Although the few people present could all be said to have strong mental fortitude, and at least on the surface remained calm when they learned earlier that "there was no escape from death", with no one appearing hysterical, who doesn't want to live?

Even the most carefree person would care about this in their heart.

So after Xia Liang finished speaking, everyone fell into silence, but this silence carried surprise and astonishment, because they all knew that Xia Liang was not someone who would casually joke around.

He had always been serious and earnest, especially in contrast to Gardner, appearing extremely reliable. Every sentence he spoke had a basis, and would never be empty talk. Since he had opened his mouth and given everyone this hope, it meant that at least this hope was still worth anticipating.

But at the same time, they thought, if it was a sure thing, then Xia Liang should have told everyone at the very beginning, to avoid everyone being worried and afraid. At the very least, when Gardner directly asked him "Are we really all going to die here", he should have firmly refuted it.

But everyone remembered that he did not immediately speak up at that time, but rather considered it for a moment, as if thinking about how to say it in a way that would be easier for people to understand.

Xia Chuan silently pondered Xia Liang's series of reactions in his heart, and felt that he must have left a backup plan for everyone in advance, otherwise he would not have recklessly brought Gardner and the others out. It's just that the risk of this backup plan was not small now, and it could not be guaranteed to be 100% effective, so he had hesitated before and did not immediately dispel everyone's worries.

But after all, this was a matter of life and death, so even though everyone's hearts were full of thoughts, they all remained silent and did not interject, so as not to interrupt Xia Liang's train of thought.

Xia Liang pursed his lips and said, "I had long anticipated that the company would make some moves behind my back. To be precise, after the concept and the company diverged, I knew this would be the result.

"I also thought that the company would take a different path, researching and preparing some measures that could guard against me and the divergents, and I had also secretly paid attention to it, but unfortunately, my investigation was not thorough enough, resulting in the outcomes described by Buddy, which have indeed already become reality and cannot be redone. But just because the process is irreversible doesn't mean the ending can't be changed."

"Before setting out, I had a long talk with Buddy, analyzing what consequences our actions might have, thinking about the best results, and naturally also the worst. And the worst case, of course, was that no one would survive. To be honest, no one is willing to die like this. Even if you can grasp a tiny bit of hope to struggle at death's door, it's better than nothing, so..."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and pointed to a spot on his left chest, near the collarbone, and said, "While you were all asleep, Buddy and I, with the aid of drugs, implanted something in each person's body, including our own."

Everyone: "..."

Shen Lan tilted his head and whispered in Xia Chuan's ear in a very small voice, "From the looks of it, they each have a bunch of things implanted in their bodies. You implant one, he implants one, if the functions conflict, won't they start fighting..."

"..." Seeing Xia Liang's gaze glance over, Xia Chuan inconspicuously pinched Shen Lan's hand hanging by his side, signaling him not to speak nonsense.

Obviously, Xia Liang's ears were not just for decoration. He heard Shen Lan's whisper word for word.

He then calmly explained, "I didn't expect the company to implant those so-called information devices in everyone who participated in the physical exams. I always thought all of their measures were only targeted at those directly involved in the experiment. I overestimated their character. Fortunately, the implanted things did not start fighting each other, otherwise everyone would not be standing here without illness or pain."

"Mm, I don't have high demands, as long as they don't fight to the death inside my body, son, shut up." Gardner raised his chin at Xia Liang, "Keep going, what exactly is the purpose of the things you implanted in our bodies?"

Shen Lan: "..."

"Actually, it's somewhat similar to the instant freezing that Buddy mentioned before. Initially, we secretly developed this inspired by instant freezing. Of course, at that time, instant freezing was still in its most rudimentary stage, at least using it to plan a trap was a joke. I didn't expect that the company had already developed it behind my back to the point where it could be used against us.

"In my and Buddy's hands, the initial concept of instant freezing was used to pause life. We hoped that after the final device was implanted in the body, it would automatically activate at the instant when the human body's vital signs dropped to the critical point of death, instantly freezing, putting the entire living body into a state of hibernation, as if a pause button had been pressed."

"The critical point of death?" Anyao repeated, puzzled, "So is that considered dead or alive?"

