Chapter 16
‘I’m lacking, but I’ll still do it’ by Bai Sheng.
“The surrounding area is under first-level lockdown, and all evidence is sealed!” “Move the entire sickbed; be careful not to touch the cell residues on the surface; try to preserve DNA as much as possible!” “Be cautious, be cautious, cautious…”
“Senior.” Chen Miao asked with concern in a low voice, “Are you okay?”
The car lights flickered in the wilderness, and vehicles from the Shenhai City Supervision Office and nearby supervision offices arrived. Workers in white uniforms hurriedly moved around, and the scene was bustling with people.
The effects of the A-level drug could only sustain the enhanced physical state for a maximum of 40 minutes. At this moment, the drug’s effects had completely subsided. Shen Zhuo’s face was slightly pale, making his dark eyebrows and eyes more prominent. He shook his head to indicate that he was fine.
“Senior, I think you shouldn’t use it anymore in the future,” Chen Miao said anxiously, leaning in when he saw no one paying attention around. “The research and development of this project haven’t been completed yet. Who knows when the side effects might suddenly erupt? What if…”
Shen Zhuo waved his hand, interrupting Chen Miao, indicating that he didn’t need to say more, and he silently entered the command vehicle.
The door closed heavily, cutting off all external noise and prying eyes. Inside the car, it was dim and quiet.
Shen Zhuo let out a hoarse breath, unbuttoning his shirt one button at a time.
On his flat and lean abdomen, the gruesome knife wound from the overpass a few days ago, which had not completely healed, was oozing blood. Even breathing made him feel the tearing of his internal organs, causing a dull pain.
This was normal. After all, the drug’s effects couldn’t truly make a person evolve. Once the effects disappeared, the pain would naturally return with interest.
Shen Zhuo covered his abdomen with one hand and half-laid on the seat. As he tried to adjust to a slightly less painful position, suddenly a powerful hand reached over from behind, and the palm directly covered his hand.
Immediately after, a warm and soothing healing power enveloped the abdominal injury through his hand.
Shen Zhuo turned his head, and his lips almost brushed against Bai Sheng’s jaw.
“I wanted to ask, why are you hiding in the car alone? But you started to undress immediately after entering.” Bai Sheng semi-knelt beside the seat, looking at Shen Zhuo up close in the dim light. His voice was low and magnetic, and he carried a familiar, playful smile. “We’re so familiar with each other. If you need anything, why not come find me immediately? It really hurts my feelings.”
The two hands were pressed together on Shen Zhuo’s abdomen. He tried to pull his hand back from Bai Sheng’s palm, but he couldn’t move at all, so he had to tilt his head back slightly. “I have a question.”
Bai Sheng immediately responded, “I’m listening.”
“…Since you have healing abilities, why don’t you heal yourself?”
Bai Sheng’s fingers were exceptionally slender, and his palm, when fully open, could almost cover Shen Zhuo’s waist. Even in such dim visibility, one could still see dried bloodstains on his fingertips, and his nails were cracked, a result of tearing through the spatial coffin barehanded.
Spatial abilities were a rare and confirmed high A-level power, meaning Bai Sheng breaking through the coffin with his bare hands was quite impressive. If it were those few non-combatant weak S-class evolutionists from foreign countries, they probably wouldn’t stand a chance today.
“Oh, it’s like that.” Bai Sheng inspected his own hand, politely explaining, “Because I am a noble person, a pure person, a person of impeccable moral character, my healing ability is dedicated solely to benefiting others, with no benefit to myself. In short, it’s relatively weak and only works on others. It never works on me, proving my nature of being beneficial to the people.”
The person named Shen Zhuo remained silent for a moment and then said, “…Next time, just say your healing ability is not fully evolved.”
“I’m not a specialized wet nurse,” Bai Sheng laughed and asked, “So, Inspector, what about you?”
“What?”
“How did you get your powers?”
Their breaths mingled audibly, and in the dim light, the reflection of distant car lights could be seen in each other’s eyes.
In this half-kneeling, half-lying position, Bai Sheng’s body pressed lightly against Shen Zhuo. Though he wore a smile on his face, Shen Zhuo knew that if an S-class decided to act, the entire process, from initiating to concluding, would be as quick as a fleeting thought.
“…It was a drug developed by the Central Research Institute back then. By injecting a combination of meteorite extract and human cells, it induced the development of different levels of ability. Even ordinary people could use abilities temporarily for a few minutes.” Shen Zhuo averted his gaze, saying indifferently, “But the side effects were significant, putting a heavy burden on the body. Consequently, research was quickly halted. I only have a few doses left, kept as a last resort for self-rescue in emergencies.”
“Wait, wait,” Bai Sheng detected the inconsistency in his words, “Ordinary human genes don’t evolve even with exposure to meteorites. How could injecting meteorite extract suddenly grant abilities? The logic doesn’t add up, does it?”
Shen Zhuo casually responded, “It involves the issues of evolutionary interferons, the binding mechanism with chromosomes, and epigenetic modifications of genetic expression. It’s very complicated; I can’t explain it to you in a short time.”
“…”
The last time Bai Sheng opened a biology textbook was before the college entrance exam, so he was a bit skeptical for a while, squinting his eyes in suspicion. “…Is this drug really meteorite extract?”
“Why, do you want me to dig out the confidential files from my office drawer to show you?” Shen Zhuo sneered, “Sure, if you can understand it. Let’s go back, and I’ll tutor you from the beginning of high school biology. I’m optimistic that you’ll be able to understand the first page of the drug development project book before you turn forty. Good luck. I have faith in you.”
