Chapter 94

Su Hao didn't finish his sentence, but Lin Yu had already understood the implication. "Who do you think you are?" Lin Yu's dislocated shoulders prevented him from struggling, and he muttered, his eyes full of confusion.

A moment later, a huge fireball erupted from the end of the street, jolting him out of his daze. Lin Yu's face quickly turned red, and the fear in his eyes was replaced by ferocity and arrogance. He repeated his question fiercely, "Who do you think you are?"

Su Hao didn't answer; he just gave him a faint look and said, "Your brother and companions are all dead. So, you don't need to live."

Kunming is too far from the north.

The current transportation is poor, and there are many unpredictable dangers along the way.

Lin Yu's identity is certainly important, and perhaps he can be used to exchange for something from Lin Feihu. However, no one can guarantee that the benefits of this transaction will outweigh the losses incurred during the round trip. Even if Lin Feihu agrees to the exchange, he will definitely send a large number of armed personnel to attack and retaliate. Su Hao didn't want to do something without a sure outcome. Lin Yu saw the deathly intent in his eyes. He instinctively felt fear and couldn't help but scream.

"You, you dare! I will, um... uh..."

Before Lin Yu could finish his sentence, Lin Siwen, who was standing beside him, tightly covered his mouth, blocking his last words in his throat.

The last image that remained in his eyes was the grimacing Lin Siwen and the knife that flashed with a cold light, cutting directly toward his throat. In the winter night, it's hard to see the moon. The high walls and electric fences isolate the Academy of Sciences as a relatively independent world. Outside, the ground is covered with weeds and scattered trees. Inside, there are concrete-poured flat areas and various traps that are hard for outsiders to detect. In the underground sixth floor, the 133 Research Group laboratory. This is a large room covering several hundred square meters. Along the walls, sturdy steel bars divide the space into six small rooms, each about ten square meters. Each small room houses three to five zombies. Some of the zombies' skin has turned red, and some have extremely strange protrusions on their heads. They sit or stand, occasionally grabbing the bars and banging their heads against them. Sometimes they open their mouths and bite at the metal barriers... These aimless actions are recorded by the automatic surveillance cameras hanging from the ceiling and permanently stored in the computer.

Each steel bar is fifteen centimeters in diameter. They are specially designed and incredibly sturdy. Even a first-stage enhanced human cannot destroy them in a short time, let alone ordinary zombies. There are four such steel bars in total. Outside the steel bars is a one-way mirror wall. This thing is just as sturdy as the previous barriers. Sometimes, researchers will activate the transparent effect, allowing the zombies to see themselves. This close but unattainable temptation only makes the hungry zombies more agitated and crazy. However, for certain research projects, appropriate stimulation is necessary, which can add key data to the computer records.

Liu Yi, wearing a light blue jumpsuit, stood in front of the operating table, using a scalpel to cut open the lower back of a zombie. Through the protective goggles, one could see that Liu Yi had a habit of squinting, a gesture he had been unable to change for over forty years. Like most researchers, Liu Yi is very thin and has been balding for a long time. The remaining hair grows down from the sides of his forehead, forming a so-called "Mediterranean" hairstyle. In addition to Liu Yi, there were two other assistants in the room. The sharp scalpel cut through the muscle tissue of the zombie's buttocks. Following the waistline, the blade moved downward, quickly cutting through the thick, fleshy part, exposing the slightly gray spine. The human body structure was clearly visible in Liu Yi's mind. He remembered the position and direction of every bone and was familiar with the gaps between muscles and tendons. The scalpel moved smoothly along these invisible lines, encountering no resistance. A segment of rotten, black intestine was squeezed out from under the corpse. Liu Yi's eyes showed disgust and hatred. Although he was wearing a mask, he still felt a special smell of disinfectant and deodorant. These damned zombies are so smelly. It's hard to understand how they can live while rotting. The nauseating smell is so strong that no amount of deodorant can cover it, almost making one suffocate.

One of the assistants saw the paleness on Liu Yi's face. He quickly walked over, removed Liu Yi's medical mask, and replaced it with an oxygen mask. The large amount of oxygen molecules refreshed his muddled mind, and Liu Yi took a long breath, his face gradually turning rosy. Soon, he found a bright silver rare substance at the top of the zombie's coccyx.

Liu Yi stared at the silver bone for nearly two minutes. He placed the scalpel on the white porcelain tray, removed the oxygen mask, and turned to leave the room. The remaining work would be completed by the assistants. After leaving the laboratory, Liu Yi threw the blood-stained rubber gloves into the trash bag and carefully washed his hands in the sink. Then he pushed open the door to the rest room, made a cup of coffee, and sat down in a chair, exhausted. This was already the thirty-seventh zombie he had dissected. In every coccyx, he found the silver bone. The thing was so small, no more than two milligrams. Mixed in the rotten flesh, it would be impossible to notice without specific attention.

