Permanent Immunity Serum

To prevent any accidents, Chen Chen ate, drank, slept, and lived inside the factory every day.

His goal was to keep an eye on the USB Drive, preventing anyone from approaching the place and discovering his secret.

However, Chen Chen had not been idle during this time. Besides working out every day, he taught himself computer languages online, including assembly, C, C++, Java, and more.

After all, with the effects of NZT-48, Chen Chen was able to maintain an extremely high level of focus and perseverance in anything he did.

Moreover, Chen Chen discovered that NZT-48's effects were not limited to his mind. In fact, the drug gave him far greater control over his body than an ordinary person possessed.

For example, when running, he could sense which muscles to contract for greater efficiency; when throwing a punch, he could tell which muscles and bones needed to move to unleash more power.

He could feel all of this while under the effects of NZT-48.

To that end, Chen Chen had specifically bought a treadmill and several barbells.

Now, Chen Chen worked out on the treadmill for two or three hours every day.

And after some time, the results had become obvious.

Chen Chen's weight had risen from 65 kilograms to 70 kilograms, and his figure had become more proportionate. Though there did not seem to be much change on the surface, taking off his clothes would reveal that his body was covered in firm muscle.

After all, as the saying went, the body was the foundation of one's endeavors. For a researcher like Chen Chen, who intended to pursue a career in scientific research, a healthy body was even more essential.

At the same time as training his body, Chen Chen had also begun considering the idea of developing an app.

App was short for the English word "Application," meaning application software. It usually referred to mobile applications for iPhones, Android phones, and the like.

Mobile applications could be divided into several major fields, such as communication, office work, entertainment, fitness, shopping, and more. Every field was dominated by one or several industry leaders.

The leader of a single field could create wealth worth tens of billions.

If he developed it well, he could use the app to rapidly accumulate capital, elevating himself from being harvested to becoming the capital that did the harvesting.

By then, whether it was stock trading or any other path, he would have countless options instead of being in such a miserable position as he was now.

However, developing an app was not simple. The mobile software market was already saturated, and without sufficient strength, it was impossible to claim even a share of it.

Chen Chen pondered in silence for a while before quickly coming up with an idea.

He could develop a real-time translation app.

This was an idea Chen Chen had thought of while learning C.

The more Chen Chen learned about C, the more he understood the broad trend of communication in modern society.

More than a decade ago, when the internet had just begun to rise, there had been a concept known as the "global village."

As modern technology developed at a rapid pace, the distances of time and space across the globe continued to shrink, while international exchanges became more frequent and convenient.

Yet language barriers had always troubled many internet users who wished to see the outside world.

After looking into it online, Chen Chen found that the more well-known translation software available now included Google Translate, Microsoft Translator, PROMT, SDL FreeTranslation, Yahoo Translate, and others.

However, in Chen Chen's view, all current translation software was little more than a joke.

Although all kinds of translation programs had existed for a long time, these programs often suffered from the problem of "machine translation."

When many people watched subtitled content, they would see errors in the wording and logic and often say things like, "This part was definitely machine-translated."

This was actually a limitation of artificial intelligence.

Because AI was not intelligent enough, it could only rigidly apply rules and had no complete logical processing ability like humans did.

What was more, when someone browsed a foreign-language webpage, it was impossible for them to translate every single sentence on the page. That would be both time-consuming and laborious.

If Chen Chen could create an app that automatically replaced all foreign-language text on a webpage, it would probably dominate the market immediately and bring him astonishing profits, wouldn't it?

It sounded simple, but even after taking NZT-48, Chen Chen did not dare claim that he could definitely accomplish it. The technology involved was far too complicated; it was not something one or two geniuses could change.

Still, though Chen Chen could not create it with his current abilities, if a similar finished product were placed before him, he could quickly master it.

Yes, a finished product.

Chen Chen could not help glancing at the USB Drive on the transformer.

There was no shortage of artificial intelligences similar to Jarvis in science-fiction films: Sonny from I, Robot, Skynet from Terminator, the Red Queen from Resident Evil, and so on.

If he could bring those artificial intelligences into reality, it would surely be very interesting.

At that thought, a faint smile curled Chen Chen's lips as he checked the time.

It had now been three months since he rented the factory, and the lease was due to expire in the next few days.

Over those three months, Chen Chen had taken a photograph of the USB Drive at the same time and place every day.

In the photos, the USB Drive had indeed recovered its luster bit by bit from its extremely worn state, just as he had expected. By now, it was even almost no different from when he had first found it.

"Could it be fully charged after three months?"

Chen Chen pondered silently, but immediately dismissed the thought.

A month ago, the USB Drive seemed to have already turned a deep black, yet it was still absorbing electricity without ever showing any sign of saturation.

Over those three months, Chen Chen had spent nearly eight hundred thousand on factory rent and electricity, leaving only a little over two hundred thousand in the company's accounts.

It had to be said that money could disappear frighteningly fast sometimes.

With that thought, Chen Chen stopped hesitating. He turned and opened the electrical distribution room, completely cut off the factory's power supply, then put on insulated gloves and pulled the USB Drive, which had been attached to the copper ingot for three months, free.

The USB Drive was ice-cold.

Chen Chen could not help feeling surprised. He tried touching the Copper ingot again, only to find it scorching hot, as though it had just been pulled from a fire.

Yet the Copper ingot's heat had not affected the USB Drive in the slightest.

Was it really that terrifying? It could even absorb heat?

Chen Chen's heart stirred. If so, solar energy was also within the range of energy the USB Drive could absorb. Did that mean that if he threw the USB Drive into magma, it could absorb the magma's energy as well?

But the thought lingered in Chen Chen's mind for only an instant before he dismissed it. That was not what he needed to consider right now.

Holding the USB Drive, Chen Chen quickly plugged it into his laptop. He then opened the TV adaptation of Limitless in the folder once more and selected the final episode.

At the same time, he dragged the video to a close-up of the "Permanent Immunity Serum."

On the computer screen, a needleless injector appeared before Chen Chen's eyes, around thirteen or fourteen centimeters long and as thick as three or four fingers.

Chen Chen stared intently at it, letting his thoughts spread as he imagined the immunity serum on the screen appearing in reality.

At once, the screen seemed to turn into a pool of clear water. The Permanent Immunity Serum slowly bobbed within it, sending ripples spreading outward.

Chen Chen raised his hand again and slowly reached for the metal injector!

The instant he grasped it, Chen Chen felt an icy sensation in his palm. He gently closed his hand around it, then gave it a light tug.

Thud!

On the computer screen, the video automatically closed as usual.

At the same time, the tube of immunity serum that had originally been inside the computer screen was completely pulled into reality by Chen Chen.

At last, he had succeeded...

Thanks to [uufyfug] for the donation.