Chapter 968: Dr. Zhang
"Impossible!" Luo Changren said decisively. "I personally witnessed the effects of the gene evolution agent. It worked on the people of other game zones!"
"In other words, Dr. Zhang not only used the gene samples you provided to create the evolution agent, but also conducted similar research in other game zones." Xu Huo paused. "What kind of person is he?"
"A very refined gentleman..." Luo Changren's faith was shaken. He barely managed to answer before pressing, "Did Gao Zhen tell you all this?"
Xu Huo immediately produced the evidence, highlighting the key points and showing them to him.
Luo Changren's complexion had been poor from the start of the conversation, but when Gao Zhen said that line about "always having to leave people some hope," the blood he had been holding back finally burst forth. He half-collapsed, leaning over his legs, repeating, "I don't believe it... I don't believe it... I don't believe it..."
In truth, he was merely a catalyst. The real culprit behind the rampant SE virus was 01 Base City. Even if the evolution agent he brought back had gone into mass production, it would have only harmed a small number of players, nowhere near enough to kill so many people. Later, he took the blame for it, his conscience couldn't bear it, so he escaped, found the vaccine, and endured humiliation to atone. Now he was being told that even the vaccine might be fake—no one could accept that.
Xu Huo glanced at the time and didn't interrupt his emotional outburst for now.
Luo Changren finally calmed down a bit and asked with a glimmer of hope, "So the SE virus really doesn't destroy evolutionary genes?"
"If Gao Zhen wasn't lying." Xu Huo analyzed briefly. "She had no reason to lie either. She orchestrated this SE virus incident herself, with the main goal of population control. She wouldn't gamble the entire future of Base City over it."
"The genetic continuation of a race—any ambitious person would consider that a top priority."
Luo Changren seemed convinced and slowly nodded. "Yeah, otherwise she wouldn't have let me go back then."
"When did you first meet Dr. Zhang? Was it he who first told you about modifying evolution agents through ancestral genes?" Xu Huo asked.
"The first time I was kicked out of 01 Base City." Luo Changren replied. "After graduating from Seagull, I was frustrated by the limitations of being a doctor. I was obsessed with religion for a while, but it wasn't until I learned about Dr. Wu's achievements that I resolved to become a pharmacist."
"How many people can a surgeon save? Only by developing good enough medicine could the base station gradually grow stronger. So I pulled every string I could to find investors for the evolution agent project. But my talent was limited, and those with real talent didn't want to work with me. When no results were seen, the lab couldn't keep supporting me either. After being fired several times, I couldn't make it in 01 Base City anymore, so I bought a non-player ticket and went to another zone."
"After drifting through two zones, I met Dr. Zhang in E21-024."
"He was running a small lab at the time, but his reputation was huge. Many powerful and influential people wanted to throw money at him. I only managed to visit one of his pharmaceutical experiments through the introduction of a noblewoman."
"The agent publicly demonstrated that day was a physical enhancement agent, far superior to what was available to ordinary evolvers in that zone, so it was highly sought after..." He seemed reluctant to elaborate on that part and skipped ahead. "He approached me first. I was very troubled at the time, so I told him everything. It was he who suggested I start with genetics."
"I was completely bewitched. I thought that if I could really improve the genes of the base station, not only would its future be bright, but my name would be passed down through generations..."
"Too naive... If improving genes were really that easy, other game zones would have done it long ago. I was too naive. Having seen players and evolvers, I thought it was actually achievable."
This was a statement made in utter despair. Xu Huo didn't comment, but if it were him, he would probably have believed Dr. Zhang too. Leaving aside pioneers like Dr. Wu, even Stellar Pharmaceuticals Group had likely mastered this technology long ago, but it just wasn't widely implemented. That said, evolution itself was a form of genetic improvement. The difference was that Luo Changren wanted to induce special evolution in the people of the base station.
Luo Changren continued, "After returning to the base station, I spent a lot of effort to find an ancient corpse. Once 01 Base Station funded my research, I went back to Zone 024 to find Dr. Zhang. He charged a very small fee and agreed to help me complete the research... Unfortunately, there's no such thing as a free lunch."
"Did he hand you the finished agent directly?" Xu Huo pondered for a moment. "What did he say to you at the time?"
Every word spoken by this man—once regarded as a benefactor, now the greatest enemy—was deeply etched in his memory. "I didn't understand what he meant at the time, but now I do."
"'Genetic improvement is a very long process. Humanity achieves this result through mating over the river of time. Although it is for adapting to the environment, every component of a gene has a reason for existing. Even if some parts seem like junk, they are indispensable. Accelerating this process or forcibly stripping away parts of the gene will bring unpredictable consequences.'"
"Those were his exact words." Luo Changren clenched his fists. "I even wrote that passage at the beginning of my autobiography!"
There was no need to air such embarrassing private matters.
"Tell me about the vaccine." Xu Huo said. "When the SE virus broke out, you must have suspected him."
"I did suspect him, but I had no other choice. I had to go to him." Luo Changren said. "But I didn't get to see him that time. When I found his residence, I learned that he had left the vaccine for me before he departed, in case I changed my mind..."
Tears streamed from his bloodshot eyes. He covered his face and let out a strange, choked cry. "At the time, I thought, how could there be such a good person in this world... And it turns out even the evolution agent was fake..."
That point remained to be verified.
What Gao Zhen said about the SE virus not affecting the next generation might be true, but it wasn't necessarily true that the evolution agent was useless.
Regardless of the purposes of other base cities, the fact that the evolution agent combined with the 01 Base City virus could cause such a devastating outcome suggested that the evolution agent itself had never eliminated the underlying hidden dangers. Evolution required a price—this was evident in all players. If Dr. Zhang had used a gene-destroying agent just to teach Luo Changren a lesson, it would have been completely unnecessary, especially since he later left behind a vaccine, meaning he had anticipated the adverse effects of taking that evolution agent... As for why he didn't give both agents to Luo Changren at the same time, perhaps that was the real lesson. But with 01 Base City interfering, things spiraled out of control.
Of course, this was just one of Xu Huo's speculations.
It was easy to imagine that after Luo Changren returned with the vaccine, he was hunted down, forced to change his face, entrusted the vaccine to a trusted friend to take to W37 Base City for safekeeping, and never saw Dr. Zhang again.
"Do you remember his appearance and physical characteristics?"