"Hello, first-year students. My name is Xia Shang, and I am a visiting professor in the Department of Life Engineering at this university. This afternoon, I am very pleased to give a lecture on biochemistry. Before we begin, I would like to ask if any of you have any prior experience with this subject?"

From the back row of the lecture hall, a boy's voice came: "Teacher, I've completed all of 'Resident Evil,' does that count?"

On the podium, the refined man, wearing black-rimmed glasses and a perfectly tailored suit, showed no annoyance and laughed heartily, "Of course it counts, if you can write the chemical equation for the T-virus..."

Turning around, Xia Shang wrote the words "virus," "bacteria," and "parasite" on the blackboard. He then turned back to the students and said, "Let's talk about the bio-game theme this student mentioned. Look at these common terms used in bio-weapons—aren't they scary? But the reality is that many of these organisms not only don't harm the human body, but can actually benefit it. For example, bacteriophages, which are viruses, unlike antibiotics that attack bacteria indiscriminately, can attack specific pathogens. And parasites, while unnecessary for a healthy body, can play a crucial role in treating certain diseases."

Another boy raised his hand and asked, "Teacher! Is it possible that the superpowers in movies and novels that are caused by viruses or bacteria are real?"

Seemingly unprepared for such a question, Xia Shang lowered his head and thought for a moment before drawing a two-dimensional coordinate axis on the blackboard. He drew a downward-sloping curve on the axis with chalk as he addressed the students: “The X-axis represents time, and the Y-axis represents quantity. Throughout human history, the number and variety of microorganisms or xenobiotics such as viruses, bacteria, and parasites have been declining due to advancements in medicine, changes in the human body, and species reduction. One study suggests that by 2070, it is estimated that 30% of existing parasites will have disappeared. So, let's make an interesting hypothesis. Going back a thousand years, to a period with a more complete biological diversity, such as the early Middle Ages in Europe, the variety of microorganisms and xenobiotics may have been several times greater than in modern society. From a probabilistic perspective, there is indeed a high probability that organisms that alter bodily functions will emerge…”

Xia Shang seemed lost in thought, tapping the podium lightly with chalk as he continued, "If biochemistry had reached today's level back then, under the deliberate drive of ambitious individuals, it might actually have changed the course of history... Okay, I digress! Let's cut to the chase and get straight to the point. First, I'd like to talk about proteins and nucleic acids..."

The moon rises high in the sky, and the night is as still as water.

Anxi Road, in front of the Suyuan Hotel.

A dinner party had just ended, and Xia Shang smiled and declined his friends' invitation to continue the party. Instead of driving, he decided to walk to the school's biology lab to check on the bacteria in the petri dishes.

Walking down the deserted street, he sighed softly.

A night breeze swept by, and Xia Shang's stomach churned violently. He stumbled and fell to the ground, bending over and dry heaving.

Raise your head again.

A blinding flash of light, followed by a sudden stop.

The excruciating pain was like ink dripping into clear water, spreading and seeping from my chest.

The piercing sirens of ambulances, the shouts of people around me, and the ticking of machines.

Xia Shang's consciousness gradually detached from his body.

——————————————

After an unknown amount of time, Xia Shang woke up from his drowsiness.

His eyelids twitched, and he opened his eyes a crack. The things in his vision were blurry, and everything in front of him seemed to be covered by a thin veil.

I blinked hard, and my vision finally became a little clearer.

A candle, its light flickering under a makeshift hood, stood upright on a simple wooden table. Straws covered its body, and its face was turned toward the dark ceiling. A faint, sour stench of rotting meat could be smelled from its surface.

Where am I? A hospital?

Puzzled, Xia Shang lay flat and tried to take a deep breath, but unexpectedly, a foreign object in his mouth suddenly fell into his trachea and got stuck in his throat.

He suddenly found it extremely difficult to breathe. He rolled around in pain on the haystack, desperately trying to reach into his throat with his fingers, but he couldn't reach it no matter what.

The prolonged lack of oxygen caused Xia Shang's brain to throb, but it also gradually made his thoughts clearer.

Is there any way to get this stuff out of my throat?!

Heimlich maneuver!

With a swift movement, Xia Shang rolled onto his stomach and crawled to the wooden table. Using all his strength, he knelt beside the table, pressing the hard corner of the table against the area above his navel. He placed one fist between the table and his skin, and pushed his other hand towards his upper chest.

once.

twice.

three times.

The air in his chest rushed into his mouth, accompanied by a violent cough, and a black, semi-solid object the size of an infant's fist was spat out.

Having narrowly escaped death and finally returned to the world of the living, Xia Shang calmed his breathing and, by the dim candlelight, looked at the black object on the table. The black, jelly-like object had a pungent, herbal stench.

Soon, by candlelight, looking at his small, thin hands, he discovered an even more shocking truth.

The 28-year-old mature man's body has turned into that of a teenager! In addition, he is dressed in a rough linen corset in a medieval style, and has a wooden cross on his chest.

Time travel?

I've traveled through time...

Xia Shang covered his face with his hands in distress, pulling hard on his hair.

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