I Have A Super USB Drive

by <unknown>

  "Ding!"

  At the same time, the screen displayed the "Program Error" notice once again. The video that was playing shut down by itself…

  [ol][li data-annotation-id="f3a272e6-1032-5d9a-e5db-2b00d3f46fb2"]This refers to solid-state drive, a type of storage device for computers[/ol]

  Chapter 3: Mind-Boggling Inferences |

  Chen Chen paid no mind to the window that had appeared on the screen. He stared at the cap which had abruptly appeared beside the laptop, wearing a thoughtful expression.

  He swore that before starting up the computer, there was no cap in this spot.

  Moreover, this cap…

  Surely it was too familiar…

  Chen Chen reached out hesitantly and took the cap in his hands.

  The cap was made from canvas, which felt slightly rough against his palm. It was khaki-colored and looked just like a duckbill cap, except it was only as large as his hand.

  No matter how he looked at it, this did not seem like a cap any human could wear.

  Chen Chen flipped the cap over. Inside, there was a tag sewn in with polyester fiber, with a few lines of English on it:

  "IF LOST RETURN TO:"

  "Harry Goodman; 1722 Green St. Ryme City."

  "If lost, return to: 1722, Green Street, Ryme City, Harry Goodman."

  This was…

  Chen Chen gasped sharply, an astounded expression stretching his features.

  Suddenly, he turned toward the computer screen, only realizing that the movie had stopped playing.

  This was Pikachu's duckbill cap from the movie!

  In this instant, Chen Chen was filled with a sense of absurdity and disbelief. He swiftly stooped down to check under his bed!

  No one!

  He stood up quickly and checked his sheets!

  No one!

  He jerked open his desk drawer!

  Still no one…

  After making sure that there was no one in the dorm, he had no choice but to consider that this might not be a prank set up by his dorm mates.

  Furthermore, even if it was a prank, how would they know that he would play Detective Pikachu specifically at this moment?

  However, if this was not a prank, what was it?

  Was it because he had played this video file that the computer extracted the cap from the movie?

  What kind of elaborate joke was this!

  Plus, this was not the first time he was watching this movie. Why did this only occur now?

  Suddenly, Chen Chen thought of something. His gaze shot toward black USB drive!

  Was this all its doing?

  Chen Chen narrowed his eyes.

  He did not know whether it was the lighting or his mind playing tricks, but the shell of the USB drive now appeared to be mottled.

  This USB drive which was a deep, glossy black before had a dull cast now, like metal which had oxidized after being left out for too long.

  Had the USB drive changed or… Was his memory failing?

  Chen Chen could not believe this. He closed the "Program Error" window and double-clicked the movie Detective Pikachu once more.

  However, the "Program Error" notice popped up on screen again.

  Was the file corrupted?

  Chen Chen frowned and pondered. Subsequently, he tried clicking Delete. With a "whoosh", this movie file was deleted from the USB drive…

  He was stunned. He remembered that each time he tried to delete the other movies, he ran into a "Program Error", so he had assumed it was impossible to delete any movie in the USB drive.

  Therefore, he tried again to delete the horror movies that had been in the USB drive initially.

  Still, the result was the same. Each time he clicked Delete, the computer would send a "Program Error" window.

  "Could it be that I can only delete movies that have been played?"

  Chen Chen bowed his head pensively. He opened Local Disk D again and dragged Detective Pikachu into the USB drive, then tried deleting it.

  "Ding!"

  As expected, the copied movie file could not be deleted.

  Thus, Chen Chen played the movie again. This time, the movie played as usual and nothing strange happened.

  In front of the screen, Chen Chen recalled that he had been missing his pet dog previously. At the same time, he had projected his emotions onto Pikachu's character, then the cap had appeared.

  With that in mind, Chen Chen fast-forwarded the movie until Pikachu's scene, while imagining that he could extract the movie's Pikachu.

  In less than a few seconds' worth of effort, the movie shut itself off and the "Program Error" window popped up.

  At the same time, another cap, the same as the last one, appeared right beside his laptop!

  It was real!!!

  Chen Chen's eyes nearly popped out. Although he had been prepared, no matter how he observed, he still could not figure out how the cap had materialized in this spot.

  Surely it had appeared out of thin air?!

  Chen Chen picked up both caps and compared them. He discovered that there was no difference down to the smallest detail and the handwriting on the tag.

  It was as if God had created two completely identical objects.

  "Can this really be due to the USB drive?"

  Chen Chen uttered incredulously. He looked at the USB drive once again but noticed that it was even duller than before. It looked like a useless item that had been tossed away in a corner.

  "This thing is getting worn out…"

  Chen Chen immediately understood that each time an item was extracted from a movie, it would deplete the USB drive's energy.

  In that case, what sort of energy was this?

  Electrical?

  Solar?

  Alternatively, was it some energy source that surpassed human technology?

  More importantly, could this energy be replenished? Was this USB drive a single-use item or could it be recharged and reused?

  Moreover, although he was explicitly thinking of Pikachu, why was the USB drive only able to produce its cap? Was this due to insufficient energy or some other factor?

