Chapter 134: Self-Evolving Genes

22580 was quickly taken away by the experts who arrived from Yanjing, accompanied by military protection throughout the process. Zhu Lan simply handed over 22580 without paying attention to anything else.

“Zhu Lan, here’s what you asked for!” Li Hongjin handed him a document.

Zhu Lan took it and frowned upon seeing it. “Why is it still reduced?”

“Just be satisfied! This is already the biggest concession!”

“In that case, I’ll use the model.”

“There’s no issue with that. If you use the model, how you use it is up to you!”

“Alright.” Hearing Li Hongjin say this, Zhu Lan had nothing more to say.

“Can I send someone to Chengfei’s site to copy the data?”

Li Hongjin thought for a moment and nodded. “No problem. I’ll arrange it for you.”

“Good, then it’s settled.”

Zhu Lan said nothing more and left with the list of military personnel assisting with space revolution filming that Li Hongjin gave him.

“That kid!” Zhu Lan told Kong Yan to hand the list to Lan Tianxin and let her take charge.

Entering the Canglan Base, Zhu Lan went to the Virtual Research Center.

“Boss, you’re here!”

“I heard there’s been progress?” Zhu Lan looked at the foreigner with some excitement.

Randy Scott, a biology professor from the National University of the Netherlands, had left the university due to certain circumstances and became a researcher at an institute that soon went bankrupt.

“This morning, we discovered that Subject Eight successfully entered the Second World.”

“Oh, take me to see it!”

“This way, boss!”

Randy led Zhu Lan to a nearby room with a huge screen clearly displaying an expansive plain. On the grass sat a man who looked confused.

“Have you made contact?”

Randy shook his head awkwardly. “For some unknown reason, we still can’t establish communication with Subject Eight. However, we found that some of our messages do get through, but there are always transmission issues. We’re working on it, but...”

“But what?”

“During the experiment, we realized that the signal transmission causes instability in the Second World. We asked the Queen, and it might be that the mainframe is overwhelmed by too many computations!”

“Explain in terms I can understand!”

Randy nodded awkwardly. “Because the Second World isn’t fully developed yet, it occupies a massive amount of computing power. We didn’t expect the experiment to succeed so soon. This computational burden affects communication.”

“Can’t you just shut down part of it?”

Randy shook his head. “No, it’s self-generated. Shutting it down means restarting the simulation!”

Zhu Lan frowned. Restarting the simulation?

The Second World had been simulated for over three months, roughly modeling Earth. But a complete simulation would take at least eighteen months, and even then, the simulation would cover only about 40% of Earth’s original complexity. There were no detailed data on underground or oceanic environments, making them impossible to simulate accurately.

The Second World would also be tasked with simulating the solar system. Although much data was obtained from American databases, the simulation was still far from complete. Only after the full implementation of the quantum network could the simulation proceed, which the Queen estimated would take at least five years to complete.

Moreover, the simulation could not be interrupted—any interruption meant starting over. For this reason, the Second World’s virtual mainframe had a dedicated room on Zhu Lan’s third floor, monitored by the Queen around the clock.

The virtual mainframe was essentially a supercomputer. Though not among the world's top ten, combined with the Queen’s assistance, it was capable of simulating the Second World.

Zhu Lan could build a supercomputer surpassing the Milky Way No. 2, but to what end? It would just attract scrutiny from above. He had no choice but to use slightly outdated equipment.

“Is there no other way?”

Randy shook his head. “We can only keep trying slowly until we establish a connection.”

Zhu Lan nodded silently.

“Notify me immediately if there’s any progress!”

Randy nodded. “Understood, boss!”

Suddenly, an alarm blared.

Randy turned around in alarm. “What’s happening?”

“Supervisor, Subject Eight’s brainwaves are abnormal—extremely chaotic!” someone answered.

Randy’s face turned pale as he looked at the screen. Subject Eight, a man in his forties, was pacing fearfully, shouting intermittently.

“Stabilize, stabilize! Keep him calm!”

Everyone panicked, continuously sending commands.

Zhu Lan glanced once and then turned to leave.

“Boss...” Randy felt something but the door had already closed. Even if Randy called, Zhu Lan wouldn’t hear him.

“Hello?”

“Old Four, do you have a moment?”

“Old Three?”

“Yeah, do you have time? Hope I’m not disturbing you.”

“No, what’s up?”

“I’m outside your company now. Can you come pick me up?”

“You’re outside my company? Wait, I’m on my way!”

“Okay.”

Zhu Lan arrived outside Fantasy Technology and immediately spotted the hefty Li Jin.