Bai Sheng: “…”
Shen Zhuo was a person who couldn’t be seen through upon initial contact, but after a few encounters, one would notice his unbridled poisonous tongue and sharpness. Moreover, he had a rather exquisite trait – while most people only directed sarcasm at people who were inferior to them, he applied equally diminishing strikes to everyone, regardless of whether the other party was wealthy or influential. In his eyes, everyone was treated equally.
If he hadn’t been accustomed to being adored, flattered, and even admired by countless people from childhood to adulthood, he wouldn’t have developed such an indifferent attitude toward everyone.
Bai Sheng felt a bit itchy, looking down from top to bottom at Shen Zhuo’s indifferent face. The distant lights reflected the meticulously drawn corners of his eyes, transitioning from deep to light like an ink painting, akin to a stroke made by a crow’s wing on a snowy landscape.
In that instant, Bai Sheng heard Su Jiqiao’s remark echoing in his ears, “If it weren’t for the luck of evolution, people like us might not even have the qualification to speak a word to Senior Shen in this lifetime…”
As if something lightly bumped into Bai Sheng’s heart, creating an indescribable sensation—a slight tingling mixed with sourness.
I’m really lacking, he thought.
Everyone likes the gentle and considerate little green tea, but I find the person who doesn’t even bother acknowledging my existence exceptionally attractive. I must be lacking something in the five elements.
“…Alright, you promised to show me the file later.” Bai Sheng chuckled, his face unchanged. He casually patted Shen Zhuo on the side of his waist. “On another note, I advise you not to hide things. Why does that person with the surname Rong keep sending people to catch you repeatedly? It’s highly likely related to this ‘drug’ of yours. You better come clean with me sooner rather than later—”
The mobile phone suddenly rang; it was Yue Yang.
A subtle expression crossed Shen Zhuo’s eyes, and he gestured to Bai Sheng to keep quiet. He held the phone but didn’t answer.
The call naturally ended, and immediately it rang again, but he still didn’t answer.
“Why are you…”
Shen Zhuo raised his index finger, indicating for him not to interfere.
It wasn’t until the ringtone urgently sounded for the third time, accompanied by a barrage of text messages, and was threatening to disconnect soon, that Shen Zhuo calmly pressed the answer key. He sparingly uttered a single word:
“Hello?”
On the other end of the call, Yue Yang fired off a rapid series of questions, “Why didn’t you answer the phone just now? I saw the system report a Level 1 alert in the Shenhai suburbs. How’s your injury? Where are you now? Are you safe?”
“…,” Bai Sheng sighed in admiration, thinking that he truly had witnessed something incredible.
Chief Yue, after such years of mental torment, hasn’t gone insane. His endurance was beyond ordinary; he wondered if the party had dug up the ancestral graves of the Shen family in the central district all those years ago.
Shen Zhuo stood up and gestured to Bai Sheng, expressing a perfunctory thank you. He then opened the door and stepped out of the car with large strides. Even from a distance, Bai Sheng could still hear Yue Yang’s heavy and urgent voice on the other end of the phone:
“I just called Chen Miao; he said you took care of it yourself. Why didn’t you directly notify the central district for reinforcements…”
“It’s already taken care of.” Shen Zhuo walked through the grassy, muddy ground, heading toward a spot not far from the crowd. Standing in the wilderness in the middle of the night, he hooked the corner of his mouth with an unknown meaning and said, “Thanks to Mr. Bai’s assistance, everything was resolved smoothly.”
The person on the other end of the phone fell into silence for a moment. Shen Zhuo almost awaited the response with interest.
“…” After a while, Yue Yang spoke, his voice dry but with a calm composure that masked any emotions, “That’s good, then. Thanks to Mr. Bai for his generous help.”
Shen Zhuo seemed completely oblivious to the complex undertones in the other’s words. He casually shifted the topic, “I have something to ask you.”
“What is it?”
“Have you heard the name Rong Qi?”
Yue Yang frowned, “Not at all. Why?”
Shen Zhuo said, “Three years ago, on May 10th, the night before the explosion at the Qinghai test site, Fu Chen and Su Jiqiao left the central district and went to the Quanshan County Health Centre to see a patient named Rong Qi. You don’t know about this?”
With Fu Chen’s status back then, leaving the central district would undoubtedly have left a record. Yue Yang pondered for a few seconds and hesitated, “I really don’t remember. Maybe it was an official duty? I might have to retrieve the mission archives from three years ago.”
“Well, then go and check. Find out the identity documents and family relations of this Rong Qi.” Shen Zhuo paused and said casually, “This matter is very important to me.”
He lowered his head to hang up the phone, but Yue Yang seemed to sense it and hastily blurted out, “—Shen Zhuo!”
Shen Zhuo froze in his actions.
The other end of the call fell silent, and only the sound of Yue Yang’s deep and shallow breaths could be heard. Several times, he seemed to want to say something but hesitated. After a while, he impulsively said:
“Shen Zhuo, I’ve actually been—”
The distant noises from the scene were drowned out by the night wind, turning into a faint background.
After a short while, Yue Yang spoke again, but one could sense the change in topic was a hasty attempt: “… I want to ask you something. You mentioned last time about expelling Bai Sheng from Shenhai…”
“What’s the matter?” Shen Zhuo chuckled, and the warm breath almost gently brushed Yue Yang’s ears. “Do you want to show concern for me on behalf of your deceased brother again, Chief Yue?”
