His Dad Would Be Sad If He Died

Lou Quan wasn't just making empty promises. He came to Yong'an Base and within a few years he was able to elevate its overall strength to the top three among satellite bases, gaining the support of high-ranking officials and the respect of ordinary people. A key reason for this is that he always keeps his word.

The reason why Old Doctor Li and his colleagues were willing to work so hard, besides their ideals, was because Lou Quan truly provided them with money and resources, and his promise to fully support them meant his full support.

They weren't worried that he would break his promise.

After leaving the research institute and returning home, Lou Yu told his teammates about the successful development of the reagent.

The news that Lou Quan secretly developed the reagent without informing the Central Base and that it was successful cannot be spread yet; those who know about it are all trustworthy people.

The teammates had no intention of participating in the awakening experiment; if they had wanted to, they would have signed up back at the Central Base.

They were indeed envious of Lou Yu's superpowers, but they didn't dare to gamble on themselves—would they be the lucky one?

Besides, that incident left them with a lot of psychological trauma. Giving them injections would be less effective than simply shooting them.

Lou Yu understood his teammates' thoughts; he was simply informing them of the news and had no intention of persuading them to participate.

Why should his loved ones suffer the same pain he himself has already endured?

Three days later, Lou Quan convened a secret meeting. The attendees were all high-ranking officials at the base and people Lou Quan trusted.

Lou Yu was also among the attendees. Although he did not officially hold a high-ranking position in the Yong'an Base's military, his status as a superhuman made him the second most powerful person in the base after Lou Quan. Furthermore, he was the only one who had undergone the awakening experiment, and it was necessary for him to explain the dangers of awakening to everyone.

Lou Quan sat at the head of the table, his face grave and faint dark circles under his eyes. He seemed to be thinking that he hadn't rested well these past few days.

The conference room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Except for Lou Yu, everyone was looking at Lou Quan, their eyes filled with a mixture of longing and hesitation, a fascinating array of expressions.

After a moment, Lou Quan let out a soft breath and said calmly, "You all should know why I called you here, right?"

Everyone nodded, and someone spoke up, "Commander, just tell us how many people you need to participate in the experiment. We will recommend as many capable subordinates as possible."

Lou Quan's gaze fell on Lou Yu, who stood silently to the side with his eyes down, and he said, "Don't rush. Let Captain Lou explain the experiment's process and risks to you before you consider whether to send your soldiers to participate."

Lou Yu raised his head, his expression also not good. He glanced at the expectant eyes of the others, and calmly began to recount the experiments he had participated in at the Shen Family research institute.

Those participating in the experiment were isolated in a sealed room with no windows, only a hole in the door through which things could be passed in. They ate, drank, and relieved themselves all inside the room; the conditions were only slightly better than being in prison.

On the first day, after the injection, researchers would observe the patients at the door every two hours. Those who died were dragged out, while those still breathing received the next injection.

As time went on, the mortality rate began to rise, and the ways people died became increasingly bizarre.

Some people die silently; some die suddenly after going insane; some commit suicide because they can't bear the pain; some gain superpowers temporarily, but die from exhaustion or are killed after failing to escape the room.

Every awakened one signed an agreement before arriving, stating that their life or death was not their concern and that their fate was determined by heaven.

The experiment lasted a total of ten days? It sounds like a short time, but for the participants, it felt like an eternity.

Every moment is filled with the pain of genetic mutation, like being pricked with needles, burned, or skinned and dismembered by countless sharp blades...

Those who can persevere to the end are either warriors or monsters.

It is said that most of the superhumans still alive are not psychologically healthy and are monitored in their daily lives in order to prevent them from using their powers for evil.

The people at Yong'an Base felt they were lucky; at least Lou Yu seemed like a normal person, not only very friendly but also responsible.

After listening to Lou Yu's story, some people fell into deep thought, while others remained positive.

"We've all fought against mutated monsters, and none of us are cowards. You want superpowers? You can't get them without paying a price."

"I cannot make decisions for my subordinates. I will consult with them personally, and the list will be delivered to you, Commander, within three days."

"Me too? I'll submit both the first-choice and substitute lists as soon as possible."

They were either enthusiastic or hesitant, but none of them rejected the experiment.

Are superhumans like firearms, too important to them?

After they finished expressing their opinions, Lou Quan concluded. "We've tentatively set sixty spots, twenty for the first batch, and the rest as alternates. The spots will be divided equally among you all. Submit the list to me within three days."

As the meeting ended, Lou Yu stood up to leave with the others, but Lou Quan called him back.

Lou Yu turned around, Lou Quan said to him, "You'll be in charge of supervising the construction of the experimental site. Please correct any mistakes you make."