  Also, if he played some other movie, could he also extract something else from that movie?

  All these questions roared in Chen Chen's mind. He drew in a deep breath and suppressed these emotions that were making him tremble.

  'Calm down, calm down…'

  Chen Chen took in deep breaths again as he walked toward the dorm's door to lock it from the inside. Then, he returned to his laptop and fell into deep thought.

  There were not enough clues. He still needed to carry out more experiments.

  Even so, the USB drive's energy was incapable of sustaining multiple experiments. What should he do?

  At this point, Chen Chen took out a blank notebook from his drawer. He steadied his trembling hand and wrote the word "Principle" on the first page.

  "Principle: Unknown."

  How should he employ current scientific principles to explain the phenomenon of the mysterious USB drive?

  With just his own knowledge, Chen Chen was completely unable to explain everything that had happened.

  It was clearly just a movie, constructed from codes and images. How could it create something out of thin air?

  "Conjecture: Aliens? People from the future? Brain in a vat?"

  After putting down this second line of words, Chen Chen could not help chuckling at himself. Then, he wrote the third line.

  "Ability: Through the thoughts and ideas of someone viewing a video, it extracts/instantiates an item, displayed on screen, into reality. (Doesn't seem to include living things.)"

  Chen Chen speculated that both times he was thinking of Pikachu, yet only the cap was extracted. This meant that the USB drive was unable to instantiate living beings.

  Of course, he could not rule out the possibility of insufficient energy being the reason.

  Chen Chen clicked on the movie again and the screen displayed the "Program Error" window. After that,
he tried deleting it.

  With a "whoosh", the movie was successfully deleted.

  "Indeed, after extracting something, it can be deleted from the USB drive."

  This also meant that any movie could be transferred into the USB drive but the delete function would not work.

  If he wished to delete a certain movie, his only option was to extract an item from the movie to corrupt the file.

  With this in mind, Chen Chen wrote:

  "Rule 1: Videos can be imported but can't be readily deleted after that. The file must be corrupted first;

  "Rule 2: At the moment, it appears that the video will only be corrupted when an item is extracted from it;"

  "Rule 3: The size, mass, and other objective factors of the extracted item had not been tested yet."

  Finally, Chen Chen glanced at the USB drive.

  "Appearance: Its exterior has transformed from brand-new to worn out. It's not determined yet if this is an issue of energy…"

  Chapter 4: A Genuine Decision |

  An issue of energy…

  As he stared at the USB drive which was different from before, Chen Chen dared not continue testing it.

  He was worried that the USB drive's energy was not renewable. If he tested it too many times, the USB drive's energy would be exhausted, turning it into a useless lump of metal.

  Since that was the case, he might as well stake all on one throw.

  Having considered this, Chen Chen breathed in deeply. He pulled up Local Disk D once more and sought out a movie of utmost familiarity –

  Avengers: Endgame!

  After locating this movie, Chen Chen, who had been calm, started to shake again. His heart kept on pounding violently.

  "If I can instantiate the Infinity Gauntlet, that'd be all I need…"

  Chen Chen mumbled softly.

  "Can it be done?"

  A feverish flush spread across Chen Chen's face. He clenched his jaw and dragged the movie into the USB drive!

  "Ding!"

  The computer instantly sent out a "Program Error" window.

  "It's not working?"

  Chen Chen was crestfallen. "Why could Detective Pikachu be copied into the USB drive, but not Avengers: Endgame?"

  Chen Chen tried two more times. After failing again, he looked for a few similar movies in Disk D, then copied them into the USB drive.

  Alita: Battle Angel – success.

  Godzilla: King of the Monsters – success.

  Terminator: Dark Fate – success!

  All three movies were successfully copied.

  Chen Chen pondered wordlessly for a moment, then picked out Ne Zha and dragged it into the USB drive.

  "Ding."

  Failure!

  Chen Chen's eyes gleamed.

  He seemed to have understood something.

  Movies that were too fantastical could not be copied into the USB drive…

  After all, Alita, Godzilla, and even Terminator were all movies with stories that were constructed based on reality.

  As for Avengers, although it could be called science fiction, everyone knew that it contained a lot of fantastical elements.

  "However, if movies that are too fantastical can't be placed into the USB drive, what about those horror movies then?"

  Chen Chen frowned.

  As he thought of this, he opened up a webpage and downloaded an animated film at random. Then he dragged it into the USB drive.

  "Ding!"

  Failure.

  Following that, Chen Chen tried it with a comic.

  Failed again.

  Finally, Chen Chen tried it with a picture and a novel but failed once more.

  The conclusion he got from this was: Other than live-action videos using reality as their framework, other files could not be copied into the USB drive.

  After noting down this rule, Chen Chen started reflecting.

  Since an instant jackpot like the Infinity Gauntlet was not possible, he would not attempt other similar plans. Instead, he would go for something more realistic.

  With this in mind, Chen Chen flipped to the second page and wrote down three words –

  "Money", "Power", "Strength".

