Chapter 21
The truth about the HRG plan
Lightning cut through the lead-gray clouds, and the air was filled with the salty, fishy smell of the impending rainy season.
A little boy squatted under a tree in the garden. His small, snow-white face was expressionless, his dark eyes unmoving, silently watching a long line of ants crawling towards higher ground.
“…He’s six years old and still can’t speak…” “Such a high-IQ family, yet their youngest son is born a simpleton…”
People’s whispers drifted from a distance and disappeared at the end of the long corridor. The little boy was unresponsive as if he were deaf, until a young man’s voice came from above and behind him:
“What are you doing?”
The little boy turned his head.
Behind him was a man in his early twenties. He was tall with black hair, and his face, with its very distinct mixed-race features, looked sharp. His pupils were a rare gray-green, like the sky that was currently brewing a storm. His gaze fell on the little boy’s hand.
A honey candy had melted in his small palm. He was pressing the candy to the ground near the anthill, and some ants that had just emerged from the hole changed their route, swarming towards his hand.
“…Slow,” the little boy uttered a single word.
His thoughts were so vast that his language system at this age couldn’t keep up. After a moment, he turned and pointed to a small mound of earth not far away, stammering out a few words, “Behind… rain… melted, molecules hot, diffusion…”
“Are you trying to say that the worker ants at the back of the line won’t make it to high ground before the rain, so you’re melting honey candy to accelerate molecular thermal motion, thereby increasing the rate of molecular diffusion to attract more ants to your hand, and then you’ll carry them to the mound?”
The little boy nodded vigorously, the man’s condescending face reflected in his dark pupils.
“The function of the odor-sensitive nerve cells in an ant’s antennae ranks among the top in the natural world, and the nerve endings of their odor receptors are in contact with glomeruli clusters. This means that increasing the rate of molecular diffusion is not very useful for attracting ants—and.”
The man bent down, grabbed the little boy’s hand, and with a flick, the melted honey candy was thrown into the grass between the mounds.
“You gave the ants too much honey,” he said sternly. “The ants won’t thank you; they’ll just get stuck in the sugar and die, you moron.”
Large raindrops began to fall with a pitter-patter, scattering the ant colony that hadn’t had time to migrate.
The little boy was at a loss. He wanted to scoop up the earth, but there was no time. He tried to catch the ants but was immediately bitten on the palm, and in the chaos, he crushed several of them. The man grabbed his arm and dragged him back under the long corridor.
The entire world was submerged in a gray-white curtain of rain. No one knew that an ant colony had just disintegrated and completely vanished in an instant.
The little boy’s eyes widened, moisture gathering in their terrified depths.
“The ants of this world have their own path of evolution. To interfere with the survival of the fittest with foolish kindness is destined to be a futile effort. Don’t you understand such a simple principle?”
“…”
The man looked down at the child with his arms crossed, making no secret of his helplessness and annoyance. After a long while, he sighed and murmured, “Forget it.”
Such weakness, sentimentality, and melancholy must be an additional symptom of low intelligence.
“Go back to the safe level,” he ordered. “The experiment has reached a critical stage. Don’t come out and disturb others.”
Splash—
The underground safe level was vast and quiet, the sound of running water particularly clear.
The little boy stood on a stool in the bathroom, washing his hands, as if he were already used to this silence and loneliness. Suddenly, he saw a moving black dot on the inside of his wrist and his eyes widened.
It was a tiny ant.
A light that could almost be called joy burst from the little boy’s eyes. He carefully picked up the ant, placed it in a transparent glass, and ran into the bedroom to quickly find a piece of candy. He carefully placed it in the glass and lay there, watching the ant extend its antennae towards the candy.
A tiny, insignificant miracle of life.
The little boy smiled, his small face in the mirror overflowing with happiness. He murmured to himself, “All… all of us… are… ants…”
He gave up and closed his mouth, seemingly not wanting to trouble his language organization skills any further. He jumped off the stool and pattered out of the bathroom, leaving only a happy back view.
—You and I are all ants in this world, with no essential difference. How do we know that evolution cannot have a path of peace?
The little boy didn’t look back, so he didn’t see the figure in the mirror behind him remain still, unmoving.
After a long while, it slowly retracted its smile and straightened up. Its face gradually became very unfamiliar, its pitch-black eyes stared intently in the direction the little boy had left. After a long while, its mouth split into a grin, revealing stark white teeth.
“Shen Zhuo…”
It hissed with great interest, as if after so many years on this planet, it had finally savored something quite special and interesting from this young observation subject.
