Invasive Experiments (Part 1)

"At 9:29 AM today, Pacific Time Zone 8, the Oceania's 'Abyss' unmanned submersible successfully broke human records, reaching a depth of 12,098 meters below sea level for the first time in history..."

In City A, East 9:30 PM. In a hotel-style apartment.

A beautiful woman dressed in a bath towel sat in front of a floor-standing television, watching a news report on the "Technology Channel" with a blank expression, while aimlessly scrolling through her phone. On the phone screen was a photo of a human male.

—A very handsome East Asian man in his early thirties.

“Heh. Celestis…” She curled her thin red lips into a perfectly executed cold smile.

Just then, a voice call request popped up. The woman raised an eyebrow and casually answered, "Hello... Oh, Elder."

Strictly speaking, perhaps she should address him as something like "Elder Leggett"? However, she'd never bothered to remember names—whether from her own clan or from other races. To her, names were irrelevant; they were meaningless unless absolutely necessary for differentiation or a specific purpose.

"Have you found that silver scale?"

The elder's voice came coldly. She smiled, her tone somewhat dismissive: "I suppose so? The council of elders wants to execute him?"

“No,” Elder Leggett said. “He still has many secrets to uncover. There’s no need to rush into action before that.”

The woman gave a soft hum.

“Nixos.” Elder Leggett paused, then said, “This silver scale is very likely one of the last of the ‘Seven Royal Families,’ so I need to remind you again, do not act rashly, he still has great uses.”

“Okay~” Nixos shrugged, his voice so sweet it sent chills down your spine: “Anything else you need? Just say it all at once.”

"Your next task will be very difficult and dangerous."

Leggett's tone turned serious: "You have two options. One, infiltrate human society and find a way to approach a human who has the means and authority to get close to that silver-scaled creature..."

After saying that, there was silence on the other end of the phone. Nixos, as if struck by a sudden inspiration, readily continued, "The second option is for me to find a way to infiltrate the GI Research Institute directly, right?"

Leggett's voice carried a hint of pleased laughter: "Not bad. It's just that this plan is far too complicated for you... or for any Golden Scale Warrior."

"Ha, are you saying I'm like those muscle-headed idiots?"

"Nixos retorted dismissively. She wasn't actually angry, because the elder was speaking the truth. "Don't worry! I guarantee I'll complete the mission."

“Good.” Leggett breathed a sigh of relief, then suddenly remembered something else: “And… Nixos, your differentiation period is almost here, isn’t it?”

The woman narrowed her eyes and snorted through her nose, "Hmm?"

“Just a heads-up,” Leggett said kindly, “try to determine the sex and complete differentiation as soon as possible during this period to avoid delaying what follows. Understand?”

"well."

Nixos sighed in boredom: "Okay, got it."

After hanging up the phone, she stood up and walked to the window, but her gaze did not fall on the bustling traffic outside; instead, it fell on the window itself.

—To be precise, it was her own shadow reflected in the window.

"This face, it's still somewhat useful." She raised her hand and gently stroked her exquisitely beautiful face, which seemed otherworldly, then sighed, "It's just a pity that its effectiveness is too short."

——————————

I don't know if it's just my imagination, but Li Liguo has been coming less often lately.

The first to panic wasn't Shen Huai'an himself, but rather Eunuch Yun, who was more anxious than the emperor... (just kidding) Researcher Yun. Although she didn't know the details of the deal between Shen Huai'an and Li Laodeng, she was still quite intelligent—

She strongly suspected that Director Li had already squeezed all of Shen Huai'an's "value" dry.

This is definitely not a good sign!

So, taking advantage of the opportunity to wipe the scales, she tentatively asked him in her heart: Old Deng hasn't come to see you yet, could it be that he has already... achieved results?

"Are you worried?" Shen Huai'an asked with a smile.

"Nonsense! This directly determines your future fate." She rolled her eyes, then noticed that the scales on his waist were sticking up a bit, so she changed her eye roll to a frown: "Dehydrated again?"

As he spoke, he gently touched her again. Unexpectedly, Shen Huai'an couldn't help but groan in pain: "...Ugh!"

That place is...

"Ah!" Yunhe was startled by his reaction: "Where did I touch wrong again? You..."

Why is she like the Princess and the Pea, so "delicate"?

"Recently," he finally had to explain, "recently... for the past week or two, I might..."

Spring is here. It's that time of year again when animals are **not allowed**, **not allowed**—

Yunhe: "..."

Shen Huai'an: "..."

Yunhe: "..."

Yun took a deep breath, fully understanding the situation, and tentatively asked, "...Um, should I apply for an inhibitor?"

