Chapter 98

Chapter 98

While excited and enthusiastic voices surrounded her, Fina lowered her eyelids, her gaze fixed unwaveringly on the adjacent laboratory.

The white light shining through the transparent wall cast a distorted, terrifying shadow of the struggling figure on the experiment table.

She watched as the convulsing hands on the table gradually became still, and the person who had been twisting and struggling like a worm also slowly calmed down, seemingly falling into a deep sleep.

On the screen not far from the experiment table, the line showing the heart rate gradually flattened under her gaze.

She watched as white-coated researchers hurried back and forth in the laboratory, using various instruments she couldn’t name, until they confirmed resuscitation was impossible. They then lifted the body off the experiment table, treating it like a failed lab rat.

Their movements were calm and practiced.

In the conference room just a wall away, no one paid attention to what had happened in the laboratory. They were envisioning a future where the Transcendence Project succeeded, engrossed in pleasant conversation about their shared goal.

“Then we look forward to witnessing the success of the Transcendence Project.”

“It will definitely succeed. The future surely belongs to us.”

Having successfully secured the resources he hoped for and gained the approval of Dr. Wells, the project’s overall director, Alvin couldn’t stop smiling as he rose to see the group out.

Fina felt like a senseless puppet, utterly unable to empathize with the laughing people. She stood up with those around her and followed them out.

Her gaze fell upon faces full of satisfaction, eyes brimming with light of expectation and hope, as if a beautiful future full of flowers was unfolding before everyone. They saw the bright prospects they infinitely yearned for, ignoring the blood and darkness paving this path.

A faint chill spread through Fina’s veins.

She shivered imperceptibly.

Just as they were about to exit, the distracted Fina vaguely heard Dr. Wells urging others. “Oh right, we must quickly send people to capture that escaped test subject. Without him as a successful sample, the progress of the Transcendence Project will be delayed significantly, and some experiments will have to be scrapped and redone...”

“Rest assured, we won’t forget about him,” someone promised solemnly, then added helplessly, “However, it might take a bit longer. That fellow is just too good at hiding. There must be some force helping him erase his traces, at least a top-notch hacker assisting him...”

“...Fortunately, the Chenxing Empire is our home turf. No matter how strong the forces behind him are, they can’t be stronger than the empire, let alone openly oppose it. As long as we’re willing to invest time and effort, setting up an inescapable net, we’ll catch him sooner or later. The fear is that he might have been smuggled out of the country the very night he escaped, and will hide for the rest of his life without surfacing – once he’s left the empire’s borders, finding one person in the vast sea of humanity becomes much more difficult.”

“Surely not? Didn’t they check the exit records for these days? Could the people behind him really smuggle him out under our noses?”

“No, I’m just stating the worst-case scenario. I don’t think anyone could smuggle someone out under the empire’s watchful eye. Besides, experts have analyzed Test Subject R’s psychological changes and judged that he wouldn’t simply flee, but is more likely to hide in the shadows, waiting for a chance to take revenge.”

“Given his hatred for the Transcendence Project team, and with you, Dr. Wells, frequently making high-profile appearances in the news recently, you should be careful. Who knows, you might already be on his revenge list.”

“Huh? Take revenge on me?” Dr. Wells, suddenly singled out, was first taken aback, then burst into laughter. His eyes revealed a chilling eagerness that made one’s hair stand on end. “I always have specialized security personnel following me discreetly, and in my eyes, the current Transcendence Serum No. 1 isn’t flawless. I’ve been researching how to counter him since Test Subject R escaped... If he really comes to deliver himself into our hands, I couldn’t ask for more. It would be perfect to see how a successful test subject of Transcendence Serum No. 1 performs.”

“...I think you can see the research results now.”

Someone suddenly spoke up, their voice trembling imperceptibly.

“What?”

The speaker pointed ahead with a shaking hand, drawing everyone’s attention in that direction.

However, the others nearby weren’t in any better shape.

These elite individuals who had been planning the empire’s future in the conference room were now sprawled on the floor or sofas, gasping for breath, their legs weak.

To be frank, as impressive as they had looked earlier pontificating from on high, they now looked just as pathetic, having started running before even clearly seeing the person 800 meters away.

A few unfortunate ones hit by the scalpels were frantically rummaging through the conference room, clumsily bandaging their wounds.

Fina sighed, trying to hide in a corner.

“Cough.” Dr. Wells cleared his throat, pretending nothing had happened. He gestured with his eyes towards Alvin, the research facility director. “Alright, I’m sure the situation outside will be resolved soon. Don’t doubt the institute’s capabilities. Last time was an unexpected power outage that caught us off guard. We underestimated Test Subject R’s combat ability and didn’t anticipate sudden helpers appearing. Multiple factors allowed him to escape. Now, with the institute fully prepared on all fronts, we’re not afraid of a mere test subject, or even a special ops team. This is a perfect opportunity to show everyone the effects of Transcendence Serum No. 1.”

Understanding, Alvin pressed some hidden switch. The gray wall where the conference room door was located seemed to peel away like a layer of paint, revealing a transparent wall identical to the one-way glass on both sides.

This allowed them to easily see the scene outside.

Beyond the conference room was the institute’s snow-white corridor. At the end of the corridor, the blown-open main entrance was blocked by a group of people engaged in combat. On one side was the security team, fully armed and looking ready for a futuristic sci-fi film. On the other side was the lone man who had broken into the research institute.

A severely mismatched battle unfolded before everyone’s eyes, as if they were watching a real-life sci-fi fantasy blockbuster.

One side, though greater in number, aimed mainly to capture rather than kill. The other side, though just one person, was well-suited to the institute’s confined space with his superhuman combat ability, coupled with a fighting style that showed no regard for his own life.

However, as Dr. Wells had said, the test subject’s previous escape was purely due to a combination of coincidental factors. Under normal circumstances, it would be easy for the institute to capture an intruder, even one with physically enhanced abilities beyond human limits.

Therefore, it didn’t take long for the tide to turn decisively in favor of the security team. The person trapped in the middle had at some point shed his tattered white coat, and the mask on his face had fallen off during the fight, revealing a face familiar to everyone.

They completely relaxed. “It’s just the desperate struggle of a cornered beast!”

Perhaps because their earlier unhesitating flight had been too embarrassing, seeing the culprit in such a sorry state now gave everyone a sense of satisfaction. They resumed their previous posture of armchair generals.

“The effects of Transcendence Serum No. 1 are truly amazing,” someone flattered. “Dr. Wells, if your Transcendence Project is open to private investment, please consider me first...”

“...I can’t wait to see the finished product of the Transcendence Serum! This must be a miracle in the field of life sciences!”

“Just based on the achievements of the Transcendence Project, I think you should win next year’s World Biological Science Award!”

“Oh, no, no, the current experimental results are not yet perfect...” Dr. Wells smiled broadly. He looked at the trapped Test Subject R, his gaze like that of someone admiring a precious treasure.

He didn’t forget to point out the subject’s flaws in real-time commentary based on the ongoing battle outside:

“The speed of wound healing barely meets the target, but there are still endurance issues. Moreover, while Transcendence Serum No. 1 enhances physical constitution, speed, and explosive power, it seems to cause some damage to the brain’s neural system, resulting in overly impulsive emotions and difficulty staying calm during combat...”

As he spoke, the others listened attentively, like a group of studious students listening to a teacher’s lecture.

Especially towards the end, someone slapped their thigh. “That’s so right! If it weren’t for brain problems, why would this test subject come back and turn himself in? After all, he had such a hard time escaping before, right?”

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