"Under all normal medical equipment tests, the result would indicate death. In the traditional sense, already dead." Xia Liang paused, then said, "But the corpse will remain in the state it was at the moment of death. If follow-up measures are appropriate and it is properly preserved, then activated by the corresponding device..."

"It will be revived?" Gardner picked up where he left off, and couldn't help but sigh, "Heavens, even though we're all in the same company, why does it feel like we live in two completely different worlds? I really want to crack open your brains and see what crazy things you ponder all day..."

Unexpectedly, Xia Liang shook his head, denying the first half of Gardner's words. He held up two fingers and said, "Assuming all the devices are problem-free, the probability of a successful activation is only twenty percent."

"..." Gardner couldn't help but ask, "The people who had this kind of device implanted before, how did they turn out? Is it really only twenty percent? No possibility of more?"

Xia Liang continued, "This twenty percent is theoretical data, the result of modeling and calculations."

"What about in reality?" Gardner's face was a bit green.

Xia Liang said, "In reality, it has never been put to use. Unfortunately, we are the first batch of guinea pigs."

Everyone: "..."

"Also," Xia Liang spoke again, "We call the device implanted in the body waiting to be activated the 'mother device', and the corresponding activation device the 'child device'. Currently, the development of the child device is not yet complete, which means the premise that all devices are problem-free has not been met."

The crowd blacked out before their eyes.

Xia Chuan: "..."

He finally understood why Xia Liang had hesitated to speak up earlier. This was no different from gambling. But then again, without this device, they wouldn't even have the chance to gamble.

Gardner and the others fell silent for a moment, obviously realizing this point as well. And once they realized this, other lines of thought naturally became clear.

"So, the Buddy who left earlier came from more than 20 years later. He knew about this device and may have been working on developing it for the past 20 years. And just now, he deliberately had us leave that passenger ship to find a convenient place to talk, hoping you would tell us all this?" Gardner speculated.

"I saw him exchange glances with you several times." Xia Chuan said to Xia Liang, "This means he was also reminding you of this matter, and since he reminded you, he should have already completed the subsequent device development."

Xia Liang nodded: "Yes, I believe he has completed that premise, at least giving us a 20% chance of winning. Perhaps with his efforts, it's already more than 20%."

He paused, then said, "And, I think he has completed the most critical step."

"The most critical step?" Xia Chuan was a bit puzzled.

"Reviving deceased lifeforms is not only a physiological breakthrough, but also a psychological one." Xia Liang tapped his forehead with his index finger knuckle: "You have to make the deceased fully believe they are still alive and have a strong will to survive, otherwise even if you revive them physiologically, you just have one more vegetative person.

"I think, the reason you came here probably also involves Buddy's design. I don't know what method he will use 20 years later to make us believe we are still alive after death, but I think... seeing with one's own eyes will probably be a very convincing way."

"Seeing with one's own eyes..." Hearing this, Xia Chuan repeated with furrowed brows. He suddenly remembered last time when he was injured and Dennis pulled him to Gerald's clinic to treat the gunshot wound near his collarbone, Professor Linton had gone there once midway, under the pretense of "visiting someone not unfamiliar who was hospitalized".

Now it seemed, it was not impossible for Professor Linton to instruct Gerald to bury something under his wound while treating it under the guise of injecting medicine...

With the professor's capabilities, designing a device with the function of "recording images and transmitting in real-time" that could connect to the deceased Xia Liang and the others in the real world, making them receivers while not being easily detected by the carrier, was not difficult at all.

"...So what should we do now?" Xia Chuan and Shen Lan looked at each other and then at Xia Liang in unison.

"Of course, go back to your real world. You know how to go back, right? I think you do, after all, you have experience." After saying that, Xia Liang lowered his eyelids, glanced between Xia Chuan and Shen Lan, then gave Shen Lan a superficial smile and said, "Before you leave, let go of my son's hand first."

Xia Chuan: "..."

Gardner: "..."

Xia Anyao: "..."

Without a word, Shen Lan grabbed Xia Chuan and ran, dashing back to the seaside in a few steps. He then scooped up Xia Chuan and plunged into the sea with a splash, stirring up a large swath of white waves...