The simulation paused, waiting for Chen Yi to make a choice regarding the progression.
"Option 3 doesn't state it directly. Is it something like free play, where you see how the plot develops?"
This type of option might carry risks.
But Sun Cheng'en didn't seem like an unreasonable person, unlikely to resort to violence or execution just because of a single misspoken word.
Choosing this might lead to unexpected pleasant surprises.
[You chose 3.]
[When the deputy general walked up to you holding the silver ingot, you didn't take it.]
[The deputy general frowned.]
["You lowly laborer, you don't even want the general's reward? Could it be you also have grievances to air here?"]
[You adopted an indifferent attitude.]
["I have no grievances."]
[Old Liu and the others looked at you with even more admiration in their eyes.]
[So you really did kill over a hundred people!]
["I don't want silver. This stuff is useless to me."]
[Sun Cheng'en watched you with a playful smile on his face.]
["Then what do you want? To lead troops?"]
["I don't understand warfare. I want pills that can enhance cultivation."]
[Having been in the army camp for a few years, you knew that military supplies weren't limited to food, drink, and daily necessities; they also included cultivation resources.]
[In this world, the elite soldiers in the army were all martial artists; they cultivated while serving as soldiers.]
[Providing them with cultivation resources was part of their military pay.]
[Sun Cheng'en chuckled lightly.]
["Body Refining Stage Three. You haven't made much progress in two years. You must only have a Low-Grade Bone Structure."]
["How does the General know I haven't improved in two years?"]
["A martial artist doing laborer duties, of course I would pay attention. What if you were also a spy?"]
[You knew Sun Cheng'en was a Spirit Condensation realm martial artist. Upon reaching this realm, martial artists would possess spiritual sense, capable of detecting others' cultivation levels.]
["Rest assured, General. Although I am a convict, my background is clean. Purebred Great Qian citizen."]
["Over the years, I've seen plenty of traitors... A soldier who passed by you just once a year ago, mixed among hundreds of others. How did you remember him?"]
[Sun Cheng'en's gaze turned sharp, as if he would crush your head the moment you told a single lie.]
[This was a question the pockmarked-faced man kneeling on the ground also wanted to know.]
[He had been carefully selected by his superiors for this undercover mission.]
[Plain face, orphan, weak presence. The Qian army definitely wouldn't notice he was a Southern Borderlands native.]
[Unexpectedly, you had been watching him from start to finish, and he hadn't accomplished anything.]
["I simply have a good memory."]
["I don't believe it. Who can remember trivial details like 'how many mouthfuls of porridge they ate on a morning three months ago'?"]
["Nineteen mouthfuls."]
[Sun Cheng'en was momentarily stunned, then a flash of anger flickered between his brows.]
["Are you making fun of me?"]
["The General is welcome to test my memory."]
[Sun Cheng'en was also a serious person. He immediately sent people to prepare props and conducted a test similar to a 'Super Brain' challenge.]
[Yet no matter how he tested you, you could clearly remember every detail and answer fluently.]
[Even the deputy general was dumbfounded.]
["Truly a gifted talent!"]
[The soldiers inside the tent, along with Old Liu and the others, were also stunned.]
["Boss Chen is really a divine person..."]
[However, Sun Cheng'en said, "Come to my commander's tent again tomorrow and recount, word for word, the questions and answers that just passed between us."]
[Admiration for Sun Cheng'en appeared in the deputy general's eyes.]
[Answering those memory-testing questions correctly just now wasn't that extraordinary.]
[If you could still recite them fluently tomorrow, even backwards, that would truly be a remarkable person!]
[And you would not disappoint them.]
[After all, 'Photographic Memory' was a historical-tier trait!]
[The next day, Sun Cheng'en finally believed you were exceptionally gifted, born with a super memory.]
["Such a fine talent, wasting you in the labor battalion is a shame. However, the current environment at the imperial court is harsh, and incidents of jealousy towards the capable are frequent. With your convict status, entering the official arena might not lead to a good outcome. It would be better to stay in my army and serve as a military advisor. Although I cannot record official merits for you, I can convert all your contributions and efforts into the pills and crystals you desire."]
[The crystals Sun Cheng'en mentioned, their full name was Five Elements Crystals, comprising metal, wood, water, fire, and earth.]
[Their functions were all the same, similar to spirit stones in the world of immortal cultivation. Martial artists could directly absorb the essence of heaven and earth within them to enhance their cultivation or replenish the Three Energies.]
[Simultaneously, crystals were also indispensable materials for alchemy, artifact forging, and formation arrays.]
[For a nation, the significance of this resource was akin to oil and coal in modern society—the most precious energy resources.]
[You had no objections to this.]
[You were overjoyed at the prospect of having a continuous supply of pills and crystals to aid your cultivation.]
["Chen Yi, you only have a Low-Grade Bone Structure. Even relying on pills to forcibly boost your cultivation, the heights you can reach in this lifetime are very limited. Moreover, the quality of pills supplied by the army is relatively low. Consuming too many is absolutely detrimental to the body, and martial artists cannot expel excessive pill toxins. Why are you so fixated on the path of cultivation?"]
["General, in this life, everyone has something they are willing to fight desperately for, something they must pursue even knowing it might be impossible!"]
[Sun Cheng'en seemed moved. He patted your shoulder, expressing recognition for your unwavering martial heart.]
[You were also very clear that 'Effort Guarantees Reward' could only provide a safety net, ensuring your efforts wouldn't yield absolutely no gain.]
[It couldn't change the fundamental issue of having a Low-Grade Bone Structure.]
[But fortunately, you didn't need to worry about the consequences of pill toxins. After all, you only inherited the cultivation level, not the accumulated toxins.]
In the subsequent simulation.
Chen Yi thrived within the army camp.
The "Photographic Memory" trait made him the darling of the entire army.
He was like a powerful database, capable of memorizing all the data and intelligence within the entire camp, from top to bottom.
Furthermore, being a living, thinking person, he could also integrate this data and intelligence.
He was practically a walking AI.
Whenever any problem arose, Sun Cheng'en would consult Chen Yi.
Seeing how much the general trusted Chen Yi, everyone regarded him as the general's favorite.
Within the camp, Chen Yi's status was practically second only to one, above ten thousand others.
Even Old Liu and the other laborer soldiers benefited from his rise, their status within the camp climbing steadily, with no one daring to provoke them.
Those thin quilts that barely contained any cotton would never be issued to them again.
The quartermaster gave them the best supplies.
As time passed, everyone knew about Chen Yi's photographic memory.
He wasn't just relied upon by Sun Cheng'en anymore; the quartermaster, the supervising officer, the scouts, and others all became inseparable from him.
Sun Cheng'en kept his word.
Chen Yi had contributed so much, yet couldn't receive official merit records, so he could only be lavishly rewarded.
Crystals, pills, spirit artifacts, money—the supply was endless.
Sun Cheng'en didn't reward him with women. Unlike other military commanders, he didn't treat women as spoils of war.
Chen Yi would play with crystals in his hands like walnuts every day, casually discarding them once the essence inside was drained.
Pills that enhanced cultivation level and speed were chewed like snacks.
Spirit artifacts were handed out like toys, making a bunch of people call him 'sworn father' and pledge their loyalty and service.
"Damn! This military conscription life seems pretty awesome! I want to be conscripted too! I also have 'Photographic Memory'!"
Watching this simulation, the real-world version of him was getting envious.

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