Chapter 41: Genetic Mutation

Standing before the sink, Ladana wiped her snow-white, slender, and beautiful hands—as delicate as spring bamboo shoots—with an alcohol-soaked cotton pad. She shrugged slightly and responded with feigned indifference, "Who knows? If the Doctor says it can be done, then it certainly can. Besides, anyone who can afford this transplant is wealthy, aren't they?"

Marissa pushed a metal instrument cart toward Ladana. Ladana extended her disinfected hands and, with practiced ease, neatly arranged the syringes, medications, alcohol pads, and infusion sets required for the surgery onto the prepared sterile drapes.

Marissa remained skeptical, questioning her again, "Even though stem cell transplants are permitted in many countries now, the use of non-human stem cells is still a subject of fierce debate. After all, it violates ethical and moral standards."

"I don't understand what the Doctor is thinking either. I'm anxious, too; I’m terrified something might go wrong," Ladana whispered, her face etched with worry.

Just then, a firm, resonant voice cut through the air: "What is there to fear? Which great scientific experiment wasn't born from constant trial?" Dr. Yurien Terkpar stepped out from behind them, dressed in surgical scrubs. He wore a meticulously groomed handlebar mustache, and his white scrubs were stretched tight over his sturdy, muscular frame. He looked full of vitality and raw power.

Chen Houyan followed him respectfully. Though his small stature was obscured by the towering Dr. Yurien, he projected the air of an expert himself. He had chosen the W-State Biological Gene Laboratory largely because it was his old workplace, and he was familiar with both the environment and the staff.

By the mid-21st century, life science research institutions had sprung up like mushrooms across the globe, giving rise to an endless variety of experiments. The conventional practice of extracting active ingredients from traditional medicine or food had long become a thing of the past, replaced by cutting-edge technologies like high-tech body enhancement, cellular intervention, and genetic recombination. People pinned their hopes on these emerging technologies to fulfill their dreams of longevity.

As the director of the W-State Surreal Stem Cell Treatment Center, Dr. Yurien was not only a world-leading expert in embryonic stem cell transplantation but also an authoritative scholar with profound insights into biomedicine.

Ladana and Marissa looked at Dr. Yurien with admiration as he spoke arrogantly to the two women, "Ever since James Thomson, the father of stem cell research, successfully isolated human embryonic stem cells in 1998, the controversy surrounding stem cell transplantation has never ceased..."

Ladana, having heard the Doctor’s academic views countless times, couldn't help but interrupt, "Doctor, we already know all of this."

Yurien glanced at them but showed no intention of stopping, continuing with passionate intensity, "The average person mistakenly assumes that stem cell research is synonymous with human embryos, clones, or the grotesque monsters seen in movies. But today, we are going to prove to the world that stem cells can create miracles never before seen!"

Marissa said earnestly, "Doctor, the preparations here are all complete."

Yurien shook his head helplessly and said, "Then let us begin this great experiment!" With that, he held his scrubbed hands high and strode directly into the operating room.

Ladana and Marissa exchanged a knowing look, shared a faint smile, and then pushed the instrument cart, following closely behind the Doctor into the theater.

Chen Houyan quickly tried to follow, but he was unceremoniously blocked at the door by a guard.

The guard informed him sternly that the surgery was highly confidential and that no outsiders were permitted entry, regardless of their role. Chen Houyan opened his mouth, attempting to explain, but as he met the guard's cold and unyielding gaze, his words died in his throat. He dared not say another word and was forced to wait outside in frustration.

The warning light of the operating room flashed on, and the sign by the door clearly displayed the word "WAITING."

The room was not luxurious. Aside from a medical cabinet, an operating table with steel railings on both sides, a shadowless lamp hanging above, the freshly placed yellow storage tank containing the stem cell tissue, and the instrument cart, the room was bare.

The operating table sat steadily in the center of the room. A subject lay silently upon it, completely covered by a white sheet, save for a gaunt, haggard face.

