By the time Xia Xu returned to Star Sea Biotech's Underground Laboratory, Cui Xinghua and Gu Haiming had already finished preparing for the modification surgery, seemingly waiting only for Xia Xu to return and witness the procedure.
"Doctor Cui, could you tell me honestly how risky the surgery is?"
Xia Xu frowned at Gu Haiming, who had already changed into a loose hospital gown, then turned to Cui Xinghua.
K Protein carriers were very rare, and the Second Heart intended for the experiment had been cultivated from Gu Haiming's own cells. Naturally, this final human clinical trial could only be attempted by Gu Haiming himself at his own risk.
"The surgery itself shouldn't be much of a problem. There's practically no chance of anything going wrong."
Cui Xinghua was clearly very confident about this, but then he hesitated briefly and changed tack. "...It's just that I can't guarantee there won't be any postoperative rejection. Besides, Dr. Gu has experienced some premature aging. His bodily functions aren't on par with a young person's, so postoperative recovery could also be an issue."
"Says who? Cui, are you questioning my skills?"
Cui Xinghua's words brought a look of displeasure to Gu Haiming's face, and he grew obstinate. "Even organs donated by other people can be transplanted after matching. An organ I modified and cloned myself couldn't possibly cause rejection. Besides, I'm only in my fifties. Stop talking as though I'm seventy or eighty."
"..."
Xia Xu remained silent for a moment amid their argument, looking up at Gu Haiming's white hair and wrinkle-covered face.
Gu Haiming certainly wasn't seventy or eighty. In his fifties, he might even still have been considered at the tail end of his prime by some people's standards.
But his experiences in earlier years and his mental condition had