In an instant, Yue Yang stiffened. For a long time, he couldn’t utter a word.
“Bai Sheng is now part of Shenhai. As long as I don’t drive him away, he’ll stay in Shenhai. As for when to expel him or whether to expel him at all…” Shen Zhuo turned his head and glanced at the command vehicle in the distance, lazily saying, “I alone have the final say.”
“…I understand.” Yue Yang’s hoarse voice came from the phone after a long while. “I will check the records of Fu Chen and Su Jiqiao’s outing on May 10th, three years ago.”
Shen Zhuo directly ended the call.
In the vast night of the wilderness, under the expansive starry sky, the Milky Way crossed the heavens, flowing toward the unknown universe.
Shen Zhuo stood silently without moving, facing away from the distant lights of the scene, gazing into the boundless darkness ahead. There was no one around in the desolate plain, and no one could see the expression of the Chief Supervisor of Shenhai City at this moment. After a long time, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes silently.
The wind swept across the vast expanse of grass, rustling like a late-night tide. It carried sporadic and distant memories, overwhelming every sense.
—The explosion at the Qinghai test site.
No one knew about the various signs of the impending upheaval. All the ominous clues vanished with the explosion, occasionally flashing eerie glimmers from the depths of time.
……
“Fu-ge is too attentive to Director Shen, isn’t he? Always at his beck and call, drawing blood whenever is told?”
“No choice. Without the serum from those high-level evolutionists, the HRG project probably wouldn’t complete the first stage of data simulation…”
Whispers carried by the wind came and went, mingling with the distant howling.
Inside the laboratory, everything was orderly. Researchers hurried back and forth. Fu Chen lay back in a chair, exposing his muscular arm, and arterial blood flowed through the tube toward the centrifuge.
“Director Shen,” an assistant hurried over, speaking in a light but nervous tone, “We can’t draw more. It’s already 1000 cc. Drawing more might cause trouble!”
The 26-year-old Shen Zhuo had his hands in the pockets of his white coat. His features were as elegant as ink on snowpaper, and there was an inherent coldness and indifference in his demeanor.
Fu Chen’s face was beginning to pale. As if sensing something, he turned his head from the reclining chair to look.
—At the same moment, a smile suddenly appeared on Shen Zhuo’s usually impassive face. He looked encouragingly at Fu Chen, his lips forming a perfect arc, warmth evident in his eyes. Even the nearby assistants were momentarily stunned.
“S-levels don’t die that easily,” Shen Zhuo said, his expression completely belying the coldness in his tone. “Continue drawing.”
Beep-beep-beep—
The blood pressure alarm urgently sounded, causing a commotion in the laboratory. Researchers stood up one after another, exclaiming, “No, you can’t draw more!” “Stop! Stop!”
Someone hurriedly brought glucose, saying, “Thank you, Chief Fu. Thank you, Chief Fu. You’ve worked hard…”
Shen Zhuo seemed a bit regretful, but he didn’t show it. He quickly stepped forward to support Fu Chen, frowning with concern. “Are you okay?”
Fu Chen’s entire arm felt cold, and he let out a hoarse breath. Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed Shen Zhuo!
In an instant, the world seemed to spin, and Shen Zhuo found himself pressed onto the reclining chair. Fu Chen, with a smile, asked, “What benefits do you gain by drawing me to death, hmm?”
Shen Zhuo braced himself with one hand and staggered to stand up.
“Drink this bottle of glucose and rest for a while.” Shen Zhuo acted as if he hadn’t heard anything, straightened his clothes, and maintained a composed expression. “I’ll see you out.”
“…No, Director Shen, this move of yours is too ruthless.” “1000 cc…”
It wasn’t until Shen Zhuo personally escorted Fu Chen out of the laboratory, their figures disappearing into the distance, that the researchers dared to express their amazed comments.
Under the starry sky of early summer, the night was filled with the sounds of nocturnal insects. The fragrance of locust flowers drifted with the wind, passing through the shady path and vanishing into the depths of the night.
Their shadows stretched under the streetlights as Fu Chen smiled and asked, “How have you been lately?”
Shen Zhuo was clearly someone who used things and discarded them. Once he had the serum, he couldn’t be bothered to show any emotions. Even the courtesy of small talk seemed like too much trouble for him. “The theoretical simulation for the first stage has successfully concluded. The next step is to start small-scale development of the product. However, this kind of drug still can’t escape the high demand for the serum from evolutionists. So, the most crucial aspect is to keep it confidential. We need to tell both the UN Security Council and the International Supervision General Administration that we are still overcoming obstacles, and the prospects are not promising.”
Fu Chen nodded, frowned, and hesitated, but couldn’t help but ask after a while, “But I heard that the project’s progress has been secretly leaked recently?”
Shen Zhuo sighed but remained silent.
Fu Chen had already derived an answer from his silence, “Multiple instances of leaks. Is there a spy within the research institute?”
“The Intelligence Bureau has conducted thorough searches three times but couldn’t identify the spy,” Shen Zhuo said indifferently. “There are too many eyes focused on the HRG project. The Security Council hopes for its success, while the International Supervision General Administration hopes for its failure. Agents from all sides are entangled, all keeping a close eye on this laboratory…”
“Shen Zhuo.” Fu Chen suddenly stopped walking, looking at him with a tone that emphasized each word, “If you continue like this, you’ll end up dead!”
