The old man nodded and picked up the conversation: “It's not just fusion experiments; there’s gene editing, organ transplants, neural modification... all these projects require test subjects with exceptional physical constitutions.”
“In a Level 3 Ability User, every organ is a treasure, and every cell is worth studying.”
Another short, pudgy man wearing thick glasses rubbed his hands together, his eyes gleaming with greed: “And then there’s his Ability Core.”
“The energy density of a Level 3 Ability User's core is dozens of times higher than an ordinary person's. If we could transplant his core into an ordinary person—”
“Then an ordinary person could possess an ability too?” the young female researcher interjected.
The pudgy man nodded, his mouth splitting into a grin: “Not just possess one; they might even directly inherit his ability rank.”
“Level 3—that’s a height many people never reach in their entire lives.”
“If this technology succeeds—” He didn't finish, but everyone understood his meaning.
If they could truly transplant Ability Cores, then the Deep Blue Research Institute could mass-produce high-level Ability Users.
By then, let alone Panshi City, the entire Area C—even the whole Yongming Province—would have to answer to them!
The man in gold-rimmed glasses listened to his colleagues' discussion, the smile on his lips deepening.
He walked slowly to the glass window, looking at the figure pinned to the floor, and said softly, “A Level 3 Ability User is indeed a rare find.”
“I hope you can bring us some surprises.”
He waved his hand: “Take him to Laboratory 3 on the second basement level.”
“Send word to prepare the materials for a live fusion experiment.”
“Oh, and test his Ability Core first to see what type it is and which Aberrant genes it’s suitable for fusion with.”
“Also, strip him of everything he has on him. Don't miss a single item.”
“Yes, sir,” someone behind him responded.
Several security personnel in black combat suits walked in, hauled Lei Lie off the floor, and dragged him out.
Lei Lie’s head hung low, his arms dangling limply at his sides, his left arm bent at an unnatural angle.
He didn't react at all, letting them drag him through the corridor and down into the basement.
The man in gold-rimmed glasses stood there, watching the figure disappear at the end of the hallway.
He reached up to adjust his glasses, the smile on his face slowly fading as a look of deep thought crossed his eyes.
A Level 3 Ability User...
This might not be as simple as it seemed.
“I, Chen Shijie...” the man murmured, adjusting the gold-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose as he whispered his name. It was as if he were talking to himself, or perhaps announcing something to those behind him.
“One day, I will be recorded in the annals of history alongside this research institute!”
Several researchers in white coats behind him nodded in agreement, their eyes filled with admiration and awe.
Chen Shijie ignored them and turned around, his gaze falling on the security captain who was about to leave.
“Shi Yong.”
Shi Yong stopped and turned around, his back ramrod straight. “Dr. Chen, what are your orders?”
Chen Shijie walked slowly up to him, his hands still tucked in the pockets of his white lab coat, his posture as relaxed as if he were taking a stroll.
But his gaze gave Shi Yong—a security captain who had served eight years in the City Defense Force’s special forces and was poached by the Deep Blue Research Institute with a high salary after retiring—an indescribable sense of pressure.
“Do you think a Level 3 Ability User would break into the Deep Blue Research Institute all by himself?” Chen Shijie’s voice was very soft, as casual as asking what was for lunch at the cafeteria.
Shi Yong’s brow furrowed slightly. “What do you mean, Dr. Chen?”
“I mean, he likely has accomplices,” Chen Shijie said, adjusting his glasses.
“A Level 3 Ability User, no matter how confident he is in his own strength, wouldn't be stupid enough to barge into our Deep Blue Research Institute alone...”
“Unless he has someone providing backup.”
Chen Shijie paused, his gaze sweeping over the closed alloy door at the end of the corridor. “Or, he has a reason why he must come alone.”
“But regardless of the possibility, we cannot afford to be careless.”
Shi Yong nodded. “Understood. I’ll arrange for my men to conduct another thorough sweep of the institute’s interior immediately.”
“Not just the interior.” Chen Shijie raised his hand and pointed toward the ceiling. “The exterior must be searched as well.”
Shi Yong was slightly taken aback. “The exterior?”
“Yes.” A faint smile curled on Chen Shijie’s lips. “Don't miss a single suspicious person, vehicle, or temporary hiding spot within a five-mile radius.”
“If he really has accomplices, they must be nearby.”
“Either waiting for him to come out, or looking for a way to get him out.”
“Whichever it is, we can't let them escape.”
Shi Yong nodded heavily. “Understood. I’ll get right on it.”
“Remember.” Chen Shijie’s voice suddenly turned cold. “Keep it covert. Don't alert the enemy.”
“If you find any suspicious individuals, don't startle them. Follow them in secret, figure out their background, and see if they have other accomplices.”
“Once everyone's position is confirmed, we'll round them all up in one fell swoop.”
Shi Yong’s heart tightened as he nodded again. “Yes, sir.”
Chen Shijie waved him off, and Shi Yong turned to leave, his footsteps gradually fading down the corridor.
Chen Shijie stood where he was, his gaze fixed on the grey, overcast sky outside the glass window.
A Level 3 Ability User...
The smile on his face slowly faded as a look of deep thought crossed his eyes.
People like this were rare.
If he could be turned into a test subject, it would be a massive windfall for the Deep Blue Research Institute.
But that was only if nothing went wrong.
Chen Shijie turned and headed toward the underground laboratory.
He wanted to personally oversee the testing process for that Level 3 Ability User.
Not a single piece of data could be missed.
...
Outer City, East Street.
Scarface crouched in the shadows of an alley, half a cigarette dangling from his mouth. The smoke rose lazily into the dim grey sky, only to be quickly dispersed by the cold wind.
He squinted his eyes, his gaze passing through the mouth of the alley and landing on the greyish-white building in the distance.
The Deep Blue Research Institute's Outer City liaison office.
That was where Lei Lie had entered.
Not through the front door, of course, but through a ventilation duct entrance in the backyard of the liaison office.
Lei Lie had spent several days finding that entrance.
Scarface had been waiting for Lei Lie there, from dusk until nightfall, and from nightfall until late into the night.
The appointed time had already passed.
Scarface tossed the cigarette butt onto the ground and crushed it with the tip of his boot, then stood up and patted the dust off his clothes.
He couldn't stay in one place for too long.
That was what Lei Lie had taught him.
“If you're waiting for me outside, don't just stand there like an idiot, and don't crouch in the same spot. Act like a street drifter—wander around, peek here and there. Make people think you're looking for work or scoping out a place to steal from.”
“That way, even if someone sees you, they won't pay much attention.”
Scarface remembered those words well.
Rate on N.U.
