Gamble Everything

After taking several buses and a high-speed train, he returned to Jiangcheng University, safe and sound despite his anxiety.

Just as he got off the bus.

"Senior Brother..." a clear call like a yellow oriole's song, the radiant girl, still as innocent and lively as ever.

Li Qingye nodded. "How have things been lately?"

They walked and talked idly.

Liu Xiaoli seemed to sense Li Qingye's inner grief, so she cut to the chase. "I've already told people to close the lab for the holiday; there are only two security guards left."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Senior Brother, you've helped me so much before; I can certainly handle this small matter," Liu Xiaoli replied gently.

Unknowingly, they arrived in front of a teaching building. The girl handed him the lab keys and bid farewell.

Standing at the door of his advisor's office, Li Qingye knocked.

"Come in."

"Boss."

"Hmm?" The advisor looked up and saw Li Qingye, unshaven and looking dejected. He sighed inwardly, then smiled and said, "Your visa is ready. The flight is on May 22nd. Take this time to adjust your mood; there's no hurdle in life that you can't overcome."

Li Qingye nodded calmly. "Thank you for your concern, Boss. I'll go check on the company first."

"Go ahead! Don't forget your flight time."

After bidding farewell to his advisor, Li Qingye strolled alone along the paths of Mount Luojia. Only scattered petals remained on the cherry trees by the roadside.

A gentle breeze brushed his face, and the remaining blossoms on the branches fell lightly.

He sat on a bench, quietly watching the flowers fall.

"Life is truly fragile!" Li Qingye sighed softly.

A final farewell to his lost youth.

Farewell, Jiangcheng University.

Farewell, my innocence and youth.

At the subway station, the low hum of the train slowly came to a halt. He swiped his card and boarded. The chaos inside the carriage felt out of place for Li Qingye, who looked like a vagrant.

Soon, the train reached its destination—Jiangcheng South Station.

Taking another bus, he arrived at the company located on the outskirts of Xiaogang Village. A plaque reading "Caixin Cosmetics Research and Development Center" hung above the entrance of an old, small factory.

The security guard at the door, smoking a pipe, saw him approaching and hesitantly walked out. "Young man... are you..."

"Old Wang, it's me." Li Qingye jingled the set of keys in his hand.

Security guard Old Wang finally recognized him and quickly opened the door. "Boss, I almost didn't recognize you looking like this."

"Yeah, Old Wang, has anything significant happened recently?"

Old Wang thought for a moment and then recounted some trivial matters. Li Qingye casually gave a few instructions and then entered the laboratory alone.

The entire laboratory spanned over eight thousand square meters, divided into the First Experimental Zone, the Second Experimental Zone, the Third Experimental Zone, the Living Area, the Storage Area, and the Water and Electricity Control Area.

Previously, there were over twenty staff members here, all temporary workers hired by Li Qingye, including the junior student who helped manage things. These were all students from Jiangcheng University, Jiangcheng Institute of Technology, and Huazhong Agricultural University.

Li Qingye's own experimental area, the First Experimental Zone, was accessible only to him.

Before returning this time, he had asked Liu Xiaoli to dismiss the temporary workers, leaving only two security guards.

At this moment, he was the only one left in the entire laboratory.

He opened the password lock for the First Experimental Zone and checked the rows of test tubes in the cryogenic storage unit. Seventeen Jianmu Factors (the enzyme he had synthesized earlier) were neatly arranged inside, undamaged.

He closed the storage unit again and opened the hard drive in the safe, inserting it into the physically isolated desktop computer.

He reviewed the experimental data for the Jianmu Factor once more.

After more than half a year of research, the Jianmu Factor had actually developed to its second generation. He had incorporated part of the technology from the [CRISPR-Cas9] gene editor to improve the controllability of the Jianmu Factor.

CRISPR-Cas9 is a gene-editing technology that has emerged in recent years. It can precisely knock out target gene segments or insert specific gene segments into a gene sequence.

Li Qingye borrowed the CRISPR part of CRISPR-Cas9, which is a special RNA gene sequence that can bind to specific DNA sequences.

The second-generation technology of the Jianmu Factor, "CRISPR-JM," can turn specified gene sequences into pseudogenes (i.e., render them non-functional).

Based on another discovery he had made earlier, human gene sequences contain "inhibitor" gene sequences. By inserting the Jianmu Factor, these inhibitor gene sequences can be deactivated.

Unlocking the inhibitors can grant many abilities, but it also comes with immense risks. The pigs and mice he used for experiments were clear examples.

Although the side effects in the pigs and mice were reduced in subsequent experiments, the cost was still enormous.

After rereading the experimental materials, Li Qingye knew very well that with his talent, if he had another decade or so, he might be able to develop a safer and more controllable Jianmu Factor.

But he didn't have time.

He spent three days re-synthesizing enough Jianmu Factor for one person, preparing the life-sustaining nutrient solution and the experimental bed. Yesterday, he had taken a laxative to clear his bowels.

Lying on the bed, he inserted a urinary catheter for himself, preparing a large bucket to connect to it.

Monitoring equipment for heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature was connected one by one. Then, the defibrillator pads were attached to his heart. He set the timer to automatically activate the defibrillator 30 seconds after cardiac arrest.

An oversized IV drip bag (homemade) containing a specially made nutrient solution was inserted into his vein. This nutrient solution was enough to sustain him for 15 days.

He closed the oxygen mask, pressed the power buttons on all the equipment, and double-checked everything.

Before this, he had also instructed Old Wang and another security guard to keep an eye on the water and electricity. If there was a sudden power or water outage, they were to immediately start the backup diesel generator.

He also told the two of them that he would be conducting experiments for the next half month and would not see anyone, nor should they disturb him.

After adding a 3000 bonus, Old Wang and the other guard, along with their wives, took turns watching the main gate and monitoring the water and electricity.

In the laboratory.

Li Qingye looked at the Jianmu Factor that had just finished thawing. Discarding all his reservations, he inserted the needle into the vein of his other arm.

Drop by drop, the liquid containing the Jianmu Factor permeated Li Qingye's entire body over time.

As an RNA fragment, the CRISPR molecule passed through the cell membrane and entered the cell nucleus. It then moved to the chromosomes and combined with a specific gene sequence within them.

The moment the CRISPR combined with the human gene, the Jianmu Factor carried by the CRISPR began to exert its effects.

The restrictor in Li Qingye's genes was damaged.

However, a creature's genes are extremely stubborn. The damaged restrictor gene activated its self-repair function.

But the presence of the Jianmu Factor disrupted the self-repair of the restrictor gene sequence. Although the gene was repaired, these gene sequences had lost their original function.

In Li Qingye's genes, countless recessive genes began to become active.

17 hours later.

"Ahhh..." His body felt like it was in a furnace. He saw that his body temperature had reached 39.5 degrees Celsius, a clinical symptom of inflammatory factors erupting within his body.

He quickly injected hormones and antibiotics.

Soon, he felt dizzy and his breathing became more rapid, his blood sugar dropping quickly.

Fortunately, the life-sustaining nutrient solution he had prepared earlier was continuously providing nutrients and energy, otherwise, he might have been exhausted to death.

A high fever, dizziness, and stinging all over his body lasted for two days and two nights.

At the foot of the bed, over a dozen used empty syringes lay scattered on the floor.

Suddenly, Li Qingye's heart stopped beating.

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