Chen Shijie spoke slowly, his voice carrying a hint of suppressed excitement.
“Over two thousand vagrants... that is a treasure trove of test subjects that our Deep Blue Research Institute won't be able to exhaust for the next two years!”
“The elderly, the young, women, toddlers, infants... test subjects of all kinds, every age group, and every physical condition, everything we could ever need!”
His voice echoed through the conference room, each word striking like a heavy hammer against the hearts of everyone present.
One by one, the eyes of those in white lab coats began to light up.
“Everyone, just think about it—”
Chen Shijie’s voice suddenly dropped, carrying a mesmerizing power.
“Think of the projects forced to a halt because of a lack of test subjects, the research that stalled without suitable materials, the data that couldn't yield valid conclusions due to insufficient sample sizes—”
“As long as we take the Terminal Station, all of these problems will be solved!”
A white-haired old man pushed up his glasses, his voice tight. “Dr. Chen, everything you're saying... is it all true?”
“Of course it’s true.”
Chen Shijie’s words were highly compelling. His gaze slowly swept across the room as his voice suddenly rose.
“Everyone, why are you still hesitating?”
“Over two thousand vagrants, over two thousand living test subjects!”
“This is the treasure trove that every single one of us scientific researchers has dreamed of!”
“If we miss this chance, who knows when the next one will come?”
The atmosphere in the conference room grew increasingly heated under Chen Shijie’s incitement.
The faces of those in white coats were filled with excitement and longing.
“Dr. Chen is right!”
“Over two thousand vagrants would be enough to last us for years!”
“Those projects that were mothballed due to a lack of test subjects can finally be restarted!”
“I’ve been saying all along that if we don't solve the test subject problem, our research will always be nothing more than talk on paper!”
“Now that the opportunity is here, we cannot let it slip away!”
Watching this scene, the smile at the corners of Chen Shijie’s mouth deepened.
He raised his hand, signaling for everyone to be quiet.
The noise in the conference room gradually subsided, and everyone’s gaze focused on him.
“Since everyone agrees on taking the Terminal Station, let’s discuss how we’re going to do it.”
A middle-aged man sitting in the middle of the long table spoke up. “Dr. Chen, for something like taking the Terminal Station, the City Defense Force should be the main force. Why should we bother worrying about it?”
Chen Shijie let out a cold laugh and shook his head.
“The City Defense Force?”
He repeated the words, his tone full of disdain.
“They lack the manpower and the combat strength. If they were capable of taking the Terminal Station, how could they have waited until now?”
“Counting on them? By the time they act, the opportunity will have long since passed!”
A low murmur of agreement rippled through the room.
In the minds of these researchers, the level of the City Defense Force’s incompetence had reached a new low.
Chen Shijie continued, “Therefore, for this operation, we can only rely on ourselves.”
“The owner of the Terminal Station is a Level 3 Late Stage female Ability User with unfathomable strength. We absolutely cannot take her lightly.”
“So...”
He turned around and tapped on the screen a few times.
A new image appeared on the display.
It was an image of a humanoid creature.
It had greyish-white skin covered in fine scales. Its fingers and toes were claw-like, with nails as black as ink and sharp as blades.
The head was a size larger than a normal human’s, with a high, bulging forehead. Where the eyes should be, there were only two thin slits, and the nose and mouth were squeezed together, making it look hideous and ferocious.
The atmosphere in the conference room froze the moment that image appeared.
The researchers who had been so excited just moments ago now turned pale, their eyes filled with unease.
Chen Shijie watched their reaction, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.
“Everyone, this is the core, most classified research achievement of our Deep Blue Research Institute over the past five years—”
“The Super Gene-Modified Organism!”
“This time, I plan to deploy them!”
The conference room fell into a deathly silence.
No one spoke; no one dared to speak.
“Their gene chimerism rate has reached over seventy percent!”
“Their combat effectiveness, through our repeated testing and verification, has reached the level of a Level 4 Ability User.”
“We only need to deploy one to take the Terminal Station. It won't be a problem at all!”
“But Dr. Chen, they are uncontrollable,” someone raised an objection.
As soon as those words were spoken, the atmosphere in the room grew even more somber.
A white-haired old man also spoke up. “Dr. Chen, these Super Gene-Modified Organisms can only be considered half-finished products. Once they lose control, the consequences will be unthinkable.”
“The vagrants at the Terminal Station don't matter, but our own people sent out, and even the institute itself, could be caught in the crossfire.”
“I don't agree with this.”
After the old man finished, several older researchers nodded in agreement.
“Professor Li is right. We cannot move these half-finished products.”
“The risk is too high. We cannot bear the consequences.”
“What if it loses control and runs into the Inner City? How would we explain that to Pei Su then?”
“Let’s think of another way...”
Chen Shijie listened quietly, his expression unchanging.
Only after the discussions died down did he speak slowly. “What other way do we have?”
“Perhaps you don't know yet, but that old fossil Pei Su is already preparing to report the Terminal Station’s existence to Area C!”
“Have you thought about what our Deep Blue Research Institute will get once that report goes through?!”
The conference room was silent.
“Those over two thousand vagrants will be snatched away by those bastards at the Boneng Research Institute right under our noses!”
“Without such a large batch of test subjects, how will our technology advance? How will our research proceed?!”
A dead silence filled the room.
A middle-aged man sitting in the middle of the table finally couldn't take it anymore. He was Zhou Peian, the head of the Biosafety Department, responsible for the oversight and safety of all test subjects.
“Dr. Chen, I’m not trying to rain on your parade,” Zhou Peian said coldly, pushing up his glasses.
“These five Super Gene-Modified Organisms are each priceless, the fruit of five years of this institute’s blood and sweat.”
“But they are also five time bombs.”
He paused, seemingly weighing his words.
“Do you still remember the rampage of Subject 3? Four Level 3 security guards were involved; two were torn to shreds in an instant, and the other two were heavily injured, barely surviving after three months in the medical bay.”
“If they lose control...”
He didn't finish, but everyone understood what he meant.
Chen Shijie’s face darkened.
“Director Zhou, I am aware of everything you’ve said.” His voice carried a hint of displeasure. “But these are special circumstances...”
“Dr. Chen, the risk is too great.”
Zhou Peian’s tone was firm. “We absolutely cannot take this risk.”
“Let’s think of another way...”
“Yes, Dr. Chen, what if it goes on a rampage during the operation? None of us can take that responsibility...”
As more and more people joined the dissent, Chen Shijie’s expression grew grimmer.
He suddenly slammed the table with a loud “Bang!” that silenced the entire conference room.
“There are no ‘what-ifs’!”
“I will prove it to all of you!”
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