Shen Zhuo didn’t answer.
“No one would want the sword of Damocles hanging over their heads. Once the secret of the successful drug theory leaks, they will do everything to stop the HRG project, even resorting to assassination. Every moment, you’ll live under the threat of being killed. Do you understand?”
“…”
“Have you ever thought that the regeneration of the entire human genome will one day be realized, but you may not live to see that day?”
The night sky stretched endlessly with the Milky Way, distant stars revolving in their eternal orbits. Shen Zhuo looked up, his hands in the pockets of his white coat. After a while, he suddenly asked, “Do you think there can be peace between humans and evolutionists?”
Fu Chen was momentarily stunned.
“No.” Shen Zhuo gave his answer, “Peace exists under nuclear deterrence. Without atomic bombs, there is no peace.”
“There are seven billion ordinary people on this Earth, viewed by evolutionists as no different from seven billion ants. There must be an ant that steps forward as a deterrent; that is the crucial significance of the HRG project.”
Shen Zhuo had a naturally low volume and a moderate pace of speech. He wasn’t physically robust; in fact, he seemed a bit slender. However, when he stood there, he often conveyed a sense of strength that could face raging storms and go against the current.
“…I understand.”
Fu Chen gazed at him, sighed deeply after a long while, and said in a low voice, “Since you’ve made a decision, no matter what happens, I will use all my strength to protect you and ensure you don’t die.”
Shen Zhuo glanced at him and walked forward without offering any response.
Walking out of the institute gate along the flower-scented path at night, not far away, under a streetlight, the official car from the Central Supervision Office had been waiting for quite some time.
“By the way.” Fu Chen didn’t immediately approach his own car. Instead, he stopped and looked at Shen Zhuo, hesitating before finally laughing: “We’re leaving for the Qinghai test site next week. It’s our first mission outside. Have you prepared everything you need?”
Shen Zhuo made a sound of acknowledgement. “What’s the matter?”
“…” Fu Chen seemed uncertain about how to broach the topic. After a while, he couldn’t help but cough and say, “Well, there’s something.”
Shen Zhuo raised an eyebrow.
Fu Chen took a deep breath, finally making up his mind, “You see, we’ve known each other for so long, and you know the higher-ups’ intentions. After we return from Qinghai this time, can you just… with me?”
Honk honk!
A car not far away suddenly honked, and then the car window rolled down to reveal Su Jiqiao’s smiling face. He pointed to his wristwatch and said loudly, “It’s ten o’clock! Hasn’t the institute closed its gates yet?”
Fu Chen froze.
He seemed not to expect Su Jiqiao to be in the car. A hint of awkwardness flashed in his eyes, but it was just a momentary detail.
Shen Zhuo remained composed, taking a step back, “Go ahead, Chief Fu. I’m heading back to the lab.”
“Ah, are you leaving now?” Fu Chen hesitated for a moment on the spot, clearly showing some reluctance. He took a couple of steps, then couldn’t help but turn back to remind him, “I’ll talk to you about it after we return from Qinghai. Remember that.”
Shen Zhuo remained silent, glancing lightly behind Fu Chen. Su Jiqiao, who had always been gentle, kind, and popular since school, was staring at him without moving. His gaze was dark and penetrating, with something indescribable deep in his eyes.
However, Shen Zhuo had always ignored Su Jiqiao. He turned around and walked back along the path they came from.
Even when he had walked far away, he could still feel Su Jiqiao’s gaze lingering behind him, cold and relentless, like a shadow.
……
That was the final, short episode before the turning point of fate.
A few days later, Fu Chen and Su Jiqiao mysteriously appeared in a remote town’s health center and met with Rong Qi, who was lying unconscious on a hospital bed. No one knew what they were doing at the time.
24 hours later, an explosion occurred at the Qinghai test site. Fu Chen was completely gone, and Su Jiqiao suffered severe brain damage and became a vegetative.
Shen Zhuo survived the torture, but he was subsequently expelled from the Central Research Institute, and the Human Regeneration Project was forced to be abandoned.
When Shen Zhuo, the newly appointed Global Top Ten Supervisor, arrived in Shenhai City, the evolutionists feared him, dreaded him, and harbored deep-seated resentment against him. They maliciously discussed his rarely seen beautiful face and various bloody and sordid speculations, but no one knew the details of what had happened on that early summer night before the twist of fate.
Shen Zhuo exhaled a hoarse breath, tightly pressing down on the knife scar on the back of his left hand, and opened his eyes.
“Supervisor,” at this moment, an officer approached quickly, stepping on dry grass, and whispered, “The scene has been sealed off, and the steel wire bed that may contain residual DNA has been moved to the vehicle according to the standards for bio-weapons. Do you have any other instructions?”
“…”
The Shenhai City Supervisor stood in the vast night, his expression unseen from behind. After a long time, the officer heard him speak, “Where is Liu Sanji?”
“He’s still alive, barely. We’ve got him in the ambulance. Bai-ge is asking if we can leave now.”
Shen Zhuo repeated, “Bai-ge?”
The officer almost bit his tongue, stammering, “Yes, yes, Mr. Bai… Bai…”
Shen Zhuo chuckled, finally turning around and heading toward the well-lit scene in the distance.
“Go back and find Witch Italdo, and ask her to use her healing ability.” He said calmly, “Your Bai-ge’s hand is injured.”