“Shen, Zhuo—”
BOOM!
Lightning illuminated the hospital room window, followed by a clap of thunder that echoed through the night sky, shaking the earth.
The next moment, the monitor let out an urgent series of beeps. A nurse shot to her feet. “The patient is conscious! Report to the Supervision Office quickly!”
On the hospital bed, Shen Zhuo, his face pale and haggard, slowly opened his eyes.
“Wait,” a low male voice came from the corner of the room.
The two nurses stopped in surprise. In the armchair against the wall, Bai Sheng was dressed in a black T-shirt and combat pants, his long legs crossed. He was casually playing with a small metal object in his hand. “You two can go rest. Thank you for your hard work. No need to call anyone.”
“But…”
“Go on.”
The nurses were very hesitant, but this was a hospital for evolutionists. No one dared to defy the will of an S-class; submission from a lower-class member of the same species was almost instinctive.
The two nurses exchanged a look, glanced at the pale, unresponsive profile on the bed, and finally retreated uneasily.
With a click, the door closed, leaving only the two men, one sitting and one lying, in the dim hospital room.
The night was like a boundless sea. The storm beat against the windowpane, but the air under the dim light by the bed was quiet and stagnant. Shen Zhuo’s mind was hazy and blurred. After a moment, he said softly, as if in a dream, “…I think I had a dream…”
Bai Sheng asked, “What dream?”
“It was raining. The mud in the garden was wet. I became very small, and there was a person with gray-green eyes…”
The memory was like a darting fish, flashing past in the light and shadow, revealing a clue for an instant before disappearing without a trace.
“…I don’t remember the rest,” Shen Zhuo murmured. “So many years ago… I’ve forgotten it all.”
He closed his eyes, then opened them again a moment later, seeming to become slightly more awake. “Why are you here?”
“Why am I here?” Bai Sheng chuckled, standing up and stretching his long body.
He was like a lion rising lazily, his powerful muscle lines hidden in the shadows, exuding a casual yet suffocating sense of pressure. With one hand, he easily pressed Shen Zhuo, who was about to sit up, back onto the bed.
“You’ve been unconscious for six hours, and the world outside is about to turn upside down. I’ve sent Chen Miao and the others to various districts for emergency stabilization. It will take them at least half an hour to get back.”
“A lot can happen in half an hour. Besides, in your current physical state, it would be better for you to learn to be obedient and cooperative.”
Bai Sheng finally held up the small object he had been playing with in front of Shen Zhuo. It was the syringe recovered from the scene, with the letter ‘S’ branded on its metal barrel.
“The so-called Human Race Regeneration Plan, abbreviated as the HRG project, refers to this potion that can allow ordinary humans to temporarily possess abilities after injection. I’m not wrong, am I?”
“…” Shen Zhuo stared blankly at the syringe, silent.
“Not talking, are you?” Bai Sheng looked down at him gently. “Then I’ll talk.”
“You injected a dose of A-class potion when you were abducted at the Quanshan County Health Center. The source of the potion is related to Zhang Wenyong. The proof is that after evolving, you temporarily possessed Zhang Wenyong’s ability to control the weather. The lightning you summoned to deal with Noda Shunsuke came from this.”
“Then this potion that raised you to S-class should be related to Fu Chen. Although your physical fitness is not enough to exert the full combat power of an S-class, it was enough to use the Upright and Inverted Crosses, which is why there were rumors after Fu Chen’s death that you had acquired a part of his abilities.”
The wind and rain raged outside the window, but the atmosphere inside the room seemed to have frozen.
“I had someone test it.” Bai Sheng leaned down, looking at Shen Zhuo from a close distance. “This potion contains evolutionist serum, am I right, Supervisor Shen?”
They were very close. Bai Sheng’s hand was on Shen Zhuo’s throat, his thumb rubbing lightly against the skin of his neck.
Under the dim yellow light, it could even give one the false impression of warmth and harmlessness.
“…Answer one question for me.”
Shen Zhuo finally spoke slowly, the slight vibration of each word in his throat pressing directly against the web of Bai Sheng’s hand.
“Do you think peace can exist between humans and evolutionists?”
Bai Sheng narrowed his eyes and stared at him. After a moment, he said, “I don’t think true peace has ever existed in human history, but that doesn’t stop us from hoping. What are you trying to say?”
The corner of Shen Zhuo’s pale lips curled up slightly, though it was just a fleeting detail.
“Peace is only established in two situations: one, upon mountains of flesh and blood, and two, under extreme deterrence. That’s why the HRG project was created.” He looked at the empty syringe in Bai Sheng’s hand and said hoarsely, “You’re not wrong. The so-called HRG refers to this potion that allows humans to evolve temporarily… but it has a flaw.”