Although they were in a cold war, work was work, and neither of them was willing to bring their personal emotions into it, so Lou Yu readily agreed.

It's winter now, and their experiments can't attract attention, so the experimental site was chosen in an existing building, but it needed to be modified to ensure the safety and secrecy of the experiment.

The research team responsible for injecting reagents and observing the condition of the awakened individuals was led by Old Doctor Li and others. After the venue was renovated, Lou Yu would take over the security work.

The security team's duties are to prevent outsiders from eavesdropping and infiltrating, protect the research team, and, if necessary, kill any awakened individuals who have gone mad.

Two weeks later, twenty people drawn from various units at the base were collectively sent outside the base under the pretext of carrying out a secret mission.

Of course, this was all an act for those who were spying on them. After leaving the base, these twenty people were secretly brought back in batches and eventually all entered the newly modified underground laboratory.

That night, under the pitch-black sky, snowflakes fell in a flurry, concealing the sins and bloodshed in the deserted corner.

After the researchers finished a round of monitoring, Lou Yu returned to the lounge, closed the door, and only after confirming that no one else was hiding inside did he go into the bathroom, put his gun aside, and turn on the tap.

In winter, to save water, the flow rate of faucets is controlled; even at maximum, the flow is only about the thickness of a little finger.

Lou Yu remained expressionless, his thin lips pressed tightly together. He vigorously rubbed his hands, washing away the bloodstains without stopping until his skin was red and stinging, before finally withdrawing his hands.

After washing his hands and face, Lou Yu wiped them with a towel several times, looking in the mirror for a long time to make sure there was no blood left. Then, he leaned against the sink, closed his eyes, and tried to clear his mind.

Today is the fifth day, but of the first group to arrive, sixteen have already died, five of whom were killed by their own hands.

The remaining and newly added were also enduring inhuman torture; their piercing screams echoed throughout the entire experimental area, keeping everyone awake at night.

The bodies of the deceased Awakened cannot be taken out to be seen by the public; they can only be hidden in the deep morgue. If the deceased still has relatives and friends, they will receive news of the death and the family will receive some compensation.

The bodies were all carried over by their security team, and many of them were people Lou Yu recognized. Not long ago, they were all smiling and greeting him, calling him Captain Lou, but now there wasn't even a clean, intact corpse left.

In some rooms, the blood was so thick it couldn't be wiped clean. Lou Yu wondered what the newly arrived Awakened Ones were feeling, but until the researcher injected the reagent, not a single one of them said anything about regretting it.

They came voluntarily, and they must have thought it through carefully before signing the agreement, prepared to die.

During those five days, none of the participants committed suicide. Even at the moment when their awakening failed and they were about to lose control, they were all shouting "Kill me!" instead of desperately trying to drag others down with them.

Whether those who came to participate in the experiment did so for themselves or for the entire human race, each and every one of them was undoubtedly a hero of noble character.

Seeing the fate of these awakened individuals, some members of the security team would secretly shed tears, but Lou Yu's eyes never even turned red from beginning to end.

Lou Yu thought he was numb, but his heart still ached. He told him that he was still grieving and regretting the loss of life.

Taking off his coat, Lou Yu sat down on the bedside. He took out a box from under his pillow, opened it, took out a photo inside, gazed at it for a long time, and then gently kissed Tao Qiu's smiling face.

Afraid of getting the photos dirty while on missions, Lou Yu is reluctant to carry them with him, only taking them out to look at them in his spare time.

"Goodnight and sweet dreams, my Qiuqiu." Lou Yu pressed the photo to his chest and murmured softly.

Inside the cave, Tao Qiu was awakened inexplicably in the middle of the night.

He gently touched his chest, waiting for his erratic heartbeat to gradually calm down.

The small lamp was still on, illuminating the area around the bird's nest.

The three similarly rhythmic breaths prevented the cave from being too cold and desolate. Tao Qiu looked down and saw the three little ones transformed into birds and nestled beside him, each covered with a blanket and sleeping soundly.

He silently uttered "Goodnight, sweet dreams," then closed his eyes again and drifted off to sleep.

Chapter 64 His death will make his father sad

Because awakened beings are constantly dying and new awakened beings are constantly being added, everyone's awakening progress is basically staggered. Some people have been awakening for almost ten days, while others have just begun.

So it took nearly two months for this experiment to truly end.

Of the fifty-three awakened individuals who participated in the experiment, fifty-two died and one survived.

The surviving person is still defective; whether he can survive to the end and transform into a superhuman like Lou Yu is uncertain.

The experiment undoubtedly ended in failure. Lou Quan and Lou Yu, the researchers at the institute, and the several units that had dispatched the Awakened Ones all fell silent.

The low temperatures of winter froze the world, and also froze their hearts.