During every sleepless night, what enters the body is not necessarily sleepiness.

In every early morning when the east is about to dawn, what shines on your face may not necessarily be the sun.

What a man is willing to carry on his shoulders is probably not responsibility.

The cry from the deepest part of the soul may have nothing to do with pain and confusion.

…

…

Chen Yan didn't expect that he completed the transformation from a boy to a man in another time and space.

The process is beautiful and unforgettable.

He had a relationship in college, but it seemed that his girlfriend was with him simply for the sake of having a partner. Apart from being willing to let him hold her hand, even kissing depended on her mood. As for deeper communication, that was obviously wishful thinking.

Therefore, after finishing with Qin Yourong, Chen Yan felt very special looking at the pretty face in front of him with delicate features.

"Um... From now on, if you charge here, I can help you. We are friends after all, so don't be polite to me. This is mutual help between friends, don't think too much about it."

Qin Yourong put on his clothes, patted Chen Yan's shoulder generously, and said in a nonchalant tone.

However, Chen Yan could still feel from Qin Yourong's slightly stiff body language that Qin Yourong's heart was far from as calm as it appeared on the surface.

The bloodstains on the sofa clearly showed that it was not only his first time, but also Qin Yourong's first time!

"Well, I won't say thank you then. Charging is complete, so shall we... uh... take a shower first? Or is it okay if we don't?"

Chen Yan asked as naturally as possible.

Qin Yourong shook her head and said, "I can take a shower, but you can't. Although this villa area can still maintain basic water supply functions, all the available water sources are seriously polluted. I am currently a Level 2 Awakener and can barely resist the effects of pollution. However, you come from another time and space and have not unlocked your genetic lock. If you rashly use the villa's water supply to take a shower, it will definitely be contaminated."

When Qin Yourong suddenly brought up the topic of gene locks, Chen Yan's eyes lit up and he immediately asked, "What is a gene lock? And what is a Level 2 Awakener? It sounds very powerful."

Qin Yourong explained, "Gene lock is a potential development concept developed in our time and space after the catastrophe in order to fight against the zombie horde. You should know that the human body actually has powerful potential, but this potential is almost impossible to release.

Research by scientists in our time and space has revealed that a universal restriction, similar to a 'lock', exists in human DNA! This restriction can render a person mediocre, allowing them to only unleash a tiny fraction of their potential from birth to death.

To explain it more bluntly, it's like in everyday life, you often find that some people display extraordinary talent in a particular field! For example, some people have absolute pitch, while others become professional chess players at the age of seven or eight.

Some people learn languages ​​incredibly quickly, even mastering a dozen completely different languages ​​simultaneously throughout their lives. Or, some can run the 100 meters in under nine seconds, while others can jump over 1.5 meters—all of these are beyond the normal human limit.

All these gaps that ordinary people can't make up for with hard work are actually a manifestation of a loosening of the genetic lock. It's just that the percentage of genetic locks that are unlocked is too low, so it appears as if these people are only talented in certain areas.

Having said that, Qin Yourong turned around and picked up the bottle of mineral water that he had drunk half of before, drank the remaining half bottle directly, and then breathed a sigh of relief.

He continued, "I won't explain the specific research process to you. If you're interested, you can wait until the bracelet is implanted with artificial intelligence and then ask the artificial intelligence directly. The engineer I know has written a very powerful artificial intelligence that can basically answer these questions."

In short, after a long period of research, scientists discovered that all zombies condense a crystal in their bodies. This crystal acts a bit like a heart, providing the energy source for all zombies' actions. By extracting the energy contained in the crystal, a potion can be created!

Ordinary people, simply by injecting this drug, can unlock their genetic locks to a certain extent, possessing physical abilities beyond those of ordinary people! We call these people "Awakeners"! The standard for a Level 1 Awakener is to unlock 5% of their genetic locks, while a Level 2 Awakener requires 10% unlocking of their genetic locks.

Through years of hunting lone, low-level zombies, I've accumulated a considerable amount of low-level crystals. I exchanged them for Level 1 and Level 2 gene potions at a nearby survivor camp. After completing the injection and absorption process, I was able to become a Level 2 Awakener."

Although Qin Yourong's explanation was rather vague, it was enough for Chen Yan to understand clearly.

After digesting all this, Chen Yan asked seriously, "Can we go to the nearby survivor camp first and exchange some for genetic medicine for me? Time travel will put a huge strain on my body. I need to unlock the genetic locks in my body to a certain extent so that I can withstand the consumption brought about by time travel!"

After the gene potion is injected, we'll go find that engineer you know and implant the artificial intelligence in the bracelet! As for exchanging the gene potion for... uh... crystals, right? Do you have any extra crystals? I can trade them for unpolluted water and biscuits! Just name a price, I won't bargain!

Qin Yourong hurriedly said, "Don't be so formal with me. Of course I have extra crystals. I originally wanted to save enough to exchange for a level three gene potion. But right now, I only have enough to exchange for one level one potion and one level two potion. As for the level three potion, I need to save at least ten times more low-level crystals, so I'll give them to you first. Once you become a level two awakener, with your help, I will definitely be able to accumulate crystals much faster."

Chen Yan said embarrassedly, "How can I do that? How about exchanging it with food and water? I brought a lot of food and water, which should be enough."

Qin Yourong shook her head cautiously and said, "No, the zero-pollution water and zero-pollution food you can provide are too valuable! A whole box of water like this, with a bit of luck, might even be enough to exchange for a Level 3 potion! Something of such high value is easy to be targeted! We must be careful! Anyway, listen to me. I won't be polite to you, and you shouldn't be polite to me either, okay?"

Chen Yan blinked, then nodded seriously and said, "Okay!"