Wannabes

"Clinical Trial Report on the Superpowered Catalyst 'Scrap Killer'," "Thirty-Two Factors Affecting Limitless Cell Proliferation."

Jiang Xinyue's fingers clattered across the keyboard.

Multitasking, she padded out the two papers while complaining, "Senior, you're already a mature researcher. It's time you learned how to pad your own papers."

"These two results could probably be expanded into sixteen papers."

"Huh? Come to think of it, this time's much better than before. There's still a little fluff in the content."

"Unlike that first paper on Fuxi Cells—it was nothing but solid material, so earnest it made people ashamed of themselves..."

"Hehe, I've led you astray, Senior!"

Jiang Xinyue was in exceptionally high spirits.

A vial of blood she had acquired from Shang Yin happened to contain Limitless Cells.

During this period, she had found a willing test subject. Recently, she had been studying the effects of allogeneic superpowered-cell transplants, and she had already made some progress.

Within the Secret Base, many people had learned about Latent Qualified, Silver-Eyed, and Golden-Eyed Ones. Everyone hoped to become someone with overwhelming individual strength.

It had to be admitted that America's cultural exports over the years had been remarkably effective. Many researchers believed they had a chance to become real-world Iron Men, Hulks, Spider-Men, or Ant-Men.

Their knowledge allowed them to clearly understand the potential risks of the experiments, yet they chose to turn a blind eye.

Even if they could not become superhumans like Kira Wolma, capable of taking bullets with their bodies, becoming fierce figures like Yu Hongyi, Ma Ran, or Choi Sang-hwan, who could dodge bullets at close range, would be good enough!

Recently, Golden-Eyed Ones across the world had displayed extraordinary abilities so enviable that people could practically drool.

Hadn't explosive news just come out of Japan today?

A girl named Uesugi Zangetsu had already reached the point where she could slash bullets apart with a blade!

And they were not plastic BB pellets, but standard-caliber copper bullets loaded with propellant!

The urge to grow stronger was an instinct carved into the genes of terrifying upright apes.

The sixteen papers Jiang Xinyue had helped pad out, combined with his previous accumulation of achievements, had reached the standard of a Level 2 Researcher after being converted through the point formula.

Every department had given the green light.

Qian Wusuan from the Internal Investigation Department, Academician Li Yanhuang with his sharp tongue and soft heart, Academician Zhao Hongyun who had always supported Yan Anqing...

Everyone had their own motives, yet they had all quietly exerted themselves to help Yan Anqing raise his professional rank.

Leaping from a Level 4 Researcher to Level 2...

Timing, achievements, and policy—none could be absent.

As a Level 2 Researcher, he was no longer far behind the rising stars of the scientific world, people like Shang Yin, Xie Zhe, Qu Li, and Luo Jiashi.

In fact, Yan Anqing's promotion speed was many times faster than even those geniuses'.

Even riding a rocket was no longer enough to describe how quickly his rank had risen. Calling it lightspeed would not have been an exaggeration.

Yet not many of his colleagues showed any jealousy.

After all, Yan Anqing had produced genuine research results.

What was more, these experimental papers might allow them to enjoy the benefits in the future as well.

That day, Yan Anqing was eating in the cafeteria when a fragrant breeze suddenly drifted over.

The first thing he saw was a pair of long legs in delicate white stockings, their lines soft and breathtakingly beautiful.

The newcomer was Dongfang Zhi, the woman who had originally recommended him for work at the Secret Base.

"Long time no see, Yan~ God~"

Dongfang Zhi smiled playfully and pronounced, word by word, the nickname Yan Anqing's online fans had given him.

She brushed aside the loose strands at her temple and gracefully sat beside Yan Anqing. "I heard you just made new achievements, published more than a dozen papers, and got promoted by skipping a rank? You're now... a Level 2 Researcher?"

Yan Anqing hunched over the table and wolfed down his food as he replied, "Just luck."

"You're amazing, my Yan God!"

Dongfang Zhi half-jokingly, half-resentfully mocked herself. "How long has it been? Our rank levels are already the same. Couldn't you spare a thought for an old maiden like me?"