When she asked that question, she implicitly assumed he would reject it—after all, it was too "insulting to Yu Ge's character (crossed out)".

Moreover, he was such a proud, self-respecting, and arrogant person.

"good."

To my utter surprise, he agreed very readily: "Thank you for your trouble, Researcher Yun."

Yunhe tried asking herself again, "Do you really need this? Do you know what using this means to you?"

Yes I know.

He answered silently, "Yunhe, thank you for your trouble."

After saying this, he shut his mouth, closed his eyes, and stopped giving her any more "telepathic communication".

——————————

At 3 p.m., I received a last-minute notice from my superiors to arrange an invasive experiment.

Upon receiving the email, Yunhe was so shocked and terrified that she didn't react for a moment, and almost dropped her coffee cup!

"What's wrong."

Shen Huai'an removed the book from his face and set it aside, looking towards the source of the sound. He saw a human woman sitting at a desk not far away, looking utterly terrified, as if she had seen a ghost. After hearing his question, she mechanically turned her head about ten seconds later.

"..." She seemed to be choosing her words carefully: "You, have you had your blood drawn since... since that?"

"Hmm." Shen Huai'an frowned slightly. He realized it almost immediately—without even needing her "telepathy," although at least in the current situation, he couldn't "sense" her unless they were in direct contact—"Another experiment?"

Yunhe was speechless. She really didn't know how to start the conversation, or how to talk to him in a way that wouldn't make him feel the same fear she did.

Invasive experiments mean procedures such as opening the skull to implant electrodes, inserting cardiac catheters, removing organs or performing tissue biopsies, implanting chips or devices—or even amputating limbs!

Has the director suddenly gone mad? Has the research institute suddenly gone mad?!

Did they really treat Shen Huai'an like a guinea pig, a monkey, or a laboratory dog?!

"..."

She didn't need to utter a single word. Her expression alone was enough to say everything.

Still can't keep secrets...

Shen Huai'an blinked gently and smiled, "I understand. This experiment is a little different, isn't it?"

Yunhe could only nod. She opened her mouth, about to say something to comfort him, when she heard the mermaid in the cage chuckle softly:

"So, Researcher Yun was worried about me just now?"

Huh?

Isn't that tone a little too relaxed?

At a time like this, you still... still have the nerve to flirt with me!

What a foolish fish!

"That's catastrophic thinking."

"What?" Yunhe was racking his brains when he heard Shen Huai'an laugh and say, "I mean, you have a terrible mindset."

"you--"

Yunhe instinctively wanted to retort, but then became somewhat confused: "Aren't you really worried? Aren't you... afraid?"

"How about we make a bet, Researcher Yun?" Shen Huai'an asked instead of answering, his tone even somewhat leisurely: "The bet is that bottle of discounted, near-expiry product you've hidden in the refrigerator."

Damn it! Why add so many adjectives?! What kind of time is this to keep harping on my miserly nature?!

Yunhe finally broke down and stopped being "worried." An overwhelming urge to complain made her give the middle finger towards the cage: "What are we betting on?"

"I bet I won't get sliced ​​up," he laughed. "At least not right now."

As Shen Huai'an had predicted, the so-called "invasive experiment" was nothing more than taking a few pieces of dermis and muscle tissue, along with scales, from the base of his tail, the middle of his tail, and his tail fin.

"That's all." The actual meaning of this phrase is—after simple anesthesia, they use a scalpel to cut the flesh off, scales and all!

Yunhe was a "junior researcher," so she didn't have the authority to directly participate in the experimental procedures. However, this time she unusually requested to "observe" from the sidelines, and of course, her reason was quite plausible:

“As the lead researcher, the director said I’ll have to participate in the experiments myself. Now is the perfect time to gain practical experience, isn’t it?” she blurted out to her colleague, the researcher in charge of the experiment. Researchers are generally pure bookworms, with a poor understanding of rules, regulations, and interpersonal relationships, so she agreed without a second thought.

Anyway, there's no risk or harm in letting her stay and watch.

The experiment wasn't conducted on an experimental table, but directly inside a riot cage. Clearly, the research institute considered this a trivial project, not worth the unnecessary risk of the subject "escaping control" through unnecessary relocation. Thus, through the thick protective suits, Yunhe watched helplessly as they injected Shen Huai'an with anesthesia and then proceeded to make the incision—

In that instant, she instinctively closed her eyes. She felt as if uncontrollable tears were wetting her eyelashes.

How strange. No matter how much sympathy or pity one feels, he's still just a laboratory animal, isn't he?

Besides, he and I are not related, are we?

he……

But why am I so fragile that I can't even handle something as small as this?