First Meeting with Dr. Connors

New York, inside the Connors private laboratory at Metropolis University.

Six young men and women, all around twenty years old, stood somewhat timidly at the entrance of the laboratory hall. Their eyes were filled with varying degrees of admiration and unease as they looked at the tall, dark-blonde middle-aged man before them.

The man looked at the young people, a kind smile naturally forming on his face.

"Welcome, everyone. Welcome to this place. I am Dr. Curtis Connors. You don't need to be nervous, as you are all here for your internships because you passed the assessment based on your own merits." Dr. Connors spoke with a soft, magnetic quality that helped the young people relax a little.

Dr. Connors then turned slightly to the side, revealing his empty sleeve where his right arm should have been, and chuckled, "As you can see, I am a lefty."

The group laughed at his words. Although they quickly stifled their amusement, the tense atmosphere had been dispelled by Dr. Connors's lighthearted control of the room.

"However, I am not a cripple." When Dr. Connors said this, he was still smiling, but his expression carried a hint of confidence and pride. "I am a scientist, and the world's leading authority in herpetology!"

"Herpetology, or what you commonly refer to as the study of reptiles," Dr. Connors explained. "While I am optimistic about my life, just as a Parkinson's patient watches in horror as their body gradually loses the ability to move, or a macular degeneration patient helplessly watches their vision fade, I, too, wish to heal my lost limb..."

Listening to Dr. Connors list one helpless condition after another, the young people felt the atmosphere grow heavy. At the same time, they couldn't help but wonder if they might rise to fame like those renowned scientists and be fortunate enough to solve one of these ailments in their lifetime.

"However, I have always believed in one thing."

Dr. Connors remained silent for a moment before saying, "Knowledge is power."

He looked at the young people, his voice carrying a trace of excitement. "This severed arm did not drive me to despair; instead, it gave me motivation. I possess a vast amount of scientific knowledge, and I want to use that knowledge to heal myself."

"But I am not satisfied with just that; it is only one of my ideals. I want to ensure that people in this world no longer suffer regrets due to illness or physical disability. I want to create a world without flaws."

By the end, Dr. Connors suppressed the excitement in his heart and spoke slowly, as if making a vow: "For this reason, no matter how difficult the path may be, I will not give up. I believe this is the meaning of science, and I exist to realize it!"

As his words faded, the breathing of the young people quickened. Dr. Connors's words had deeply inspired them. Had he not yet assigned them tasks, they would have rushed into the laboratory to show off their skills.

Seeing this, Dr. Connors smiled with satisfaction and asked softly, "Having said that, can anyone guess how we might achieve what I've described?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than a young man of Chinese descent raised his hand. At Dr. Connors's gesture, the young man said with some excitement, "Using stem cells?"

"Feasible, but my method is more daring." Dr. Connors nodded and looked at the others, asking, "Does anyone else have any ideas?"

The interns looked at each other for a moment, but none could come up with a better approach.

"What about implanting cross-species genes?"

Suddenly, a voice came from behind the group.

The abrupt sound drew the attention of everyone, including Dr. Connors. Behind the young people, a tall, blonde man had appeared. Although he was tall, his face looked more youthful than those of the others present, marking him as a teenager.

The boy's tone was filled with excitement. "Take Parkinson's patients, for example. The cells in the human brain that secrete dopamine gradually die, but the genes of a zebrafish can promote cell regeneration."

The boy watched Dr. Connors's intrigued expression and felt a surge of excitement, continuing, "If we could transplant those genes that promote cell regeneration into the patient, the patient could rely on their own body to heal."

"Yes," the Chinese youth who had answered earlier said with a smirk, teasing the boy. "But you'd also have to find a way to stop the patient from growing gills, otherwise they'd have to move to the ocean."

His words drew chuckles from the others, but the boy didn't mind at all. He smiled and said, "But that is exactly the problem that cross-species genetics needs to solve. You can't be afraid when you encounter problems; you have to face them head-on, don't you?"

Hearing the boy's words, the others instinctively stopped laughing. Some were deep in thought, while others felt a sense of disdain, though they didn't express it.

Dr. Connors, however, was quite interested in this boy. He reminded him of his younger self. He found that compared to the others, the boy's thinking was broader, and his attitude toward science was superior. He couldn't help but ask, "Excuse me, who are you?"

The boy's eyes brightened, and he grinned. "Dilos. Dilos Sullivan."

"Dilos Sullivan?" one of the young men muttered to himself. "Sounds like the author of Harry Potter. Must be the same name..."

"Idiot, that is him," a pretty girl next to the man whispered, rolling her eyes. "Don't you read the papers? His photo was on the front page for a while."

The others glanced at Dilos, whispering to one another as they sized him up.

"Dilos Sullivan?" Dr. Connors raised an eyebrow. He suddenly remembered the person recommended by Lex, the son of the tycoon Lionel Luthor.

To be honest, Dr. Connors really didn't want a novelist as an assistant. How could a fantasy writer possibly know anything about biology? Letting him in felt like a stain on science!

However, Lex's offer of unconditional funding for his experiments forced him to make an exception. While he still had some money left, it wasn't enough for his innovative experiments, and Lex's funding solved many of his problems.

So, Dr. Connors gave him a spot, assuming the boy just wanted to join in the fun because of his connection to Lex Luthor. He planned to just keep him away from the equipment until the internship ended.

Dr. Connors had held onto this belief until Dilos appeared. After all, Dilos had arrived late, which only confirmed his assessment.

Yet, the current situation was a surprise; he hadn't expected Dilos to actually have some talent.

Dilos didn't care about the whispering or Dr. Connors's frowning expression. Although the atmosphere was awkward, it would have been abnormal if they hadn't reacted this way. Still, he thought, letting this continue wouldn't be good for him.

So, Dilos spoke up first. "Dr. Connors, although I am famous for the novel Harry Potter, please believe me when I say that biology is my greatest strength. Please allow me to prove it."