"..."

Yan Anqing fell silent for a moment, then hugged his food bowl and kept eating furiously.

In truth, the current pace of his promotions had already been slowed down as much as possible.

With his cheat-like abilities, it would not have been impossible for him to produce a new achievement every day.

But if he did that, it would not be interesting anymore.

Both the process and the outcome of remastering the world were equally important.

"Your appetite... is way too exaggerated, isn't it?"

Seeing that he had no interest in small talk, Dongfang Zhi immediately changed the subject.

Staring at Yan Anqing's food bowl, she cried out, "This is beyond the level of a big eater... You were already a Latent Qualified before. At this rate, it probably won't be long before you become Silver-Eyed!"

At the current stage, the changes in the measurable strength of Golden-Eyed and Silver-Eyed Ones were actually easy to test.

Weigh yourself.

When Yu Hongyi broke through to the second tier before, he looked a little thinner, but his weight had surged by more than thirty pounds!

And Silver-Eyed Ones outside generally experienced drastic increases in appetite and body weight, even as their physiques remained unchanged or grew thinner by the day!

Yan Anqing thoroughly chewed his final mouthful, swallowed it, wiped his mouth, and said calmly, "Get to the point."

Dongfang Zhi looked at him mournfully. "Come to think of it, I only came over after timing it carefully. I saw that you'd published papers and hadn't started a new project. I'm being so considerate, yet you're completely heartless?"

The straight-as-steel man conveyed his thoughts with his eyes—time was precious, so quit talking nonsense!

Who wasn't a little prince?

Dongfang Zhi laughed so hard that her body trembled. "Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore."

"By the way, you haven't forgotten your other position, have you?"

Hearing that, Yan Anqing suddenly woke up.

In theory...

He was not only a Level 2 Researcher in Mojuke, but also the Special Operations Team 13 Leader of Yaoguang Special Operations Team 13.

Did that mean the higher-ups had arranged a new mission for him?

Given the abilities and value he had demonstrated, it would not be appropriate for him to take an external assignment, would it?

Were the big shots in Division Seventeen not worried that something like the previous spy incident might happen again?

Dongfang Zhi seemed to see through Yan Anqing's thoughts.

Covering her red lips, she chuckled. "It's an internal mission. Something happened to one of Team 13's operatives, and it isn't convenient for the others to get involved, so the higher-ups specifically named you to handle it."

Yan Anqing nodded slightly and asked seriously, "A mental issue, or a physical one?"

At those words, the woman in white stockings froze for a moment, then shook her head. "I don't really understand the details. It seems to be a psychological disorder that only started becoming popular recently. Do you know the term wannabe?"

The Special Operations Team 13 Leader immediately understood.

"Wannabes."

After the Crimson Moon, countries around the world had seen the emergence of people whose physical qualities exceeded the limits of ordinary humans.

Yu Hongyi, Ma Ran, Uesugi Zangetsu, Tokugawa Ishimasa, Kira Wolma, Choi Sang-hwan...

Because of various changes, these people had displayed their own extraordinary abilities.

People firmly believed—there had to be many more people like them hidden in the world!

The exact number of superhumans might be ten times greater!

A hundred times greater!

Or even a thousand times greater!

One "superhuman" after another had burst onto the scene, provoking those unwilling to remain ordinary and setting many people's chuunibyou souls ablaze.

Many people began imagining themselves as Blood Moon Latent Candidates, certain that they could become Silver-Eyed and eventually gain special abilities like superheroes or supervillains.

In recent days, all sorts of strange people had let their imaginations run wild, and countless unorthodox methods for stimulating the body's potential had emerged:

Going without food and water, paying people to beat them, locking themselves in refrigerators, refusing to sleep...

Having friends run them over with cars, poking electrical outlets with wet hands, jumping off high-rises...

Abroad, this group was called wannabes—people trying to surpass those they admired.

At home, they were called wannabes.

"Understood."

Yan Anqing sighed.

This was a good opportunity to meet the team members who were nominally under his command.