JFWCM Chapter 36

Quantum Crisis

Quantum Crisis

Yi Shang shielded Jiang Wan’yuan behind her, her eyes fixed on the men in black with determination: “What exactly do you want?”

The men in black didn’t answer, but with a wave of a hand, the others surrounded them. Jiang Wan’yuan hid behind Yi Shang, her heart pounding like a drum, but she forced herself to remain calm, whispering in Yi Shang’s ear, “Yi Shang, I’ll release the butterfly; maybe it can bring help.” Yi Shang nodded slightly, responding in a low voice, “Okay, find an opportunity. I’ll hold them off for now.”

Yi Shang took the initiative, her figure as swift as lightning, rushing towards the nearest man in black. The mechanical arm instantly unfolded, and Beta Star fluid condensed into a sharp blade on her arm, colliding with the weapon in the man in black’s hand, sparks flying everywhere. The men in black clearly didn’t expect this seemingly fragile girl to have such powerful combat ability, and they were caught off guard by Yi Shang’s sudden attack.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Jiang Wan’yuan released the mechanical butterfly. The butterfly fluttered its wings, quickly flying along the passage. However, a sharp-eyed man in black noticed the butterfly’s movements and raised his hand, firing an energy beam in an attempt to shoot it down. At this critical moment, Jiang Wan’yuan grabbed a metal pipe from the ground and threw it forcefully at the man in black, disrupting his aim. The energy beam grazed the butterfly’s wing, allowing it to escape successfully.

On Yi Shang’s side, fighting against many opponents, she gradually began to struggle. The men in black coordinated well, launching attacks on her from different directions. Yi Shang dodged nimbly, but was still hit in the shoulder by an energy wave, causing her body to stagger. Jiang Wan’yuan was anxious, looking around for something to help, her gaze landing on the huge instrument that the men in black were operating.

An idea struck her, and she rushed towards the instrument, disregarding the danger. Seeing this, the men in black sent two people to intercept Jiang Wan’yuan. Jiang Wan’yuan dodged left and right, using her small and agile figure to maneuver around them. At the same time, she paid attention to the operation panel on the instrument, trying to find a way to shut it down.

Just as Jiang Wan’yuan was entangled with the men in black blocking her way, Yi Shang took a deep breath, concentrating all her energy. Beta Star fluid surged wildly around her, forming a solid defensive shield. She exerted force suddenly, shaking the surrounding men in black away, and then rushed towards Jiang Wan’yuan.

“Wan’yuan, I’m here to help you!” Yi Shang shouted. The two of them stood back-to-back, resisting the attacks of the men in black while studying the instrument. After some searching, Yi Shang finally found the instrument’s emergency stop button, and she pressed it without hesitation.

With a burst of ear-piercing electrical noise, the instrument stopped running, and the surrounding interference energy gradually dissipated. Seeing the situation was bad, the men in black tried to retreat. But at that moment, hurried footsteps came from above the passage. The school’s security forces had arrived, guided by the mechanical butterfly.

The security forces quickly surrounded the men in black, making escape impossible, and they had no choice but to surrender. Yi Shang and Jiang Wan’yuan looked at each other wearily, smiles of relief on their faces.

Escorted by the security forces, the men in black were taken away for interrogation. Yi Shang and Jiang Wan’yuan returned to the surface, looking at the restored quantum energy tower, filled with emotion.

“Fortunately, we discovered it in time, otherwise, the parents’ meeting would have been a complete disaster,” Jiang Wan’yuan said, still shaken.

Yi Shang nodded, “Yes, but this incident also reminds us that danger can strike at any time. We can’t let our guard down.”

On the day of the parents’ meeting, the campus was bustling with activity as parents walked into the classrooms one after another. Yi Shang’s guardian, a senior researcher at an interstellar research institute, was usually engrossed in research and rarely showed his face. Jiang Wan’yuan’s parents, on the other hand, were energetic interstellar explorers who often traveled between various mysterious planets.

Jiang Wan’yuan pulled Yi Shang along, excitedly introducing her parents in the crowd: “Yi Shang, look, that’s my mom and dad. Aren’t they super cool!” Jiang Wan’yuan’s parents were wearing colorful explorer outfits, covered with strange ornaments collected from different planets, and were enthusiastically sharing their adventures with the surrounding parents. Yi Shang’s lips curved slightly, and she greeted politely, “Hello, Uncle and Auntie.”

At this moment, Yi Shang’s guardian arrived in a hurry. He was wearing a crisp white lab coat, his eyes focused and serious, in stark contrast to Jiang Wan’yuan’s parents. Jiang Wan’yuan curiously moved closer: “Yi Shang, is this your parent? They look so amazing!” Yi Shang nodded, introducing simply, “This is Professor Gu from my research institute, and also my guardian.”

The parents’ meeting began. The teacher stood on the podium, first summarizing the overall performance of the students in the semester, and then especially praising Yi Shang and Jiang Wan’yuan for their outstanding achievements in scientific research projects. The parents below cast admiring glances, Jiang Wan’yuan’s parents proudly straightened their backs, and Yi Shang’s guardian nodded slightly, a hint of barely perceptible relief flashing in his eyes.