Liu Yi didn't understand—how did the old fat man Wang Qian get the information that there was such a thing in the zombies' bodies? Silver bone... the name sounds strange. But it does fit its appearance. Its discovery plunged the entire Academy of Sciences into a frenzy. All researchers were amazed by its composition. The silver bone's ability to strengthen human bone and the central nervous system shocked the members of the relevant projects. Under the premise of immunity to the virus, it can be taken directly and dissolve in the stomach into substances that cells can accept. Its effect is even stronger than the sK bone-strengthening agent recently developed by the Americans.

sK...

Thinking of these two letters, Liu Yi couldn't help but feel annoyed.

Liu Yi is an A2-level researcher.

He has always wanted to promote cooperation between Pfizer and his research group. The new project is also a bone-strengthening agent. Liu Yi sneered at the Americans' sK—he is an authority in this field and is confident that the new drug's effectiveness will exceed sK by eighty percent. The reason he wanted the project to be jointly developed with Pfizer was to increase its visibility. To be precise, for himself.

Countries around the world are working hard to develop higher-grade enhancement agents. However, from the already established and most widely used first-stage enhancement agents, the biggest flaw is the mismatch between the bone and muscle strength of the injectors. This issue has attracted the attention of researchers worldwide. Many are looking for ways to strengthen bones and the nervous system—French people plan to inject drugs to form a new skeletal framework inside the human body. The Japanese want to make bones metallic. The Americans are even more radical: they use soldiers who have been injected with first-stage enhancement agents as experimental subjects. By anesthetizing the nerves and stripping the muscles, they remove the original bones from the subjects and replace them with high-strength alloys. This terrifying experiment was conducted nine times. Five people died due to the cells' rejection of the metal substances. Two people suffered from central nervous system disorders, leading to mental illness. The last two people survived the adaptation period and were sent to the battlefield as successful examples. They killed dozens of zombies and then suddenly turned their guns on their own people... No one knows what the problem is. It could be that cell proliferation causes a mental breakdown, or it could be that the reset of the nervous system causes a disorder in the thought nodes.

Liu Yi has unique insights into bone research. He has secretly developed a new bone-strengthening agent. Even without the joint development project with Pfizer, he can produce a sufficiently complete product. Liu Yi wants to replace Wang Qian. He has always believed that power and status are the most direct symbols of research achievements. Although the world is full of damned zombies, the basic values still exist. Liu Yi is confident that once he publishes his research results, the military will stand by his side, and other countries will support him due to the huge demand for the drug. Before a more effective similar drug appears, his drug is equivalent to gold. Removing the old bastard Wang Qian from his position is a piece of cake. Even more, he can get Night Shadow. That cold and beautiful woman is so special. The first time he saw her, Liu Yi felt his heart being tightly gripped by an invisible hand, almost unable to breathe. That terrifying yet pleasurable suffocation, like a drug, made him addicted. Liu Yi could only secretly watch Night Shadow, secretly take photos, and in his solitude, swear to the woman in the photo—老子要干掉王启年!老子要爬上权力和人生巅峰!老子要娶你为妻! (I will get rid of Wang Qian! I will climb to the peak of power and life! I will marry you!)

Men in love are all crazy. A biologist fantasizing about an unrealistic love is even more dangerous than any madman. Liu Yi has been planning the promotion of his research results. The demand for bone-strengthening agents has become the key for countries to defeat the zombies and win this biological war. No one can refuse this new drug. Not just a position as the head of the Academy and a woman, even if he demands more, Liu Yi is confident he can get it. Now, a tiny silver bone has shattered all of Liu Yi's dreams. It has pulled him from the high clouds into hell. He doesn't believe it's true. He frantically dissected every zombie, trying to prove that the silver bone is just an occasional presence in the rotten, smelly flesh. Reality, however, repeatedly shattered his stubbornness, mocked his obstinacy, and woke him up in shock and confusion, only to plunge him back into madness.

As a high-level "A" class researcher, Liu Yi, of course, has the authority to read the notes Su Hao sent. Many of the views in them were refreshing, making him feel both jealous and envious, and he remembered that damned young man surnamed Su.

Liu Yi knew very well that even without Su Hao, others would have discovered the silver bone. The thing is inside the zombies' bodies, and it was only a matter of time before it was discovered. But why... why did the "discoverer" title, shining with dazzling glory, not fall on my head? This is unfair! Thinking of this, Liu Yi drank the coffee in his cup in one gulp, his eyes gradually turning cold and gloomy.

...

People in the same building always have completely different thoughts.

