID badge from the hook on the right after entering. Your ID will be held securely by us during the test. Do not worry, your electronic communication devices will not be collected until the test begins—you may contact family and friends during this time."
With a series of mechanical clicks, the door automatically slid open.
Yu Jing deliberately glanced back at the glamorous woman, pointing discreetly at the bell and card slot before stepping inside. The woman, scornful, tried to follow, but the door slid shut, barring her entry.
"A flashy woman like her, coming here because she desperately needs money, I suppose," Yu Jing thought.
Inside, a long corridor stretched before him. Ten meters ahead, a wooden door stood closed. The walls were covered with wallpaper patterned with colorful spirals that seemed to spin when stared at too long.
Yu Jing didn't rush forward but took out his phone to check the signal.
"ID taken, but communication devices really do work as explained."
He sent a quick message to his mother, telling her he would be staying at a friend's place tonight and that she should get up and eat something. Following the instructions, he found seven hooks on the right wall of the corridor, one holding his tester badge—a small photo taken during his physical exam.
"Tester Yu Jing, ID Pro-031," read the simple engraving.
Besides his badge, two other hooks were empty, meaning two others had already arrived.
"Seven testers total. If it's competitive, one in seven chances at over three million in rewards isn't bad," Yu Jing mused. At nineteen, though slightly weaker in physical strength, he was confident in his keen observation and quick reflexes.
Suddenly, the copper door behind him opened again. The previously disdainful woman entered and took the badge labeled Pro-035.
Perhaps because of Yu Jing's earlier handling of the door, her gaze toward him now held a different tone.
"I'm Jiang Tian, from Class-B Muqiu County," she said.
"Yu Jing, from C-level Pingxiang County."
Although the striking woman was willing to strike up a conversation, Yu Jing wasn't interested. He suspected her friendliness had some hidden agenda.
After introducing himself, Yu Jing walked down the long, straight corridor to the wooden door at the end and pushed it open.
Immediately, a pleasant aroma wafted into his nostrils. Inside the hall stood a spacious square table, upon which lay a spread of delicious foods Yu Jing had rarely seen in his life. However, the dishes were sealed beneath a thin film—allowing the scent to escape but keeping the food itself untouched.
Around the table sat two other testers who had arrived early.
One was a man of about thirty, scholarly-looking with glasses and a perfectly tailored suit, resembling the white-collar workers Yu Jing had seen earlier in the A-grade city.
The other was a girl about Yu Jing's age, dressed in snug athletic wear, deliberately sitting in a corner. She didn't react to Yu Jing's arrival and didn't even glance his way.
"From the side, she seems like a rather elegant young lady."
Yu Jing didn't linger with his gaze on her. He casually found a seat and pulled his hoodie over his head. His nature was still to avoid contact with strangers, preferring instead to quietly ponder the questions swirling in his mind about this research institute.
As he thought, his eyes swept across the hall. Aside from the wooden door through which he had entered, there was no other visible exit. The only connection to the outside world was the central air conditioning unit overhead.
Additionally, each of the four corners of the hall was equipped with a surveillance camera, monitoring everything in real time.
"No staff have appeared since we arrived. The dishes must have been set here before anyone got here. The thin film acts as insulation and will be removed once everyone has gathered. That's probably why they insisted we arrive before 6 p.m. tonight."
Shortly after, the woman named Jiang Tian arrived, followed by the last three members of the seven-test group, all before the appointed time...