According to his medical records, he was an entrepreneur from China. Everyone knew that the name on his passport was not his real name; after all, subjects in such sensitive surgeries preferred to keep their true identities hidden.

Usually, the treatment center did not inquire further. For them, there was only one goal: profit.

The subject on the bed was humble, possessing the gentle, refined demeanor characteristic of an Easterner. He even offered a faint smile when Ladana injected the reagent.

Dr. Yurien slowly opened the yellow storage tank, which had a protective metal casing. A blast of cold gas permeated the air like mist.

Looking at the transparent liquid encased in the freezing vapor, the Doctor felt a chill of uncertainty—a foreboding feeling of the unknown. If it weren't for the tens of thousands of dollars, he never would have taken this job.

Theoretically, the stem cells in the vial could be preserved indefinitely at -196 degrees Celsius. But what worried the Doctor was that the stem cells extracted today were not human, yet they were to be used on a human subject.

Yurien carefully removed several vials of non-human embryonic stem cells from the liquid nitrogen. It required special technique; while extracting and storing stem cells was no longer a hurdle for the global scientific community, the challenge lay in ensuring the cells remained as fresh as ever upon extraction.

Yurien knew that although his country was the only one in the world that allowed embryonic stem cell transplantation, it had never authorized the use of non-human stem cells.

The lights in the operating room suddenly dimmed, leaving only a single beam of cold light focused on the subject. As the electronic operating table rose to the correct position, the subject’s consciousness began to blur under the effect of hypnotic waves.

Sensing that the work inside had begun, the people outside relaxed, gathering in small groups to discuss their own concerns in hushed tones.

Suddenly, a miserable scream erupted from the operating room. Dr. Yurien ran out, covered in blood, shouting, "Quick, quick... close the door!" Before he could even reach the threshold, his legs gave way, and he collapsed inside the doorway.

Confused, the onlookers watched in shock. Behind the fallen Doctor, a gaunt figure, bristling with needles and holding a blood-stained stainless steel railing, stumbled out.

The subject's hospital gown was splattered with blood. His face was deathly pale, his eyes fixed and burning with a murderous glint. As he stepped through the door, he froze, momentarily overwhelmed by the crowd of medical staff. Even Chen Houyan failed to recognize that this was the Chairman, Yao Kui.

Just then, an alarm sounded. A group of men in black rushed in from outside. The crowd swarmed forward, some attempting to subdue the attacker, others rushing to carry the wounded Doctor away from the scene.

The waiting hall descended into chaos.

Unexpectedly, the subject, who appeared thin and frail, erupted with strength and agility that defied belief. Like an enraged leopard, he moved with lethal precision, striking down several of the men in black. His fierce offensive and agility were completely characteristic of a highly trained, experienced secret agent.

Under the stunned gazes of the crowd, he broke through the encirclement and escaped the building.

Because all surgeries at the stem cell treatment center were bound by strict confidentiality, the outside world remained oblivious to what had transpired. Consequently, no one called the police. The center was forced to conduct an internal emergency search to track down the runaway subject.

Finally, someone reported to the control center that the subject had been seen stumbling toward the lake. Upon receiving the news, the entire staff sprinted toward the lakeshore.

By the clear, tranquil waters, they found the subject lying still. They approached cautiously, holding their breath, terrified of provoking the "martial arts master" who had just caused such chaos.

Soon, the subject was carried back to the operating room.

Police later reconstructed the events through security footage: After the injection of the special stem cells, Yao Kui had suffered immense agony, his body twisting in pain as a strange, eerie green light flickered in his eyes.

With the flash of that light, his muscles had bulged, unleashing tremendous power that easily tore the restraints. He had then snapped the steel railing off the bed and violently attacked Dr. Yurien Terkpar and the two female assistants.

When the disoriented Yao Kui had walked out of the operating room, he encountered the guards. Yet, he remained calm, attacking with blinding speed to neutralize them one by one, before walking out of the Surreal Stem Cell Treatment Center with chilling composure.