Just as everyone was listening attentively to the teacher, the lights in the classroom suddenly flickered. Then, strange light and shadow fluctuations appeared on the walls, as if something was trying to squeeze in from another space. The parents were in an uproar, but Jiang Wan’yuan exclaimed excitedly, “This feels like a quantum space instability phenomenon!” Yi Shang frowned, quickly activating the scanning function of her mechanical pupils.

After a quick analysis, Yi Shang discovered that someone was using a new type of quantum disruptor, trying to open a channel between the classroom and an unknown space. Jiang Wan’yuan’s best friend, Zhang Yao, was pale with fright, and Lin Jichuan nervously gripped the armrest of his chair. Jiang Wan’yuan grabbed Yi Shang’s hand: “We have to stop it!”

Yi Shang quickly took out a miniature energy device from her pocket and connected it to the classroom’s defense system, trying to stabilize the quantum fluctuations. Jiang Wan’yuan ran to the window, using her communicator to send a distress signal to the school’s research center.

However, the interference became stronger and stronger, and the channel began to slowly take shape. A dark shadow slowly reached out from inside. Jiang Wan’yuan shouted loudly, “Everyone, don’t be afraid. We can handle it!” Saying that, she picked up an experimental instrument from the table and threw it at the shadow. The shadow was attacked and let out an ear-piercing shriek, and the channel swayed along with it.

Taking this opportunity, Yi Shang concentrated on adjusting the frequency of the energy device to counteract the frequency of the disruptor. After a tense contest, Yi Shang finally found the frequency loophole in the disruptor and successfully cracked the quantum interference. With a flash of light, the strange channel disappeared, and the classroom returned to normal.

The parents gathered around, giving Yi Shang and Jiang Wan’yuan a thumbs up. Jiang Wan’yuan waved her hand with a smile: “Small scene, small scene. Everyone, don’t worry.” Yi Shang said calmly, “It should be someone playing a prank, but it’s okay now.”

The teacher wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said with a smile, “It seems that the students in our class not only study well, but can also protect everyone at critical moments!” The parents’ meeting continued in a burst of relaxed laughter, and this unexpected episode became a topic that everyone would talk about with relish in the future.

After the parents’ meeting, people were coming and going in the school’s garden. Jiang Wan’yuan spotted her parents at a glance, running over like a happy fawn. Her parents, those two unrestrained interstellar explorers, had proud smiles on their faces, opening their arms to welcome her.

Jiang Wan’yuan’s mother hugged her tightly, saying excitedly, “Baby, what you said at the parents’ meeting was so wonderful! Fighting against the bad guys with Yi Shang, that bravery is just like we were back then!”

Her father also gave her a thumbs up, laughing heartily: “Daughter, your courage and wisdom are definitely our pride! You’ll definitely make a name for yourself on the road of interstellar exploration in the future!”

Jiang Wan’yuan smiled, her eyes narrowed into slits, saying proudly, “Of course, I want to follow you to explore more mysterious planets!” The family was full of laughter and joy.

In another corner of the garden, Yi Shang stood quietly, facing her stern father. Her father was wearing a dark interstellar research uniform, his expression cold, his eyes filled with scrutiny. He crossed his arms, looked at Yi Shang, and said sternly, “Yi Shang, you acted impulsively and lacked thorough consideration in handling this crisis. If it weren’t for good luck, the consequences would have been unimaginable.”

Yi Shang lowered her head slightly, feeling a little wronged in her heart, but she still responded seriously, “Dad, I know the situation was urgent at the time, and I just wanted to protect the campus and the students as soon as possible. I understand that I still have many shortcomings, and I will be more careful in the future.”

Her father frowned, continuing, “In the field of interstellar scientific research, there is no room for sloppiness. Every decision concerns the safety of countless people. You must always remain calm, using your wisdom and knowledge to solve problems, not just relying on enthusiasm.”

Yi Shang bit her lip, raised her head, and looked at her father with firm eyes: “Dad, I remember. After this, I am even clearer about my responsibilities. I will work hard to improve myself and will not let you down again.”

Her father’s eyes softened slightly, and he sighed softly: “I know you have your own ideas and courage, but the road of scientific research is long and full of challenges, and you need to be down-to-earth. I am strict with you because I hope you can become a truly responsible and capable scientific research talent.”

At this moment, Jiang Wan’yuan saw that the atmosphere on Yi Shang’s side was serious, and after telling her parents, she trotted over. She smiled and took Yi Shang’s arm, saying to Yi Shang’s father, “Uncle, don’t be too strict. Yi Shang was really amazing this time! If it weren’t for our good cooperation, the school would have been in danger. Moreover, through this, we have also learned a lot, and we will definitely do better in the future.”

Yi Shang’s father looked at Jiang Wan’yuan, a hint of barely perceptible smile appearing on his face: “Jiang Wan’yuan, thank you. I am also a little relieved that Yi Shang has a brave partner like you. I hope you will learn from each other and make progress together in the future.”

Jiang Wan’yuan nodded forcefully: “Uncle, don’t worry! We will definitely work hard together!”

Yi Shang looked at Jiang Wan’yuan, a warm current surging in her heart. She knew that no matter how strict her father’s requirements were, Jiang Wan’yuan’s support was always unwavering. Under these two completely different gazes, she more clearly defined her direction, determined to forge ahead on the road of interstellar exploration, living up to expectations.