Chapter 16
‘I’m lacking, but I’ll still do it’ by Bai Sheng.
“The surrounding area is under first-level lockdown, and all evidence is sealed!” “Move the entire sickbed; be careful not to touch the cell residues on the surface; try to preserve DNA as much as possible!” “Be cautious, be cautious, cautious…”
“Senior.” Chen Miao asked with concern in a low voice, “Are you okay?”
The car lights flickered in the wilderness, and vehicles from the Shenhai City Supervision Office and nearby supervision offices arrived. Workers in white uniforms hurriedly moved around, and the scene was bustling with people.
The effects of the A-level drug could only sustain the enhanced physical state for a maximum of 40 minutes. At this moment, the drug’s effects had completely subsided. Shen Zhuo’s face was slightly pale, making his dark eyebrows and eyes more prominent. He shook his head to indicate that he was fine.
“Senior, I think you shouldn’t use it anymore in the future,” Chen Miao said anxiously, leaning in when he saw no one paying attention around. “The research and development of this project haven’t been completed yet. Who knows when the side effects might suddenly erupt? What if…”
Shen Zhuo waved his hand, interrupting Chen Miao, indicating that he didn’t need to say more, and he silently entered the command vehicle.
The door closed heavily, cutting off all external noise and prying eyes. Inside the car, it was dim and quiet.
Shen Zhuo let out a hoarse breath, unbuttoning his shirt one button at a time.
On his flat and lean abdomen, the gruesome knife wound from the overpass a few days ago, which had not completely healed, was oozing blood. Even breathing made him feel the tearing of his internal organs, causing a dull pain.
This was normal. After all, the drug’s effects couldn’t truly make a person evolve. Once the effects disappeared, the pain would naturally return with interest.
Shen Zhuo covered his abdomen with one hand and half-laid on the seat. As he tried to adjust to a slightly less painful position, suddenly a powerful hand reached over from behind, and the palm directly covered his hand.
Immediately after, a warm and soothing healing power enveloped the abdominal injury through his hand.
Shen Zhuo turned his head, and his lips almost brushed against Bai Sheng’s jaw.
“I wanted to ask, why are you hiding in the car alone? But you started to undress immediately after entering.” Bai Sheng semi-knelt beside the seat, looking at Shen Zhuo up close in the dim light. His voice was low and magnetic, and he carried a familiar, playful smile. “We’re so familiar with each other. If you need anything, why not come find me immediately? It really hurts my feelings.”
The two hands were pressed together on Shen Zhuo’s abdomen. He tried to pull his hand back from Bai Sheng’s palm, but he couldn’t move at all, so he had to tilt his head back slightly. “I have a question.”
Bai Sheng immediately responded, “I’m listening.”
“…Since you have healing abilities, why don’t you heal yourself?”
Bai Sheng’s fingers were exceptionally slender, and his palm, when fully open, could almost cover Shen Zhuo’s waist. Even in such dim visibility, one could still see dried bloodstains on his fingertips, and his nails were cracked, a result of tearing through the spatial coffin barehanded.
Spatial abilities were a rare and confirmed high A-level power, meaning Bai Sheng breaking through the coffin with his bare hands was quite impressive. If it were those few non-combatant weak S-class evolutionists from foreign countries, they probably wouldn’t stand a chance today.
“Oh, it’s like that.” Bai Sheng inspected his own hand, politely explaining, “Because I am a noble person, a pure person, a person of impeccable moral character, my healing ability is dedicated solely to benefiting others, with no benefit to myself. In short, it’s relatively weak and only works on others. It never works on me, proving my nature of being beneficial to the people.”
The person named Shen Zhuo remained silent for a moment and then said, “…Next time, just say your healing ability is not fully evolved.”
“I’m not a specialized wet nurse,” Bai Sheng laughed and asked, “So, Inspector, what about you?”
“What?”
“How did you get your powers?”
Their breaths mingled audibly, and in the dim light, the reflection of distant car lights could be seen in each other’s eyes.
In this half-kneeling, half-lying position, Bai Sheng’s body pressed lightly against Shen Zhuo. Though he wore a smile on his face, Shen Zhuo knew that if an S-class decided to act, the entire process, from initiating to concluding, would be as quick as a fleeting thought.
“…It was a drug developed by the Central Research Institute back then. By injecting a combination of meteorite extract and human cells, it induced the development of different levels of ability. Even ordinary people could use abilities temporarily for a few minutes.” Shen Zhuo averted his gaze, saying indifferently, “But the side effects were significant, putting a heavy burden on the body. Consequently, research was quickly halted. I only have a few doses left, kept as a last resort for self-rescue in emergencies.”
“Wait, wait,” Bai Sheng detected the inconsistency in his words, “Ordinary human genes don’t evolve even with exposure to meteorites. How could injecting meteorite extract suddenly grant abilities? The logic doesn’t add up, does it?”
Shen Zhuo casually responded, “It involves the issues of evolutionary interferons, the binding mechanism with chromosomes, and epigenetic modifications of genetic expression. It’s very complicated; I can’t explain it to you in a short time.”
“…”
The last time Bai Sheng opened a biology textbook was before the college entrance exam, so he was a bit skeptical for a while, squinting his eyes in suspicion. “…Is this drug really meteorite extract?”
“Why, do you want me to dig out the confidential files from my office drawer to show you?” Shen Zhuo sneered, “Sure, if you can understand it. Let’s go back, and I’ll tutor you from the beginning of high school biology. I’m optimistic that you’ll be able to understand the first page of the drug development project book before you turn forty. Good luck. I have faith in you.”