“It requires a large amount of evolutionist serum as a culture medium.”
“Whose serum you use determines whose ability you get.”
A roll of thunder boomed across the sky, as if the dark sea had been violently shaken.
“…” Bai Sheng’s deep eyes glinted slightly in the shadows. After a long moment, he let out a short laugh. “My dear, you truly are a femme fatale.”
Shen Zhuo said, “Call me whatever you want. Science does not bend to my personal will. Now.”
He maintained this forced supine position and ordered tiredly and calmly, “Let go of your hand, and back up three meters, or I’ll give you a nasty one.”
Something cold pressed against Bai Sheng’s crotch.
He glanced down. It was the muzzle of a gun.
These were the Supervision Office’s special bullets. They weren’t lethal to an S-class, but they could at least leave an organ with an unforgettable pain for a lifetime.
After a three-second standoff, Bai Sheng slowly raised his hands and took half a step back.
“It was my mistake for having too high of a moral standard and not touching you from head to toe while you were unconscious. I promise it won’t happen next time.”
Shen Zhuo said flatly, “We’ll talk about next time, next time.”
Shen Zhuo sat up, holding the gun. The numerous wounds on his body had been healed by the most top-tier medical abilities at all costs. Faint red scars could be seen under his collar, but the great Supervisor showed no signs of fragility from just waking up. From the gun muzzle to his voice, everything was very steady. “Back up. Sit down. I will satisfy your annoying curiosity, provided you learn to… be obedient and cooperative.”
“…”
Bai Sheng retreated step by step to the wall and sat back down in the armchair, spreading his long legs wide open, completely unconcerned that the gun was still pointed at his vital parts, while unabashedly sizing Shen Zhuo up and down.
“The Human Race Gene Regeneration Plan is a research project that had been going on for 30 years. Its original intention was to optimize the human genome and extend the average lifespan. Until five years ago, when a hundred thousand people around the world suddenly evolved, and world peace was greatly impacted. In order to protect humans, who were as weak as ants in front of evolutionists, HRG changed its direction under my leadership. All research was for one purpose.”
Shen Zhuo said slowly, “To allow ordinary people to acquire abilities.”
When the high-level ability users at the research institute heard this back then, they had all shown expressions of mockery, opposition, absurdity, and disbelief, to varying degrees. But Bai Sheng did not.
He rested his elbows on the arms of the chair, his fingers interlaced in front of him, and his eyes narrowed in concentration.
“Three years ago, the theoretical simulation calculations achieved a breakthrough success. We developed a gene interferon that allowed humans to temporarily gain abilities, also known as an ability-promoting drug. But because the drug’s effect lasted for too short a time and required a large amount of serum as a culture medium, to prevent laboratories in various countries from recklessly capturing evolutionists to be blood cows, I strongly advocated for temporary confidentiality until these two flaws were resolved.”
“However, there was a mole in the research institute, which led to repeated leaks of the experiment’s progress, especially the part about the serum.”
Bai Sheng’s expression flickered slightly, anticipating what was to come.
“After that, as expected, extremist evolutionist protection organizations tried everything to stop the HRG project. Because of this, I encountered several assassination attempts, but I managed to escape with my life each time, until the last time.”
Shen Zhuo was silent for a moment, then said, “The last time was the Qinghai Experimental Site explosion.”
Bai Sheng didn’t speak. He slowly rubbed the web of his thumb. After a long moment, he asked, “Did you ever catch that mole?”
“No,” Shen Zhuo said. “The intelligence department conducted a carpet search of the research institute three times, and they’ve found nothing to this day.”
“…”
Bai Sheng frowned in thought for a moment, then asked, “Did you ever suspect that the mole was related to Fu Chen or Su Jiqiao?”
“Under such great temptation, no one is free from suspicion. Anyone could have wanted me dead. The mole could have been anyone, even including the senior researchers who had written their wills before entering the project,” Shen Zhuo said calmly. “But it doesn’t matter now, because the other party’s goal has been achieved. After the Qinghai explosion, I was expelled from HRG. The research institute, as the only neutral and independent institution between humans and evolutionists, completely lost its research rights to HRG from then on.”
He didn’t mention the brutal torture and all the bloody chaos, but Bai Sheng noticed his left hand move unconsciously, clenching slightly in the dim light.
