She stared intently at the instrument panel belonging to her on the outside of the glass jar.

Heartbeat: thump! thump! thump... The numbers seem to be beating faster? No, maybe it's just an illusion; it's still in the green zone.

Blood pressure: Still within normal range.

Everything... indicates that her "flesh" is in excellent condition and is of superior quality.

But what's the use of that?!

No matter how good the meat is, if it's not picked out before "Clean Day", it will be disposed of as garbage!

In the chilling despair, Jiang Chan felt for the first time what true powerlessness meant. There was nothing she could do. She could only wait. Wait for a slim chance, wait for a "gardener" who might appear at any moment to specifically request her heart.

6 hours...

Tick-tock... tick-tock...

Time ticked by, second by second, amidst the piercing alarms and flashing red lights.

Buzz—buzz—buzz—buzz—!!

The piercing alarm sounded like awls stabbing into our ears! The entire jar vibrated, and the murky green liquid sloshed violently!

Outside the tank, the entire massive metal room was engulfed in a blinding red light! All the indicator lights had turned flashing red! Rows of red alarm lights high on the walls spun wildly, emitting a chilling glow! The icy smell of disinfectant instantly intensified tenfold, almost suffocating anyone who smelled it!

Time ticked by, each second like a dull knife cutting into flesh. The red alarm continued to flash frantically, and the smell of disinfectant was overwhelming. Jiang Chan's eyes were fixed on the track leading deeper into the metal room, the direction from which the robotic arm had come. Her ears were straining to catch any unusual sound.

There was no movement.

The robotic arm did not appear.

The broadcast only monotonously repeated the countdown to "Clean Day," 5 hours... 4 hours... 3 hours... without any other instructions.

Despair, like a cold, green liquid, was threatening to engulf her. Could it be… she wouldn't be able to wait for that "gardener"? Was her heart, this carefully cultivated poisonous fruit, going to be thrown into that damned sterilization process and destroyed completely, along with the entire jar?

Just when the countdown showed less than 2 hours left!

drop--!

A crisp, distinct alarm tone rang out! The piercing alarm and flashing red lights that filled the entire room seemed to be choked and stopped instantly! Only a few warning lights high on the wall continued to rotate slowly, emitting a low hum.

Immediately afterwards, a clearer, more "solemn" electronic voice broadcast rang out, drowning out the other noises:

"Emergency Order: Container Gamma-7. Final Fit Confirmation: Perfect Match for 'Gardener S'. Task Priority: Highest. Execute Heart Transplant Preparation Procedures. Harvesting Process: Execute Immediately! Repeat: Harvesting Process, Execute Immediately!"

Gardener S!

Highest priority!

Execute immediately!

It's here!

Jiang Chan's muscles tensed instantly, then she forced herself to relax completely. She couldn't get excited! She couldn't have any abnormal reaction!

[Target locked: 'Gardener S'. Activate [Infectious Enhancer]!] Jiang Chan urgently commanded the system in her mind!

The moment the command was given, Jiang Chan felt something gently stirring inside her body. It wasn't pain, but rather a... indescribable "viscous" sensation.

It was as if the toxins flowing in her blood had suddenly become more concentrated and stubborn. Like syrup that had cooled and solidified slightly, it clung firmly to the walls of her blood vessels, seeping into every inch of her tissues, especially the beating heart in her chest cavity. The sensation was subtle, but it was definitely there.

System notification: [Infectivity enhancement complete. Toxin latency increased, environmental tolerance improved.]

Almost the very next second after the enhancement was completed!

Snap! Buzz—!

That familiar, complex robotic arm, like a hunter who had been waiting for a long time, glided along the track and stopped precisely in front of Jiang Chan's glass jar! The cold metal arm gleamed with a chilling light, moving faster than ever before!

Above the tank, the complex sealing device emitted a slight hissing sound as it released pressure.

*Pfft!* *Hiss hiss hiss—*

Suddenly, the lid of the jar above Jiang Chan's head contracted inward, rotated, and opened a circular opening! A powerful suction force came! The viscous, cold green nutrient solution enveloping her entire body, like water in a bathtub with the plug pulled, swirled and made a huge sucking sound, rushing rapidly towards the opening! The water level dropped rapidly!

The icy, bone-chilling air rushed in instantly!

It rushed into Jiang Chan's exposed nasal cavity and mouth! It carried a strong smell of disinfectant and a metallic odor! She instinctively tried to inhale, but the icy air choked her and caused her to cough violently! Her body, exposed to the air, broke out in a fine layer of goosebumps, and the cold made her teeth chatter!

The nutrient solution was quickly drained.

Jiang Chan lay sprawled on the cold glass jar, wet and naked, like a fish thrown onto the shore. The icy air scraped against her skin like knives. She curled up, coughing violently, gasping for breath, white steam billowing from her mouth.

The robotic arm didn't give her any time to adapt!

Two metal arms, with sharp probes and flexible claws at their ends, darted in with precision and speed, like cobras, through the open can opening! A cold, metallic scraping sound filled the air!

The icy touch first landed on her ankle, then on her wrist! The hard, cold metal buckle snapped shut with a "click!" Instantly constricting her flesh! The force was astonishing, as if it wanted to crush her bones! It pinned her firmly to the bottom of the jar, rendering her immobile!

Immediately afterwards, another, thicker metal arm, with complex cutting and suction devices at its end, hovered above her chest!

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!