Bai Sheng: “…”
Shen Zhuo was a person who couldn’t be seen through upon initial contact, but after a few encounters, one would notice his unbridled poisonous tongue and sharpness. Moreover, he had a rather exquisite trait – while most people only directed sarcasm at people who were inferior to them, he applied equally diminishing strikes to everyone, regardless of whether the other party was wealthy or influential. In his eyes, everyone was treated equally.
If he hadn’t been accustomed to being adored, flattered, and even admired by countless people from childhood to adulthood, he wouldn’t have developed such an indifferent attitude toward everyone.
Bai Sheng felt a bit itchy, looking down from top to bottom at Shen Zhuo’s indifferent face. The distant lights reflected the meticulously drawn corners of his eyes, transitioning from deep to light like an ink painting, akin to a stroke made by a crow’s wing on a snowy landscape.
In that instant, Bai Sheng heard Su Jiqiao’s remark echoing in his ears, “If it weren’t for the luck of evolution, people like us might not even have the qualification to speak a word to Senior Shen in this lifetime…”
As if something lightly bumped into Bai Sheng’s heart, creating an indescribable sensation—a slight tingling mixed with sourness.
I’m really lacking, he thought.
Everyone likes the gentle and considerate little green tea, but I find the person who doesn’t even bother acknowledging my existence exceptionally attractive. I must be lacking something in the five elements.
“…Alright, you promised to show me the file later.” Bai Sheng chuckled, his face unchanged. He casually patted Shen Zhuo on the side of his waist. “On another note, I advise you not to hide things. Why does that person with the surname Rong keep sending people to catch you repeatedly? It’s highly likely related to this ‘drug’ of yours. You better come clean with me sooner rather than later—”
The mobile phone suddenly rang; it was Yue Yang.
A subtle expression crossed Shen Zhuo’s eyes, and he gestured to Bai Sheng to keep quiet. He held the phone but didn’t answer.
The call naturally ended, and immediately it rang again, but he still didn’t answer.
“Why are you…”
Shen Zhuo raised his index finger, indicating for him not to interfere.
It wasn’t until the ringtone urgently sounded for the third time, accompanied by a barrage of text messages, and was threatening to disconnect soon, that Shen Zhuo calmly pressed the answer key. He sparingly uttered a single word:
“Hello?”
On the other end of the call, Yue Yang fired off a rapid series of questions, “Why didn’t you answer the phone just now? I saw the system report a Level 1 alert in the Shenhai suburbs. How’s your injury? Where are you now? Are you safe?”
“…,” Bai Sheng sighed in admiration, thinking that he truly had witnessed something incredible.
Chief Yue, after such years of mental torment, hasn’t gone insane. His endurance was beyond ordinary; he wondered if the party had dug up the ancestral graves of the Shen family in the central district all those years ago.
Shen Zhuo stood up and gestured to Bai Sheng, expressing a perfunctory thank you. He then opened the door and stepped out of the car with large strides. Even from a distance, Bai Sheng could still hear Yue Yang’s heavy and urgent voice on the other end of the phone:
“I just called Chen Miao; he said you took care of it yourself. Why didn’t you directly notify the central district for reinforcements…”
“It’s already taken care of.” Shen Zhuo walked through the grassy, muddy ground, heading toward a spot not far from the crowd. Standing in the wilderness in the middle of the night, he hooked the corner of his mouth with an unknown meaning and said, “Thanks to Mr. Bai’s assistance, everything was resolved smoothly.”
The person on the other end of the phone fell into silence for a moment. Shen Zhuo almost awaited the response with interest.
“…” After a while, Yue Yang spoke, his voice dry but with a calm composure that masked any emotions, “That’s good, then. Thanks to Mr. Bai for his generous help.”
Shen Zhuo seemed completely oblivious to the complex undertones in the other’s words. He casually shifted the topic, “I have something to ask you.”
“What is it?”
“Have you heard the name Rong Qi?”
Yue Yang frowned, “Not at all. Why?”
Shen Zhuo said, “Three years ago, on May 10th, the night before the explosion at the Qinghai test site, Fu Chen and Su Jiqiao left the central district and went to the Quanshan County Health Centre to see a patient named Rong Qi. You don’t know about this?”
With Fu Chen’s status back then, leaving the central district would undoubtedly have left a record. Yue Yang pondered for a few seconds and hesitated, “I really don’t remember. Maybe it was an official duty? I might have to retrieve the mission archives from three years ago.”
“Well, then go and check. Find out the identity documents and family relations of this Rong Qi.” Shen Zhuo paused and said casually, “This matter is very important to me.”
He lowered his head to hang up the phone, but Yue Yang seemed to sense it and hastily blurted out, “—Shen Zhuo!”
Shen Zhuo froze in his actions.
The other end of the call fell silent, and only the sound of Yue Yang’s deep and shallow breaths could be heard. Several times, he seemed to want to say something but hesitated. After a while, he impulsively said:
“Shen Zhuo, I’ve actually been—”
The distant noises from the scene were drowned out by the night wind, turning into a faint background.
After a short while, Yue Yang spoke again, but one could sense the change in topic was a hasty attempt: “… I want to ask you something. You mentioned last time about expelling Bai Sheng from Shenhai…”
“What’s the matter?” Shen Zhuo chuckled, and the warm breath almost gently brushed Yue Yang’s ears. “Do you want to show concern for me on behalf of your deceased brother again, Chief Yue?”
