Chapter 003: Flickering Sparks

In the early hours before dawn, the alarm blared.

Every light in the research institute flickered on at once, as a flood of special agents surged into the building to conduct a search. All staff members were roused from their beds, lined up one after another to await questioning. No one understood what had happened—though perhaps, just perhaps, a select few had already guessed the truth.

After being questioned, Professor Han Yi made his way to the conference room, where many were already seated. Accusations erupted:

“Professor, what on earth is going on?”
“Zhou Yirong has betrayed the nation, and so has your daughter!”
“Was this your doing?”
“Our project is completely ruined! Utterly destroyed!”
“Why? Please, at least give us an explanation!”

The facts soon became clear. Zhou Yirong had fled, taking with him the only surviving carrier and a tank of liquid nitrogen containing the ancient heart. The person who aided his escape was none other than Professor Han Yi’s daughter, Han Xue.

Professor Han’s face was ashen, his silence impenetrable. The incident had occurred abruptly, and yet somehow, it seemed inevitable. Gradually, the tumult in the conference room subsided.

After a long pause, Professor Han finally spoke. “Perhaps this isn’t the disaster we think it is.”

He continued, “I am willing to accept any punishment from the organization, even though I was unaware of this plot. But I must say, if I were Zhou Yirong, perhaps I would have done the same thing.”

His words were a stone cast into a stormy sea, instantly throwing the room into chaos again.

Professor Han had his own fears. For the moment, the beastification disease had not produced any adverse effects, nor was further treatment required. But who could guarantee there would be no long-term consequences? This was, after all, a transformation into beasts—a mutation of the human genome, enhancing individual destructive power. Wouldn’t those primal instincts lurking deep within each human heart swell and break free?

Some things can only be known when they happen. That uncertainty was precisely what troubled Professor Han. He believed the others here could see it too; there was no need for elaborate explanations. What he needed was the support of the state.

If the nation did not approve of Zhou Yirong’s actions, then even if Zhou escaped to the ends of the earth, it would amount to nothing.

Professor Han sighed inwardly: Zhou Yirong was still too young, too impulsive! Had this been handled through proper channels, perhaps a better solution could have been found.

Suddenly, a thought struck him. Who was it that helped the boy escape? Hadn’t someone just said… Han… Han Xue?!

Han… Xue? Good heavens! That damned brat had taken his daughter with him?

Moments ago, Professor Han had seemed composed, but now he leapt to his feet in a rage. That was his darling girl—his precious treasure!

At that moment, all his usual composure vanished, and he seemed more like a grumpy old man than ever before.

——

As dawn broke, the sun’s first sliver pushed above the horizon, banishing every trace of darkness. A jeep headed west, crawling along the empty road, its shadow stretched impossibly long by the newborn light.

Inside the military vehicle sat a man and a girl, both in uniform. Yet, though the girl wore a soldier’s attire, she lacked any hint of a soldier’s bearing. Her lips were pouted petulantly, her cheeks puffed in indignation, eyes wide and plaintive.

The man, meanwhile, bore several fresh scratch marks on his handsome face. He drove in silence, occasionally wincing and sucking in a breath through his teeth, resignation written all over him.

They were Zhou Yirong and Han Xue.

“Hey, kiddo, you’re the one who insisted I take you out for some fun. How can you treat me like this? And… ow… couldn’t you go a little easier on me?”

“Keep talking and I’ll castrate you!” she snapped.

“I…”

Zhou Yirong fell silent, realizing he was no match for this little spitfire. He knew better than to argue. Despite her youth, the girl was sharp as a whip—her intellect seemed almost inhuman. Her only real shortcomings, he thought, were her age and her emotional intelligence.

“Does this count as eloping with you?” Han Xue blurted suddenly after a moment of silence.

Zhou Yirong broke out in a cold sweat. “My dear little lady, I’m over thirty and you’re only sixteen… What kind of elopement is that?”

Han Xue planted her hands on her hips. “So you remember I’m sixteen? Do you realize you’re abducting a minor? That’s against the law!”

No winning with her—no winning at all. Zhou Yirong’s face was a mask of misery. If not for the survival of the human race, if not for the sheer urgency of the situation, he would never have chosen such a partner! She was utterly unreliable, and had a knack for causing trouble at the most inopportune moments.

“If, as you say, the whole world has been beastified, why am I not affected?”

“I have no idea. In the entire institute, only you and that young man sleeping in the back weren’t infected…”

Han Xue rubbed her delicate chin thoughtfully. “So, for the sake of preserving humanity, does that mean I’ll have to help you continue your bloodline?”

Screech—thud—

The jeep slammed to a sudden halt.

Han Xue shrieked as her forehead collided with the windshield, raising a sizable red welt.

“I’ll kill you!” she cried.

Zhou Yirong reached out to restrain her, signaling for silence.

A short distance ahead, a series of roadblocks had been set up. Two traffic officers were stopping and checking vehicles, a police car parked nearby with someone inside.

There weren’t many cars on the road, just a scattered few. Soon enough, it was their turn.

A portly officer approached. “License and registration, please.”

Han Xue turned to stare out the window, clearly uninterested in such matters.

Zhou Yirong deftly opened the glove compartment, retrieved the documents, and handed them over.

The officer inspected the paperwork—nothing amiss—then glanced at the two inside. “The passenger looks awfully young…”

Expressionless, Zhou Yirong replied, “We’re with a special department. You have no authority to ask further questions.”

The officer swallowed, thinking, Special department or not, you still have to be inspected.

“Step out and open the rear doors. I need to perform a routine check.”

Zhou Yirong maintained his stony composure, producing another document. “This is our special clearance. We’re exempt from inspection.”

This time the officer’s irritation was clear. “We’ve received orders from above—there are drug traffickers passing through today. Every vehicle must be checked, no exceptions!”

Relieved, Zhou Yirong realized they were only after drug runners—that made things easier. He opened the rear door, allowing the officer to inspect as he wished.

Five minutes later, the officer finished, but his face was noticeably pale as he got out.

“What’s with the person in the back?” he asked.

Zhou Yirong shot him a cold look. “That’s not your concern. Call your colleague over.”

The officer, sensing trouble, had no choice but to summon his partner.

“Old Chen, you look terrible. Are you feeling alright?” the other asked.

Old Chen shook his head.

Zhou Yirong addressed the newcomer. “Comrade, I’m with the National Special Events Office, currently on a classified mission. Your colleague insisted on searching our vehicle. Now, I’d like him to state for the record: did he find anything amiss, and may we proceed?”

The second officer glanced at his partner. Old Chen shook his head vigorously. “No problem… not a thing wrong. Please, go ahead!”

Zhou Yirong drew his sidearm, chambered a round, and pressed it to Old Chen’s temple.

“In that case, to ensure the safety of this mission… forgive me.”

Bang.

He holstered his weapon.

Offering the stunned second officer a crisp salute, Zhou Yirong turned and climbed back into the jeep.

The roadblocks had been removed. The jeep continued on its way.

“Did it have to be so bloody?” Han Xue muttered.

“It’s protocol,” Zhou Yirong replied.

“What sort of protocol lets you abduct underage girls?”

“….”

“So, where are we going now?”

“I’m not sure yet… Alright, we’re heading to the Taklamakan Desert.”

“What’s there?”

“A secret testing facility from the 1980s. The ‘Two Bombs’ project was developed there.”

“Interesting… but is it really just the two of us?”

“Why? Do you have any other ideas?”

“I’m only sixteen! A young girl, just beginning to experience the stirrings of love… If I don’t find a handsome boy to keep me company, how lonely I’ll be…”