"The corridors in the lab building are confusing. I was worried you wouldn't find the lab entrance."
Zhou Yuan adjusted his glasses as he spoke.
Gu Qing nodded, then asked about what had happened during the day with some curiosity:
"By the way, Yuan, how did things turn out earlier today?"
"Nothing much happened."
Zhou Yuan looked relaxed. "Those two men in black just took me into a room and asked some questions about the Universal Antitoxin Vaccine. They wanted me to hand the research over to them."
"I didn't dare object, so I gave them all my research findings to date."
"When they saw how cooperative I was, they readily let me go."
Zhou Yuan paused, then added, "They also specifically warned me that I'd better stop researching this so-called Universal Antitoxin Vaccine myself. Otherwise, I'd most likely be attacked again. They said some vicious criminal organization wouldn't allow me to continue my research."
The Universal Antitoxin Vaccine...
The rat tattoo on the mysterious assassin...
A vicious criminal organization...
Was there any necessary connection between the three?
Gu Qing sank into thought.
Beside him, Zhou Yuan continued:
"Researching the Universal Antitoxin Vaccine is my lifelong pursuit. I won't give it up, no matter what."
"I've already decided."
"Tomorrow, I'll find another rental and move somewhere more secluded to research in secret!"
Zhou Yuan's eyes were filled with fervor and determination, as though he had no fear of death.
He really was a biochemical maniac, putting even his own life on the line for research...
With that thought, Gu Qing said:
"Yuan, I'm really interested in your Universal Antitoxin Vaccine research. How about letting me join you? I could lend you a hand."
He had no interest in scientific research.
He just wanted to gain attributes from Zhou Yuan's [Biochemical Maniac] tag.
Zhou Yuan quickly waved his hands in refusal:
"Better not. Since those forces have their eyes on me, they probably won't let this go. I can't drag you into it."
He said he was afraid of dragging Gu Qing into it, but in truth, he simply felt that a foreign languages student like Gu Qing would only hold him back by getting involved.
He had invited Gu Qing to look around the lab purely out of friendship, just to satisfy his curiosity.
Gu Qing didn't know what Zhou Yuan was thinking. He only knew that he had to grind attributes.
So he continued:
"Don't worry, Yuan. I'm a good fighter."
"You saw it today. I took care of that muscular assassin in just a few moves."
"If you let me join, not only will I be safe, I can even act as your bodyguard."
Hearing this, Zhou Yuan hesitated.
He thought Gu Qing had a point.
Although he was a research fanatic willing to give his life for his work,
if he could avoid dying, that was naturally best.
Having a younger student with absurd fighting prowess volunteer to join him offered nothing but benefits.
After a moment's thought, Zhou Yuan said:
"Since you're so interested, let's give it a try together. If you don't want to continue later, just tell me anytime."
"No problem."
A smile appeared on Gu Qing's face.
Soon,
the two entered the lab building together.
While they were riding the elevator,
Zhou Yuan suddenly spoke with heartfelt gratitude:
"By the way, thank you so much for today."
"If it weren't for you, I'd either be dead or kidnapped by now."
"I'll never forget that you saved my life."
Zhou Yuan solemnly patted his chest. "If you ever need my help with anything, just say the word. I'll do everything I can."
Gu Qing smiled. "It was no trouble. You don't have to be so formal, Yuan."
As they spoke, the elevator reached their floor.
The two stepped out and arrived at the lab door.
Zhou Yuan took out his key card and opened the lab door with a beep.
As soon as the door swung open, a faint smell of disinfectant mixed with chemical reagents wafted toward them.
The mixture wasn't pleasant, but Gu Qing was highly adaptable. After just two breaths, he was used to it.
He looked around the lab.
It wasn't very large, but everything was neatly arranged.
Rows of laboratory cabinets stood against the walls, with various reagent bottles and test tubes neatly arranged inside.
His gaze swept over the reagent bottles and test tubes in the cabinets. They contained liquids of various colors, some faintly gleaming. They looked poisonous at a glance.
Several lab benches stood in the middle, holding standard equipment such as microscopes, centrifuges, and petri dishes.
Several large laboratory instruments also stood in a corner.
The overall atmosphere was rigorous and mysterious.
Without much introduction, Zhou Yuan walked straight over to a lab bench and stopped.
He casually picked up a syringe containing a mysterious blue liquid. As he slowly injected a white mouse on the bench, he said calmly:
"There's nothing fancy about biochemical research."
"Put simply, we inject white mice with various reagents and drugs, then observe the effects."
"If the test results are promising, we recruit volunteers for further experiments."
"People like me, who keep experimenting on themselves, are a bit of an affront to humanity."
"So most people in the lab don't like me much. They think I'm too crazy."
I think you're ridiculously crazy too...
Gu Qing grumbled inwardly.
Just then, the white mouse injected with the blue liquid twitched twice and died on the spot.
Zhou Yuan grabbed another white mouse and handed Gu Qing another syringe.
"Here, give it a try."
"I'll try."
Gu Qing took the white mouse in one hand and the syringe in the other.
Zhou Yuan moved aside and methodically weighed reagents and mixed solutions.
Once Gu Qing finished injecting the mouse and it began to react, Zhou Yuan immediately stopped what he was doing and came over to observe and record the data.
Time ticked by.
Before they knew it,
an hour had passed.
Gu Qing was injecting a white mouse when familiar lines of text suddenly popped up before his eyes:
[You have conducted biochemical research with fellow student Zhou Yuan for over one hour] [Research Skill +1] [Biochemical Resistance +1] [Accumulate 100 points of Biochemical Resistance to obtain the attribute-Immune to All Poisons] [Points currently obtained: 1]
Immune to All Poisons?
Nice. That's exactly the attribute I want.
Knotted Muscles improves physical defense, and Immune to All Poisons improves biochemical defense. Put the two together, and my defense will be downright invincible!
Gu Qing felt a little excited.
He continued doing experiments with Zhou Yuan for a while.
Seeing that it was about time,
Gu Qing put down the equipment and said to Zhou Yuan:
"Yuan, it's getting late. I need to go back to the dorm and sleep. I'll come help you move tomorrow."
"It's past midnight already. Your dorm should be locked for the night. There's a folding bed here. Why not make do here tonight? You just have to leave before eight tomorrow morning."
"No need."
Gu Qing waved a hand. "As a male college student, how could I let a little curfew stop me? I can climb the drainpipe to the second floor and get in through the balcony."
"All right, then. Be careful. Don't fall off the pipe."
"Don't you trust my skills?"
Gu Qing smiled. "I'm off, Yuan."
After leaving the lab,
he walked alone along the road back to his dorm.
Gu Qing walked slowly, thinking about the connection between the Universal Antitoxin Vaccine, the criminal organization, and the strange rat tattoo.
As he passed the campus's artificial lake, he suddenly saw several rats dart past up ahead.
The rats were unusually large and fat. All of them raced in the same direction, squeaking as they went.
Hearing the rats' sounds, Gu Qing instantly saw translucent text appear before his eyes:
[Meat, eat meat, eat meat...] [Eat, eat, eat...] [Meat, fragrant, sweet, eat...]
Eating meat?
What kind of meat?
Could it be...
Human flesh?!
Gu Qing's brows suddenly knitted tightly.
Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately activated Lightning-Fast Reflexes and silently followed them.
With a little luck,
I might be able to capture that twisted cannibal alive tonight!
Before you continue