Another two minutes passed.
The young black man gritted his teeth in pain, and surprisingly, he stood up!
Jiang Ye was very surprised.
By standing up, he lost thirty thousand yuan, which was equivalent to a month and a half of his wages!
So, there was only one reason he could stand up resolutely: he felt that if he continued to sit and listen, he would definitely fall asleep, and he wouldn't even be able to keep twenty thousand.
Was this music so potent? More effective than sleeping pills?
Jiang Ye checked the time. The music was almost over, and the young black man should be able to hold on.
However, things took a completely unexpected turn.
To ward off drowsiness, the young black man started jumping in place and even pinched the flesh on his waist.
But after a few jumps, he was overwhelmed by a mountain of drowsiness, suddenly fell to the ground, and his whole body seemed to have left his body!
Everything happened too suddenly, and Jiang Ye hadn't even reacted when the young black man was already lying on the floor, eyes closed and motionless.
As the music played its final ten seconds, his snoring began.
Jiang Ye was dumbfounded.
This music was too fierce!
More potent than a love potion!
It could make a living person sleep like a log!
He took out his phone, took a picture, and sent it to Li Nannan, briefly explaining what had just happened.
Then he squatted down and took the headphones off the young black man's head.
He reached out and patted his face.
It wasn't until the third pat that the young black man slightly opened a slit of his eye, then closed it again. Jiang Ye had to pat him a few more times to barely drive away his drowsiness. He was like someone under general anesthesia, as if he had drunk several pounds of alcohol.
After a minute, the young black man slowly sat up, his expression gradually clearing.
Then he started crying.
Two and a half months of salary, lost by just a few minutes.
The more he thought about it, the sadder he became. He sat on the ground, hugged his legs, and wailed.
"Don't cry, I'll give you another chance," Jiang Ye said.
The young black man immediately stood up, wiped the tears from his face, and looked at the commander expectantly.
"I plan to recruit some volunteers to specifically listen to the music created by the Intelligent Fungus, to see how powerful these pieces are," Jiang Ye said. "If you are willing, you can sign up as a volunteer, and there will be generous compensation."
"I'm willing!" The young black man nodded vigorously.
A task assigned by the Grand General would surely not pay little, so of course, he had to seize the opportunity.
"What's your name?" Jiang Ye asked.
"Krofts Tang," the young black man said. "I don't know why, everyone calls me Donnie. Maybe it's more convenient, you can call me Donnie too."
"Are you willing to be in charge of the volunteer project?" Jiang Ye asked.
Donnie trembled with excitement. Even a fool knew how lucrative this task was. "I'm willing! I'll do whatever you need me to do!"
"Then go recruit volunteers. Based on your abilities, the first batch needs five hundred people, all sorts of people. The people you recruit must be reliable," Jiang Ye said. "Report to me after you've recruited them. If I'm satisfied, you'll get your reward."
"Yes! Thank you, sir!" Donnie bowed to the ground.
Donnie's work efficiency was better than Jiang Ye had expected. By noon the next day, he had sent Jiang Ye the list of five hundred volunteers.
Jiang Ye rushed to Music City and met the five hundred volunteers in a small venue.
There were people of all ages, genders, and skin colors, and even a few mental patients who had just been discharged from the hospital. The sample was quite rich. Jiang Ye sat on the stage, looking at the volunteers filling the hall, and felt very satisfied. He immediately took out his phone and rewarded Donnie with five hundred thousand yuan, officially promoting him to volunteer administrator with a monthly salary of fifty thousand.
Donnie was almost trembling with excitement.
Jiang Ye sent another message on his phone, and the hall doors were immediately pushed open. A team of soldiers filed in, carrying thick files, which they distributed to the volunteers one by one.
The files were confidentiality and liability waiver agreements.
All information related to the Intelligent Fungus music experiment must not be disclosed to anyone, and violators would be held responsible.
In case of any unexpected situations during the experiment, the responsibility would be borne by the individual.
The final signatory of the agreement, in addition to Music City of the Intelligent Fungus, was surprisingly the "Special Weapons Management Department of the Galactic Empire Air Force." The volunteers were all surprised; it seemed this matter had already reached the highest authorities.
"Please read the contents of the documents carefully and sign and leave your fingerprints," Jiang Ye said into the microphone. "If you do not agree to the terms in the documents, you may leave now. If you have any questions, you can ask me."
The volunteers in the hall hesitated.
Confidentiality was easy to agree to.
But bearing the consequences of any accidents... it always felt like getting on a pirate ship.
Although an experiment like listening to music seemed to have no risks, facing a thick liability waiver, or rather, a thick life-and-death statement, it was impossible not to feel a little uneasy.
Finally, a white girl with chestnut hair and freckles raised her hand.
"Please speak," Jiang Ye turned on the microphone. "Staff, give her a microphone."
The white girl took the microphone and coughed nervously twice. "Commander, I'd like to ask... how long will this experiment last? How much money can I get each month?"
"It's unclear how long it will last; it could be a few months, many years, or it could be abruptly halted by the military," Jiang Ye said after a few seconds of silence. "The basic salary for participating in the experiment is thirty thousand per month, but if you perform well during the experiment, you will receive a lot of money."
"How much is 'a lot'?" the white girl pressed.
All the volunteers' eyes widened. They weren't just coming to be guinea pigs; they were mostly here for the money.
"The first experiment you will participate in is listening to a lullaby. Anyone who can listen to it without falling asleep will immediately receive twenty thousand," Jiang Ye said. "Subsequent bonus changes will be adjusted according to the difficulty and danger of the experiment."
As soon as Jiang Ye finished speaking, there was a sound of pens scratching, crackling, throughout the hall.
Many volunteers signed almost impatiently.
Listening to music without falling asleep and getting twenty thousand yuan? Where could they find such a good opportunity?
"Are you not reading the documents carefully?" Jiang Ye said helplessly. "Although the money is good, it will also restrict your personal freedom. During your work, you cannot leave the Music City dormitory. Read the documents carefully, and you can tear them up at any time."
The volunteers then began to treat the two thick volumes of documents with seriousness, reading them line by line.
About half an hour later, the guards collected all the agreements.
All five hundred volunteers, plus the volunteer administrator Donnie, signed their consent!
"Very good, welcome everyone to participate in the Music City's experimental project. This project has certain risks, but I will arrange the best medical team to ensure your safety. I hope everyone will participate in more experiments and earn more money," Jiang Ye said into the microphone. "The first experimental project will be held in an hour. Please line up and follow Donnie to the laboratory."
The volunteers were first surprised that they would start working so soon, thinking that this matter was indeed very urgent.
Then they were all overjoyed. Everyone thought the first experiment was incredibly easy. Earning twenty thousand yuan on the first day of work? Who wouldn't be happy about that?