Chapter 106 Her consent is required.
Fu Jinxing paused slightly as he flipped through the report.
He slowly turned around, his gaze behind his glasses sharp as a scalpel, as if he wanted to completely dissect the boy in front of him.
Instead of answering directly, he asked, "Why do you ask that? Do you want to become a superhuman?"
Xie Jue met his gaze without flinching and said frankly, "Yes! I want to become a superhuman. Only by becoming stronger can I protect the people I want to protect in this world."
Fu Jinxing looked at him silently. The boy's eyes showed a thirst for power that even surpassed his desire to survive.
After a long pause, he slowly spoke, his voice carrying the rigor of a scientist, "My research does indeed include 'artificially inducing genetic potential to stimulate or simulate superpower expression.' Theoretically, this could open a door to power for ordinary people."
He paused, his tone becoming more serious, "But, Xie Jue, I must tell you, this research is far from successful. It is even extremely dangerous; if you are not careful, you will become a mindless monster with only a thirst for blood."
"I'm not afraid!"
Xie Jue answered without the slightest hesitation.
Fu Jinxing pondered. He really needed people like Xie Jue who were willing to actively participate in the experiment. There had been others before, but they were very few in number.
He used gene editing, viral vector induction, and exogenous energy stimulation... and the vast majority of his experimental subjects collapsed.
Although the success rate has increased from 1% to 45%, there is still a greater than 50% chance of failure.
All the humans participating in the experiments in the laboratory were desperate and volunteered for a meal.
Seven people have now been completely transformed into superhumans, but he has not yet informed the leaders of the safe zone of this news.
They have also been concealing the identities of those with superpowers.
Seeing that Fu Jinxing remained silent, Xie Jue spoke again, "I did this voluntarily, and I will take full responsibility for all the consequences!"
"If it were someone else, your determination at this moment might earn you a ticket to the lab bench."
He took a step closer, and the invisible pressure made Xie Jue's straight back stiffen slightly. "But you are someone Xixi keeps by her side. If you want to become my test subject, you must get her approval."
The flames in Xie Jue's eyes were extinguished by half in an instant.
Fu Jinxing knew his time was precious. After speaking, he turned around and continued working on the data. "Let's go back. This topic ends here until she agrees."
Although Xie Jue is young, he is very stubborn once he makes a decision.
He wandered around the dark alleys near the fourth floor of Yuxin Garden every day.
The dim light of the streetlamp stretched and shortened his lonely shadow. He leaned against the cold brick wall, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the crystal core in his pocket, its rough edges digging into his palm, just like his chaotic thoughts at that moment.
He knew his sister wouldn't agree, and he didn't know how to persuade her.
But he didn't want to give up this opportunity, which might be the only chance for him to become a superhuman.
"Xiao Jue?"
A familiar voice, tinged with concern, sounded behind him. Josie appeared at the alley entrance, carrying a bag of newly exchanged supplies, her brow furrowed as she looked at him. "It's so late, why aren't you home? What are you doing wandering around here?"
Xie Jue straightened up, opened his mouth, but fell silent under Qiao Xi's gaze.
Josie slowed her pace and faced him. "Is there something important you want to tell me?"
Xie Jue pursed his lips, seemingly hesitating for a long time.
Josie didn't urge him, but just watched him quietly.
After a long while, Xie Jue, with his head down, told her in a muffled voice that he wanted to become a test subject.
Josie listened quietly, the moonlight outlining her sharply defined profile, her expression solemn.
"The success rate of such an experiment is very low, so I decline. If you ask for my opinion, I disagree."
Xie Jue knew she wouldn't agree, which is why he wanted to go and participate in the experiment behind her back.
But the professor happened to know my sister, and he insisted that she agree.
"Sister, this may be my only chance. If I can't become a superhuman, I will be abandoned by this world sooner or later. Rather than being eaten by zombies, I'd rather become an experimental subject. At least I'll have a chance."
Qiao Xi was surprised that Xie Jue was so insightful despite his young age.
He was absolutely right. Later on, both superhumans and zombies evolved, and the living space for ordinary people became increasingly narrow.
Ordinary people outside the safe zone would almost certainly not survive without the protection of superhumans.
Josie's eyes flickered, and finally she managed to ask with difficulty, "Are you really sure?"
Xie Jue nodded without hesitation, "Yes, I've decided."
"Then I'll go to the lab with you and ask about the experiment."
Half an hour later, led by Xie Jue, Qiao Xi arrived at the laboratory.
"Brother Jinxing, what's the success rate of this experiment?"
Qiao Xi got straight to the point, looking directly at Fu Jinxing, who was wearing a white lab coat behind the lab table.
She was filled with doubts: How could such a heaven-defying technology as artificially induced superpowers have already taken shape after only a few months of the apocalypse? Why had she never heard of it during her three years of struggling to survive in her previous life?
The only explanation is that the cost is prohibitively high and the success rate is despairingly low.
Fu Jinxing put down the petri dish in his hand; inside the transparent container, some kind of tissue was pulsating slightly.
He walked to the control panel, pulled up a set of complex and shocking data charts, and the pale light reflected on his handsome but tired face.
“XiXi, come and see.” He pointed to the large, glaring red area on the screen that represented failure, his voice calm but heavy. “Currently, the success rate of the program based on high-purity crystal core energy impact combined with gene stabilizers is… less than ten percent. The vast majority of test subjects either suffer genetic disintegration during the energy infusion stage or turn into mindless energy monsters.”
He paused, a trace of a researcher's persistence flashing in his eyes, "But I'm confident that if given more time and enough special samples, I might be able to increase the success rate to 20% to 30%."
Twenty to thirty percent!
This number ignited a faint flame in Xie's resolve, but poured a bucket of ice water on Josie's heart.
She turned to Xie Jue, her tone more serious than ever before: "You heard that, Xiao Jue. This isn't just gambling with your life; it's gambling with a torment worse than death. You can wait until Brother Jinxing increases the success rate to a level worth taking the risk for, and then I won't stop you from pursuing power. But now..." She shook her head, "It's too early."
The light in Xie Jue's eyes dimmed, but Fu Jinxing's words, "increase to twenty or thirty percent," were like a seed, deeply planted in his parched soil.
Qiao Xi glanced at him, then turned to Fu Jinxing, "Brother Jinxing, I believe you can do it. If he insists on participating in your experiment when the time comes, let him participate."
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