"Holy crap, an underwater tomb! I've never heard of such a thing. Are there really all sorts of tombs out there? How amazing!"
"You can't underestimate the wisdom of the ancients. There are tombs even beneath the sea! Qin Shi Huang's tomb had an island, at least."
"I heard this tomb dates back to the Warring States period. I wonder who the great figures of that era were, to possess such formidable skills to construct this tomb."
"I don't care about that. I only care if we'll see the Great One later. I haven't seen the Great One for days, I miss him dearly."
"I heard many girls went to wait outside the academy for the Great One's return, wanting to marry him. Tell me, ladies, has any of you married the Great One yet?"
"Haha, it seems not. These women are all scrambling to marry the Great One. If he saw them, wouldn't he be terrified?"
The netizens, shifting from anticipation to a lively discussion, debated who would end up marrying Zhou Lin.
At this moment, Zhou Lin had arrived at the dean's conference room with the metaphysics professor.
Two other people were already seated in the room: one with white hair, and a man with blond hair and blue eyes, looking very gentlemanly.
They were engaged in a cordial conversation with the dean.
As Zhou Lin entered, the dean visibly let out a sigh of relief.
"Zhou Lin, you've arrived just in time. This is Professor Guo Liang, a world-renowned oceanographer and marine climate researcher."
"And this is Professor Summer, a top biologist from the Eagle Country, specializing in marine life and exploration."
The dean introduced them as Zhou Lin entered.
Before Zhou Lin could speak, Summer stood up and began to scrutinize him. He noticed Zhou Lin's casual demeanor, and a hint of depth flashed in his eyes.
However, it vanished in an instant, and a smile returned to his face.
Zhou Lin, with his sharp senses, felt that this man was not here with good intentions. Had he offended him?
"I've long heard that Professor Zhou Lin is exceptionally courageous and knowledgeable, and also quite handsome. It's just that he's a bit too fond of money. It seems the rumors are true."
Summer's tone was calm, making it impossible to discern his emotions.
"Professor Summer is right. I simply prefer to be direct. Liking money isn't a crime. It's only when one does something wrong because of money that it becomes truly terrifying, isn't it?"
Zhou Lin replied with a slight smile.
Summer looked at Zhou Lin beside him, his smile faltering for a few seconds before disappearing.
He then extended his hand to shake Zhou Lin's.
"Professor Zhou Lin is truly interesting to talk to. No one from our Eagle Country has ever had such an engaging conversation with me."
"That's because that's the Eagle Country, and this is Da Xia."
Zhou Lin briefly shook his hand and then withdrew it, explaining with a hint of jest.
The atmosphere immediately turned somewhat heavy.
Guo Liang, sensing the shift, cleared his throat.
"Dean, Professor Summer and I still need to do some preparatory work. We'll take our leave now. Professor Zhou Lin, we'll see you tonight."
After speaking, Guo Liang led Summer out of the conference room.
Only after they had left did the dean's lips curve upwards.
"You still speak without restraint. This professor was sent down from higher up, and we had no choice but to bring him along. Be careful on your journey."
The dean looked at Zhou Lin beside him, still unable to help but offer a word of caution.
"This is a tomb in our Da Xia, why are people from the Eagle Country here?"
The metaphysics professor couldn't quite understand the situation.
"It's an order from above. It seems this professor requested it himself. Zhou Lin is still the leader, so don't worry about the rest."
The dean handed Zhou Lin a map, believing it was safer with their own people.
"Can I extort them? I'm a bit short on cash lately."
Zhou Lin asked tentatively after a long silence.
"If you have the ability, go ahead and extort them. I don't mind."
The dean knew Zhou Lin was planning something and was naturally pleased.
"Alright."
Zhou Lin's eyes lit up at the thought of money.
That evening.
Several professors, along with some students, set off for the seaside. Zhou Lin, Guo Liang, Summer, and the metaphysics professor were in the same car.
Zhou Lin sat with his eyes closed, meditating and recalling the books he had read before.
This underwater tomb held many dangers, but he didn't remember the specifics clearly.
He must have been living too comfortably lately, forgetting these things.
It wasn't until late at night that they arrived at a seaside hotel.
The next morning.
When Zhou Lin and the professors reached the pier, they saw that everything was ready.
However, Guo Liang had also requested more ropes, oxygen tanks, and protective gear.
"This is the season with the most storms. Before coming here, I had just finished investigating this sea area. Storms can arise at any time in this region."
Guo Liang decided to prepare more for safety.
Zhou Lin glanced at Guo Liang, sensing something was amiss, and turned to look at the metaphysics professor beside him.
"What's going on? Knowing there are storms, why the rush? Did something happen?"
The metaphysics professor first glanced at the people around them to ensure no one was paying attention, then whispered.
"It's because the people who went down earlier haven't returned yet, so the higher-ups are anxious. The dean gave us the documents last night. Didn't you know?"
The metaphysics professor looked at Zhou Lin with confusion.
Zhou Lin remembered the information the dean had given him earlier, but he hadn't paid attention.
"How many people are underwater now?"
Zhou Lin asked him suspiciously.
"There were less than ten people who went down. Only two have returned. That's why there's such urgency. This professor from the Eagle Country is likely here for this matter, because of some high-end technology from the Eagle Country."
"It seems to be newly developed. Didn't you see several teams waiting here? These are all people from the Eagle Country."
The metaphysics professor whispered in Zhou Lin's ear.
Zhou Lin's eyes narrowed, and his gaze fell on Summer. He saw Summer seemingly talking to the people beside him.
When he felt Zhou Lin's gaze, Summer smiled warmly.
In Zhou Lin's eyes, it was the smile of a wolf.
At this moment, the equipment was activated, and the netizens in the livestream erupted once more.
"Great One Zhou Lin, I've missed you so much. I haven't seen you for days, boohoo, I could cry."
"Stop it. I'm the one who misses the Great One the most."
"I'm already looking forward to it. What kind of world will the Great One lead us to?"