Wang Qian sat in a Baroque-style chair, watching the flames in the fireplace burn brightly. The high, leaping flames made a "crackling" sound, emitting a comfortable warmth. Night Shadow stood behind the fat dean, reading a document in her cold, unchanging voice.

"The experiment proves that the silver bone has a significant strengthening effect on bones and the central nervous system. No known drug can compare. The substance has no side effects on the human body, and the solidifying factor has a metabolic-like relationship with cells. This phenomenon is difficult to explain with biological theory. We tried to verify it using gene classification rules. As for why the silver bone appears in the zombies' bodies... it may be because they are originally humans, just transformed into another form of life by the virus. But at their root, they have the same genes and cell structures." The document's cover page is marked with "106." Similar format but differently numbered documents are piled up on the desk, numbering in the hundreds. After learning about the existence of the silver bone from Su Hao's remote communication, Wang Qian immediately mobilized the entire academy to conduct a comprehensive dissection of the thousands of zombies kept by the academy.

The results were exactly the same as the "guess" mentioned in Su Hao's report—every zombie had a silver bone.

The importance of this thing has been proven by hundreds of research groups.

Many enthusiastic researchers even swallowed the silver bone, personally experiencing the magical transformation from a semi-enhanced human to a truly enhanced human. Many people said, "The feeling of the muscles and bones changing is like taking drugs..."

The entire Academy of Sciences was in a frenzy, with complex formulas filling the large computer databases. People used various methods to find more secrets about the silver bone and its potential applications.

Many researchers declared that this is one of the greatest discoveries in human biology, if not in history. Its significance is no less than that of penicillin, nuclear bombs, or electricity. It relates to the collective enhancement of the human population and the decisive factor in the war against zombies. Without a doubt, Su Hao is a success. To outsiders, he is just a lucky guy—the silver bone was already in the zombies' bodies, and anyone could have discovered it. But just like Marie Curie discovering radium and Franklin touching electricity, no one can replace the importance of the "first discoverer." Although those mysterious substances have been there for millions of years, countless people have passed by them, and they would have remained buried in ignorance forever.

"This kid's luck is really damn good."

Wang Qian's words were filled with envy and jealousy, but more so with relief and reflection: "I was also doing similar research and personally dissected at least twenty zombies. Such an important thing was repeatedly missed by me but discovered by him. Damn, the heavens are really unfair." A hint of a smile flashed in Night Shadow's cold eyes. She could tell that Wang Qian was complaining—like two children fighting over candy, the one who didn't get it is very envious and naturally feels jealous. This is a primitive human reaction, and even the fat dean is not immune. Of course, this situation doesn't necessarily mean it will turn bad. Competition brings motivation.

"Promote him one more level."

Wang Qian shifted his gaze from the fire, picked up the cup on the coffee table, and took a sip. His next words were more like talking to himself: "To be a C3-level researcher at such a young age, I haven't seen such a freak in many years. Now, thinking about it, giving him the first-stage enhancement agent back then was indeed a bit of a mistake. Combined with the silver bone, the strength of the injector increases by about one fold. Ordinary zombies are no match for this enhanced human. The kid has a gun, people under him, and I provide him with supplies from time to time... tsk tsk tsk! He has everything he needs, and there are plenty of pretty girls around him. This is like living the life of a local king. Why do I have to stay in the Academy of Sciences and deal with these boring, damned data every day? Maybe I should learn from him and have a harem."

The last few sentences were clearly spoken out of emotion. However, the old fat man, speaking smoothly, momentarily forgot that Night Shadow was there.

When his mind quickly snapped back to reality, he hurriedly closed his mouth, humming and hawing, trying to pass it off with some erotic ditties like "Brother loves sister, sister loves brother..." Night Shadow seemed not to notice Wang Qian's abnormality. She still had a cold face and was writing down the fat dean's instructions in the file with her pen. The fat man, relieved, immediately returned to his normal state. He frowned slightly. At this moment, Wang Qian's appearance was that of a wise sage. This incredibly quick transformation did not affect his normal thinking. After a less than one-second pause, the old fat man spoke again.

"Copy and archive all the research data on the silver bone. Send it to the military and the United Nations Biological Research General Administration." Night Shadow stopped writing, looked up, her face still cold, but her eyes showed confusion and surprise.

"The silver bone is a naturally occurring substance. The military and other countries are also studying zombies. The discovery of this thing is just a matter of time. It's not like an element or other non-physical substances that require specific environments and professional equipment to be detected. Even ordinary people, with luck and opportunity, can find the silver bone in the zombies' bodies. Rather than let the 'first discoverer' honor be taken by someone else, it's better to be straightforward and make it public now. After all, this world is full of damned mutated creatures. Killing more of them is only beneficial, not harmful."