In an instant, Yue Yang stiffened. For a long time, he couldn’t utter a word.
“Bai Sheng is now part of Shenhai. As long as I don’t drive him away, he’ll stay in Shenhai. As for when to expel him or whether to expel him at all…” Shen Zhuo turned his head and glanced at the command vehicle in the distance, lazily saying, “I alone have the final say.”
“…I understand.” Yue Yang’s hoarse voice came from the phone after a long while. “I will check the records of Fu Chen and Su Jiqiao’s outing on May 10th, three years ago.”
Shen Zhuo directly ended the call.
In the vast night of the wilderness, under the expansive starry sky, the Milky Way crossed the heavens, flowing toward the unknown universe.
Shen Zhuo stood silently without moving, facing away from the distant lights of the scene, gazing into the boundless darkness ahead. There was no one around in the desolate plain, and no one could see the expression of the Chief Supervisor of Shenhai City at this moment. After a long time, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes silently.
The wind swept across the vast expanse of grass, rustling like a late-night tide. It carried sporadic and distant memories, overwhelming every sense.
—The explosion at the Qinghai test site.
No one knew about the various signs of the impending upheaval. All the ominous clues vanished with the explosion, occasionally flashing eerie glimmers from the depths of time.
……
“Fu-ge is too attentive to Director Shen, isn’t he? Always at his beck and call, drawing blood whenever is told?”
“No choice. Without the serum from those high-level evolutionists, the HRG project probably wouldn’t complete the first stage of data simulation…”
Whispers carried by the wind came and went, mingling with the distant howling.
Inside the laboratory, everything was orderly. Researchers hurried back and forth. Fu Chen lay back in a chair, exposing his muscular arm, and arterial blood flowed through the tube toward the centrifuge.
“Director Shen,” an assistant hurried over, speaking in a light but nervous tone, “We can’t draw more. It’s already 1000 cc. Drawing more might cause trouble!”
The 26-year-old Shen Zhuo had his hands in the pockets of his white coat. His features were as elegant as ink on snowpaper, and there was an inherent coldness and indifference in his demeanor.
Fu Chen’s face was beginning to pale. As if sensing something, he turned his head from the reclining chair to look.
—At the same moment, a smile suddenly appeared on Shen Zhuo’s usually impassive face. He looked encouragingly at Fu Chen, his lips forming a perfect arc, warmth evident in his eyes. Even the nearby assistants were momentarily stunned.
“S-levels don’t die that easily,” Shen Zhuo said, his expression completely belying the coldness in his tone. “Continue drawing.”
Beep-beep-beep—
The blood pressure alarm urgently sounded, causing a commotion in the laboratory. Researchers stood up one after another, exclaiming, “No, you can’t draw more!” “Stop! Stop!”
Someone hurriedly brought glucose, saying, “Thank you, Chief Fu. Thank you, Chief Fu. You’ve worked hard…”
Shen Zhuo seemed a bit regretful, but he didn’t show it. He quickly stepped forward to support Fu Chen, frowning with concern. “Are you okay?”
Fu Chen’s entire arm felt cold, and he let out a hoarse breath. Suddenly, he reached out and grabbed Shen Zhuo!
In an instant, the world seemed to spin, and Shen Zhuo found himself pressed onto the reclining chair. Fu Chen, with a smile, asked, “What benefits do you gain by drawing me to death, hmm?”
Shen Zhuo braced himself with one hand and staggered to stand up.
“Drink this bottle of glucose and rest for a while.” Shen Zhuo acted as if he hadn’t heard anything, straightened his clothes, and maintained a composed expression. “I’ll see you out.”
“…No, Director Shen, this move of yours is too ruthless.” “1000 cc…”
It wasn’t until Shen Zhuo personally escorted Fu Chen out of the laboratory, their figures disappearing into the distance, that the researchers dared to express their amazed comments.
Under the starry sky of early summer, the night was filled with the sounds of nocturnal insects. The fragrance of locust flowers drifted with the wind, passing through the shady path and vanishing into the depths of the night.
Their shadows stretched under the streetlights as Fu Chen smiled and asked, “How have you been lately?”
Shen Zhuo was clearly someone who used things and discarded them. Once he had the serum, he couldn’t be bothered to show any emotions. Even the courtesy of small talk seemed like too much trouble for him. “The theoretical simulation for the first stage has successfully concluded. The next step is to start small-scale development of the product. However, this kind of drug still can’t escape the high demand for the serum from evolutionists. So, the most crucial aspect is to keep it confidential. We need to tell both the UN Security Council and the International Supervision General Administration that we are still overcoming obstacles, and the prospects are not promising.”
Fu Chen nodded, frowned, and hesitated, but couldn’t help but ask after a while, “But I heard that the project’s progress has been secretly leaked recently?”
Shen Zhuo sighed but remained silent.
Fu Chen had already derived an answer from his silence, “Multiple instances of leaks. Is there a spy within the research institute?”
“The Intelligence Bureau has conducted thorough searches three times but couldn’t identify the spy,” Shen Zhuo said indifferently. “There are too many eyes focused on the HRG project. The Security Council hopes for its success, while the International Supervision General Administration hopes for its failure. Agents from all sides are entangled, all keeping a close eye on this laboratory…”
“Shen Zhuo.” Fu Chen suddenly stopped walking, looking at him with a tone that emphasized each word, “If you continue like this, you’ll end up dead!”
