Paper Dispute

Next, Chen Chen and the other two began euthanizing all the laboratory mice.

Although the results from living specimens were more valuable, these experiments were not impossible to replicate. Moreover, the euthanized mice could be preserved in formalin, making the evidence easier to store.

As the three of them carried a large amount of material out of Meng'an Pharmaceutical Company, they felt as though the whole world had become bright and sunny. Even the exhaust fumes in the city smelled incomparably fresh.

"Right."

On the way, Chen Chen seemed to recall something and turned to remind Xia Yin, "Unless it's necessary, don't announce our experimental results to anyone yet. Wait until I've submitted the papers."

"Ah, but I already told my supervisor."

Xia Yin stuck out her tongue and said apologetically, "Since I needed to apply to postpone my return to school, I told my supervisor about it directly. That shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"Then forget it. I was only being cautious." Chen Chen smiled and said nothing more.

After returning to school, the three went their separate ways. Chen Chen and Wang Wei then returned to their dormitory.

The moment they got back, Wang Wei flopped onto his bed and groaned, refusing to get up no matter what.

The past three months of work had worn Brother Wei down, costing him several pounds. Now that the burden on his shoulders had been lifted, he fell into a deep sleep within five minutes.

Soft snoring soon echoed through the dormitory.

Not wanting to waste time, Chen Chen took advantage of the fact that the medicine was still in effect today. He brought his laptop to the library, which he had not visited in a long while, and began writing his papers.

<An Analysis of Stem Cell Aging Through the Therapeutic Results of Autologous Stem Cells and Cloned Stem Cells>

<Mesenchymal Stem Cell Reconstruction of the Immune System Can Return SD Rats to Youth>

Chen Chen opened LaTeX and typed out the two titles.

But after thinking it over, he deleted them both and typed the titles again in English.

Chen Chen had not neglected his studies during this period. During the gaps between experiments over the past three months, he had read several more professional books, including English textbooks.

Besides Chen Chen's perseverance, the effects of NZT-48 had also played an extremely important role.

After taking NZT-48, a person's emotional side was suppressed, leaving them extraordinarily rational. With that rationality, anyone who was not utterly lazy could become a hardworking top student.

As Chen Chen's English grew increasingly proficient, he simply skipped the process of writing his papers in Chinese first and then translating them into English, completing everything directly in English instead.

He had not brought the experimental materials with him when he came to the library, but all of that information had long since been committed to memory and could be recalled at any time.

The two papers totaled roughly one hundred thousand words, but Chen Chen wrote as if he had already drafted them in his head. All he needed to do was place the experimental procedures and data in the appropriate spots, then link them together with suitable wording.

With such extraordinary efficiency, Chen Chen wrote at an incredible pace.

It was as though countless streams of information flowed through his mind, dazzling before his eyes, while his hands continuously and precisely typed character after character.

What angle to use in describing each stage of the experiments, how to arrange the paper's format, his word choice, sentence structure, and even his use of technical terminology—all of it was so standard that no fault could be found.

And so, before the library closed, Chen Chen completed both papers at an astonishing speed...

When Chen Chen woke up in the dormitory, he realized that his head hurt terribly.

It was as though someone had reached into his skull and kneaded it violently, or as though his head had become a washing machine drum spinning madly.

Shredding his thoughts into pieces...

Chen Chen forced himself to get up and staggered to the bathroom to relieve himself.

But halfway through, his abdomen suddenly cramped, and he began vomiting violently without being able to stop.

"Cough, cough, cough!"

Some of the vomit went down his windpipe, triggering a fit of violent coughing.

Fortunately, no one else was in the dormitory to witness the scene.

Chen Chen's application to postpone his return to school had not yet expired, so he did not need to get up early for classes.

"My body..."

After a long while, Chen Chen finally recovered somewhat. Supporting himself against the sink, he stared blankly at his reflection in the mirror.

In the mirror, a pale-faced young man with a numb expression stared silently back at him. His hair was a mess, and he looked indescribably haggard.

"My body has begun showing the side effects of NZT-48..."

Chen Chen murmured softly.

It had already been four months since he obtained the USB Drive and began taking the drug.

Four months was enough for NZT-48 to begin eroding his body and brain.

And these were only the initial symptoms.

Chen Chen understood that once it reached the middle stage, he would frequently suffer from scattered thoughts, like blacking out from drinking and having no idea what had happened.

And if he finished this packet of pills before charging the USB Drive with enough power, that would be the day he died.

"I have to speed things up."

Chen Chen muttered softly, then leaned over the sink and began washing up.

But before he could finish, the phone set beside him suddenly rang.

Chen Chen wiped his eyes and saw that it was Xia Yin calling.

After wiping his hands, Chen Chen answered the phone.

"Chen Chen..."

Xia Yin's voice was somewhat low over the phone.

"Go ahead, cough cough!"

The moment Chen Chen spoke, he realized his voice was rough and hoarse. He hurriedly coughed twice. "What happened?"

"I... my supervisor wants to meet you."

Xia Yin spoke softly. "I'm sorry..."

Chen Chen's heart sank.

In an instant, he understood that the thing he had feared most had truly happened.

Xia Yin explained, "I only just found out that my supervisor knows the person in charge of Monan Company. After learning that I'd completed the experiment, he called me early this morning and asked about the results..."

"So you told him?" Chen Chen asked calmly.

"It's my fault. Can you come over now? I'll be waiting for you at Office Building No. 3..."

Xia Yin repeated herself.

"Alright. I'll be right there."

With that, Chen Chen hung up.

"Heh, I hate this feeling of being out of control."

Chen Chen raised his right hand and silently stared at his palm, then looked at himself in the mirror.

For some reason, his eyes in the mirror were dark and deep, faintly glinting with blood-red light.

"Trying to take the corresponding author position?"

Chen Chen did not need to guess to know what the other party wanted.

Xia Yin's supervisor wanted to seize the corresponding author slot for no other reason than to obtain the intellectual property rights. Compared to first or second authorship, that was the most valuable thing.

Of course, if the price was right, selling it to him would not be a problem. But Chen Chen feared that the man would take advantage of his youth and try to strip him of what was rightfully his for a pittance...

If that was truly the case, then he could not blame Chen Chen for what came next.

Chen Chen silently closed his eyes, took an NZT-48 from the inner pocket of his clothes, and placed it in his mouth.