“After that, Nielsen rescued me despite opposition and forcibly appointed me as the Supervisor of Shenhai City. Because he saw the UN Security Council’s desire for HRG and knew that one day I could become an important bargaining chip for him against the Security Council, to protect his own position as Supervisor General.”
“Sure enough, not long ago, the UN Security Council saw the global trend of evolutionists getting stronger and humans getting weaker, so they began to secretly restart HRG, moving around trying to secretly buy off the senior researchers from back then, hoping to use this potion to form a human special ability force, and then go to war with the evolutionists.”
Shen Zhuo let out a laugh, tinged with undisguised fatigue and derision.
“…Wait, but does this potion you’re talking about also apply to evolutionists?” Bai Sheng’s eyes narrowed sharply. “Otherwise, why would Rong Qi also want the HRG project?”
Shen Zhuo said flatly, “Yes, congratulations on thinking the same as Rong Qi. Truly an evolutionist’s way of thinking.”
Bai Sheng ignored the mockery, only staring at him intently.
“The principle of HRG is ultimately to break through the genetic limit. Since it can break through the human limit, it can naturally break through the evolutionist’s limit as well. So theoretically, as long as the heavy reliance on serum can be resolved, it is possible to create a potion that allows evolutionists to undergo a secondary evolution.”
At this point, Shen Zhuo’s lips curled into a sarcastic smile. “For example, a D-class like Liu Sanji, when Rong Qi forcibly raised him to A, he died a miserable death from DNA double-strand breaks. But with the potion, there are basically no side effects. Just imagine if all one hundred thousand evolutionists in the world took the potion and skipped ranks to A-class, or even to S-class…”
One hundred thousand S-classes.
Bai Sheng’s little finger twitched involuntarily.
“War would break out immediately. Evolutionists would undoubtedly eliminate humans and become the masters of the earth. In another century or two, an earth ruled by evolutionists might not even have a single trace of the seven billion humans who once existed, just as today we can only see the fragmented skulls of Neanderthals in museums.”
“…”
Bai Sheng sat in the armchair. A closer look would reveal that his spine was rigid.
Shen Zhuo stared at him, his voice as cold and clear as the glint of the gun muzzle.
“Do you understand now? The so-called HRG project is, in fact, the nuclear deterrent of the evolution era. The best state we can imagine is that neither the Security Council nor the evolutionists can get it. The Sword of Damocles is forever suspended high in the air by a single thread. As long as the nuclear deterrent exists, peace exists. Seven billion ants and the evolutionists coexist under the shadow of the great sword.”
The wind and rain outside were dark and gloomy, the roar shaking the heavens. But this hospital room was like a lone boat in a storm, sailing towards the boundless sea ahead.
Shen Zhuo stood up. His left hand holding the gun was terrifyingly steady. He walked forward step by step and pressed the muzzle of the gun against Bai Sheng’s heart.
“Now, tell me, S-class.”
Shen Zhuo leaned down and whispered in Bai Sheng’s ear, “Now that you know the true secret of the HRG project, do you also covet its power?”
“…”
“Will you, like that ambitious Rong Qi, fantasize about grasping the hilt of the sword suspended by a single thread?”
In the dim light, only the sound of their mingled breaths could be heard. Then, the gun pressed against Bai Sheng’s heart made a soft click.
A bullet was chambered.
“…”
After a long silence, Bai Sheng let out a laugh, as if a long-held suspense had finally been confirmed, and there was even a sense of relief.
He reached out and held the barrel of the gun, his grip neither heavy nor light.
“Remember what I said before, great Supervisor?”
The two of them, one tall and one short, were only inches apart. They could see their own reflections in each other’s pupils.
“I’ve always wanted to follow you. I’ve thought so since the first time I saw you in the newspaper. Because they all said that Supervisor Shen of Shenhai City was not only very good-looking but also a particularly gentle and friendly person. Under his jurisdiction, the evolutionists of Shenhai City have never had a conflict with humans. Peace has always been well-maintained.”
“When crisis comes, Supervisor Shen is willing to sacrifice himself to protect the civilians within a 3000-meter radius, and I am willing to protect that kind of Supervisor Shen.”
Bai Sheng raised his other hand and gently caressed Shen Zhuo’s face, but his gaze seemed to want to pierce through his pupils and see into his very soul.
“—As long as he swears that he will always stand between humans and evolutionists, that when the storm hits the dam and the tide of people rushes back, he alone will hold the sword and go against the current, I am willing to be the shield before him.”
“Can you do that, Supervisor Shen?”
Bai Sheng’s palm could almost cup Shen Zhuo’s entire chin. The pads of his fingers were somewhat rough, unscrupulously brushing against his skin, caressing their way to the corner of his lips.