Shen Zhuo didn’t answer.
“No one would want the sword of Damocles hanging over their heads. Once the secret of the successful drug theory leaks, they will do everything to stop the HRG project, even resorting to assassination. Every moment, you’ll live under the threat of being killed. Do you understand?”
“…”
“Have you ever thought that the regeneration of the entire human genome will one day be realized, but you may not live to see that day?”
The night sky stretched endlessly with the Milky Way, distant stars revolving in their eternal orbits. Shen Zhuo looked up, his hands in the pockets of his white coat. After a while, he suddenly asked, “Do you think there can be peace between humans and evolutionists?”
Fu Chen was momentarily stunned.
“No.” Shen Zhuo gave his answer, “Peace exists under nuclear deterrence. Without atomic bombs, there is no peace.”
“There are seven billion ordinary people on this Earth, viewed by evolutionists as no different from seven billion ants. There must be an ant that steps forward as a deterrent; that is the crucial significance of the HRG project.”
Shen Zhuo had a naturally low volume and a moderate pace of speech. He wasn’t physically robust; in fact, he seemed a bit slender. However, when he stood there, he often conveyed a sense of strength that could face raging storms and go against the current.
“…I understand.”
Fu Chen gazed at him, sighed deeply after a long while, and said in a low voice, “Since you’ve made a decision, no matter what happens, I will use all my strength to protect you and ensure you don’t die.”
Shen Zhuo glanced at him and walked forward without offering any response.
Walking out of the institute gate along the flower-scented path at night, not far away, under a streetlight, the official car from the Central Supervision Office had been waiting for quite some time.
“By the way.” Fu Chen didn’t immediately approach his own car. Instead, he stopped and looked at Shen Zhuo, hesitating before finally laughing: “We’re leaving for the Qinghai test site next week. It’s our first mission outside. Have you prepared everything you need?”
Shen Zhuo made a sound of acknowledgement. “What’s the matter?”
“…” Fu Chen seemed uncertain about how to broach the topic. After a while, he couldn’t help but cough and say, “Well, there’s something.”
Shen Zhuo raised an eyebrow.
Fu Chen took a deep breath, finally making up his mind, “You see, we’ve known each other for so long, and you know the higher-ups’ intentions. After we return from Qinghai this time, can you just… with me?”
Honk honk!
A car not far away suddenly honked, and then the car window rolled down to reveal Su Jiqiao’s smiling face. He pointed to his wristwatch and said loudly, “It’s ten o’clock! Hasn’t the institute closed its gates yet?”
Fu Chen froze.
He seemed not to expect Su Jiqiao to be in the car. A hint of awkwardness flashed in his eyes, but it was just a momentary detail.
Shen Zhuo remained composed, taking a step back, “Go ahead, Chief Fu. I’m heading back to the lab.”
“Ah, are you leaving now?” Fu Chen hesitated for a moment on the spot, clearly showing some reluctance. He took a couple of steps, then couldn’t help but turn back to remind him, “I’ll talk to you about it after we return from Qinghai. Remember that.”
Shen Zhuo remained silent, glancing lightly behind Fu Chen. Su Jiqiao, who had always been gentle, kind, and popular since school, was staring at him without moving. His gaze was dark and penetrating, with something indescribable deep in his eyes.
However, Shen Zhuo had always ignored Su Jiqiao. He turned around and walked back along the path they came from.
Even when he had walked far away, he could still feel Su Jiqiao’s gaze lingering behind him, cold and relentless, like a shadow.
……
That was the final, short episode before the turning point of fate.
A few days later, Fu Chen and Su Jiqiao mysteriously appeared in a remote town’s health center and met with Rong Qi, who was lying unconscious on a hospital bed. No one knew what they were doing at the time.
24 hours later, an explosion occurred at the Qinghai test site. Fu Chen was completely gone, and Su Jiqiao suffered severe brain damage and became a vegetative.
Shen Zhuo survived the torture, but he was subsequently expelled from the Central Research Institute, and the Human Regeneration Project was forced to be abandoned.
When Shen Zhuo, the newly appointed Global Top Ten Supervisor, arrived in Shenhai City, the evolutionists feared him, dreaded him, and harbored deep-seated resentment against him. They maliciously discussed his rarely seen beautiful face and various bloody and sordid speculations, but no one knew the details of what had happened on that early summer night before the twist of fate.
Shen Zhuo exhaled a hoarse breath, tightly pressing down on the knife scar on the back of his left hand, and opened his eyes.
“Supervisor,” at this moment, an officer approached quickly, stepping on dry grass, and whispered, “The scene has been sealed off, and the steel wire bed that may contain residual DNA has been moved to the vehicle according to the standards for bio-weapons. Do you have any other instructions?”
“…”
The Shenhai City Supervisor stood in the vast night, his expression unseen from behind. After a long time, the officer heard him speak, “Where is Liu Sanji?”
“He’s still alive, barely. We’ve got him in the ambulance. Bai-ge is asking if we can leave now.”
Shen Zhuo repeated, “Bai-ge?”
The officer almost bit his tongue, stammering, “Yes, yes, Mr. Bai… Bai…”
Shen Zhuo chuckled, finally turning around and heading toward the well-lit scene in the distance.
“Go back and find Witch Italdo, and ask her to use her healing ability.” He said calmly, “Your Bai-ge’s hand is injured.”