Li Jin was driving a business van accompanied by a woman who appeared to be in her forties.

“Old Three?”

“Old Four, let me introduce you—this is my mother.”

“Hello, madam!”

Li Jin’s mother looked exhausted but managed a weak smile and nodded.

“What’s going on?” Zhu Lan pulled Li Jin aside, asking curiously.

Li Jin’s face was also worn, and he gave a bitter smile. “Old Four, my father’s condition has deteriorated severely. The doctors say he probably won’t last ten days.”

Zhu Lan frowned. “How could that be? I thought his condition wasn’t that bad.”

Li Jin sighed and nodded. “I don’t know why, but he suddenly worsened. He’s been unconscious for a week. The doctors have issued a death notice. I had no choice but to come find you.”

“Where is your father now?”

“In the car.”

Zhu Lan pushed Li Jin aside, walked to the vehicle, and opened the door. Seeing Li Jin’s father inside, Zhu Lan was startled and stepped back quickly. Another person was in the car, who glanced up at Zhu Lan before lowering their head to gently wipe with a towel.

“This—”

“Did I scare you?” Li Jin looked awkward.

Li Jin’s father’s skin was almost completely peeled away, exposing the blood vessels beneath. It looked like severe disfigurement.

“Old Four, is my father still salvageable?”

“Wait a moment, I need to examine him first.”

Zhu Lan stepped back and activated his communication wristwatch. “Bring someone to the entrance immediately!”

“Yes, boss!” came the quick response.

Minutes later, Wei Jianwen arrived with a team.

“To the car!”

Wei Jianwen said nothing and went straight to the vehicle. Upon seeing the man’s condition, he frowned.

“Boss, a full examination is necessary!”

“Then do it.”

Wei Jianwen nodded, ordered his team to move Li Jin’s father onto a stretcher, covered him with a medical cloth, and proceeded into the company.

“Let’s go! The results will come soon,” Zhu Lan told Li Jin and the others.

“Old Four, are you sure this will be okay?” Li Jin asked worriedly, still doubtful.

“Don’t worry! I, Zhu Lan, don’t take on anything I’m not confident about!”

Li Jin nodded and followed Zhu Lan into the company.

They arrived at Building Six, which had been converted into an external experimental facility—a medical center, essentially.

Another beautiful woman was with them, whom Zhu Lan learned from Li Jin was his half-sister.

The three were too anxious to look around Fantasy Technology and followed Zhu Lan straight to Building Six.

Seeing the sophisticated equipment inside eased their minds somewhat.

“Wait, you can’t go in!”

Li Jin looked at Zhu Lan in confusion.

“That’s a restricted area. Without special protective clothing, entry is impossible!”

“So...?”

“Just wait! If your father’s condition isn’t too severe, I still have some ability to help.”

“Zhu Lan, thank you. I really don’t know what else to do.”

“Madam, Li Jin is my brother, and it’s not too late yet.”

Li Jin’s mother understood Zhu Lan’s reassurance. She was already aware of the situation; this was just a faint glimmer of hope.

The examination took a long time.

No one spoke.

Wei Jianwen emerged, his expression grave.

“Speak plainly.”

“Boss, this man’s genes have mutated!”

“Gene mutation?”

Wei Jianwen said nothing further but walked aside and pressed a button, projecting a virtual 3D interface.

“This is his genetic profile. We found mutations here,” Wei Jianwen pointed to the left chest on the virtual human model. “This is the reason for his current condition!”

“Mutation? What does that mean?” Li Jin was confused.

“Well, it’s actually a good thing!”

“A good thing?”

Wei Jianwen nodded. “Preliminary tests show that the mutation resembles evolutionary processes found in the animal kingdom.”

“Evolution?” The three were startled.

Wei Jianwen nodded. “Exactly. Your father’s skin naturally peeling is due to evolution. His body is instinctively shedding old skin to replace it with a more suitable one. I imagine your father has spent many years working in unusual environments. There have been similar cases worldwide, but those people were often seen as cursed and burned alive. Your father lives in a peaceful era, which is fortunate. In the past, he would likely have been treated as a heretic.”

“Does my father still have a chance?” Li Jin asked.

Wei Jianwen smiled. “Chance? What chance?”

“The doctors said he has less than ten days to live...” Li Jin said nervously.

Wei Jianwen shook his head. “Quack doctors, a bunch of quack doctors!”

“Your father isn’t sick. This is a form of self-evolution. Once complete, his genetic chain will be perfected. Research shows that humans evolved gradually, and each evolution is a leap forward!”

(To be continued.)