  These were the only three things he could acquire from the USB drive.

  Money?

  This was the easiest one.

  He just needed to watch a few treasure-hunting movies to instantiate the priceless gems and valuables featured in those movies.

  However, even if he put aside the question of how to convert those gems into money, would he be satisfied with just being rich?

  Professor Wang Xi's words were still echoing in his ears. Even with endless wealth, so what? Would he live long enough?

  Chen Chen grinned and struck off that first option.

  Power?

  Chen Chen looked at the second choice and fell into deep thought.

  If he presented this USB drive to the Federation government, perhaps he would be brought into the hub of power thanks to his contribution. From there, he could rise through the political ranks…

  Even so, just as before, what would that accomplish?

  Maybe the entire Federation would benefit immensely. Of course, this might also result in war between the continents. The Earth Federation might split into factions, triggering the Third World War.

  Moreover, who was to say that Chen Chen would not be killed as a witness by the first authority figure who obtained this USB drive?

  Chen Chen cast his gaze down and heavily crossed out the second option.

  In that case, the answer was clear.

  Chen Chen was never happy with mediocrity. If he had not gained this USB drive, he would spend his entire life chasing after something, be it wealth or power.

  However, compared to supernatural strength, everything else was not worth mentioning!

  "So, deep down, I've chosen strength?"

  Chen Chen murmured. The strength here did not just refer to physical strength. It was more of an abstract overview.

  Technology that surpassed reality itself, superpowers that exceeded worldly limits or an eternal life span – all these were a type of strength.

  He closed his eyes, his mind scanning through countless items that he could put to use now.

  In sci-fi movies, there was more extraordinary technology than he could imagine, from the basic exoskeleton armor to massive mecha hunters. If he could instantiate this black technology…

  "Hmm, I'll probably be arrested right away by the agents of the Earth Federation?"

  When he thought of this, Chen Chen realized that what he most needed now was a tool that would help him reach the pinnacle of life, yet it must not be too conspicuous.

  After ruling out fantastical, magical items like the Infinity Stones, Chen Chen, at last, came up with alternatives that complied with reality while still being able to enhance his abilities.

  Following that, Chen Chen listed these down in the notebook.

  "Compound V, Augmentation Drug, Crystalline, T-virus, G-virus, CPH4, NZT-48."

  These had all appeared in movies or television.

  Compound V: Originating from the American series, The Boys. It could transform human infants, thereby granting them extraordinary abilities.

  Of course, this chemical substance was greatly flawed. For instance, it was addictive and unstable, requiring a long period of injections for it to work.

  Pass!

  As expected, Chen Chen crossed out the first option.

  Augmentation Drug: Originating from Push. After it was injected, it could alter one's bodily composition and produce various superpowers.

  Even so, the movie's theory was still rooted in genetic mutation. Once genes were involved, its success rate would be abysmal.

  Pass!

  Crystalline: This came from the movie Chronicle. After exposure to the Crystalline's radiation, one would acquire telekinetic powers. Moreover, this power would strengthen as time passed.

  One negative side effect was that
one would get nosebleeds when using this power. Chen Chen did not know if the continual increase in power would cause one's body to fall apart under the pressure?

  After all, the human body was not a perpetual motion machine.

  Not only that, but Crystalline seemed to amplify one's darker emotions. The protagonist in the movie, having lost his sense of judgment, was ultimately killed by his friend.

  Therefore, Chen Chen prudently passed over this choice.

  T-virus and G-virus came from Resident Evil, but viruses could be considered to be living forms and thus could not be instantiated.

  Pass immediately.

  CPH4: Originating from the movie Lucy. The protagonist ultimately transcended time and space, becoming an all-knowing, all-powerful god.

  Of course, the price to pay was terrifying too. Even after successfully fusing with CPH4, one only had a few days to live. Moreover, the protagonist was a one-in-a-million exception. Most people would die immediately after consuming CPH4.

  More crucially, the movie's concept that "humans only use 10% of their brains" was pseudoscientific. Human brains had always been operating at 100% capacity.

  This meant that even the basic premise of the movie was false. Even if Chen Chen instantiated CPH4 from Lucy, would he dare to consume it?

  Pass!

  Chen Chen felt rather rueful. There were tons of super-powered substances under the banner of Marvel Studios such as the Super Soldier Serum, GH-325, the Heart-shaped Herb, and so on. It was a shame that these movies could not be transferred to the USB drive.

  In that case, there was only one possible option left.

  NZT-48!

  [ol][li data-annotation-id="9228fa6e-09ce-da38-ea76-da1b87c3e3c3"]"Black technology" refers to "technology far more advanced than in the real world", a term taken from Full Metal Panic!, a series of light novels.[/ol]

  Chapter 5: NZT-48 |

  Make no mistake. NZT-48 was not one of the AKB48 sister groups idolized by otakus. Rather, it originated from a 2012 movie.

  This was a substance that could unleash the brain's potential.

  What was the brain's potential?

  Theoretically, human brains could remember everything that was seen, heard or felt.

  However, human memory was the most unreliable thing in the world.