Under the dim yellow light, the fine dust seemed to have frozen in the air. After a long moment, Shen Zhuo finally stood up straight and pushed his hand away.
“I am very clear about where I should stand, and what roles I can play both alive and dead.” Shen Zhuo stared down at Bai Sheng, his voice soft and warning. “Anyone who tries to ignite the flames of war, I will find a way to kill him. You’d better remember your words today.”
Knock, knock, knock. A cautious knock came from outside the hospital room.
“Supervisor, are you awake?” someone asked in a low voice. “The International Supervision General Administration is calling again. Director General Nielsen is waiting on the line and would like to speak with you…”
“I’ll settle the score with you for letting Rong Qi go later,” Shen Zhuo said coldly in a low voice.
He forcefully pulled the gun barrel from Bai Sheng’s palm and turned to walk towards the door.
But at that moment, a sudden gust of wind came from behind. Before Shen Zhuo could even turn around, he was turned around by an irresistible force. Then, with a bang, he was pressed against the door. The supervisor outside was so startled he took half a step back.
“S-Supervisor?”
Inside the hospital room, Shen Zhuo was pressed tightly against the door, his waist held in Bai Sheng’s arm, his inner thighs even forced apart by a knee. In the chaos, there was no room to struggle. He tried to reach for his gun but found nothing.
—The gun had already appeared in Bai Sheng’s hand. He had cleanly ejected the magazine and casually tossed it onto the bed.
“Leaving just like that? You still owe me a debt.” Bai Sheng said with a grin, holding Shen Zhuo’s chin. “Remember that slap you gave me?”
His fingers had the strength of steel. Shen Zhuo frowned but couldn’t make a sound.
“This is the first time in my life I’ve been slapped.” Bai Sheng lowered his head slightly, getting closer, and said softly, “I have to let you have a taste of this feeling too.”
The next second, an irresistible presence rushed towards him, gentle and careful to the extreme. Their lips and tongues entangled for but a moment before parting.
Bai Sheng lightly bit the corner of his cool lower lip.
Clang! Shen Zhuo suddenly pushed Bai Sheng away with force. In his haste, his elbow even slammed against the door panel, making a loud thud.
In the dim corner, there was only the sound of rapid breathing. The two stood face to face. Shen Zhuo’s expression was simply indescribable. He subconsciously covered the corner of his mouth with one hand. A closer look would reveal that his fingertips were slightly unsteady.
“…”
Bai Sheng looked like he wanted to pounce. For a few seconds, his muscles from his shoulder blades to his back were dangerously tense to their limit, but a moment later, he forcefully suppressed it.
After a long while, his Adam’s apple bobbed noticeably. He reached out and buttoned the three open buttons on Shen Zhuo’s shirt, his movements careful and gentle. Only after buttoning the top one did the pad of his finger press against the side of his neck.
“Your pulse is beating so fast, Supervisor,” he said in a low voice, a smile in his words.
Shen Zhuo grabbed his wrist, forcing him to raise his hand, his fingertips leaving his skin.
“I think you haven’t been hit enough.”
The Shenhai City Supervisor’s usually cold voice was tinged with an indescribable nuance. He reached out and patted Bai Sheng’s young, handsome face, and said with a soft sneer, “If you keep being so cheeky in the future, I bet you’ll get a few more slaps.”
He shook off Bai Sheng’s hand, turned, and opened the door handle himself. He took the satellite phone from the blank-faced supervisor outside and strode away. A moment later, his steady voice came from the end of the corridor.
“Hello, Director General, it’s me. No need to worry, it’s been handled. Just a small injury…”
The supervisor’s expression was completely blank. His gaze shifted back and forth between Shen Zhuo’s retreating back and the innocent-looking Bai Sheng several times before he let out a cry, jumped up, and scrambled after Shen Zhuo, his retreating figure looking for all the world like he was questioning his life.
“…”
Bai Sheng’s smile slowly faded. He leaned against the doorframe of the hospital room with his arms crossed, one hand subconsciously rubbing the artery on the side of his neck. Then he touched his burning ear and, after a long moment, let out a “tsk.”
“What’s there to be shy about,” he muttered resentfully, staring at the empty corridor. “…Mine was obviously beating much faster.”
Aaaaaah loved this chapter! Thanks for translating (｡･ω･｡)ﾉ♡
Bai sheng never wastes time HAHSHHS
Oh my god… Clearly mine is racing much faster AHHHHHHH
Jsjsjsjs, me está encantando esta historia.🤭