Apocalyptic Island - Chapter 66

Chapter 66

The two researchers were clearly stunned upon seeing her. Wen Yishu broke into a cold sweat, her heart hammering wildly. One of the women glanced at her and asked:

“Are you new?” Wen Yishu nodded hurriedly.

The other woman looked behind her, seeing no sign of the robot butler: “Why is no one leading you? Which project are you on?”

Wen Yishu gave a noncommittal hum, her hand instinctively slipping into her pocket: “Ability research.”

The woman scrutinized her, then tapped the earpiece on her ear: “Aix, confirm this.”

A cold sweat soaked Wen Yishu’s back. She felt for the weapons inside her lab coat and instinctively edged closer, calculating how she would “store” these two bodies in a moment.

It was unclear what the AI said through the earpiece, but the suspicious expressions on the two women’s faces relaxed. One reached into her pocket, pulled out a pair of earpieces, and handed them to her: “Go find the butler downstairs later to collect your work ID. Let’s head into the lab first.”

Wen Yishu followed suit and put on the earpiece. Aix’s voice immediately rang out: “Welcome, Researcher Wen Yishu. Have you considered my offer? You have twenty minutes to tour this facility.”

She still hadn’t given up on recruiting Wen Yishu, even though their last conversation had ended on a sour note. The AI seemed incapable of feeling much anger and had helped her nonetheless.

Wen Yishu didn’t respond. Following behind the two women, she could guess roughly what Aix had told them. There were likely other newcomers arriving today; Wen Yishu just happened to get here first by chance.

She had confirmed that this place was Rhine’s “black glove” operation. Although the AI Aix was applied in most places on the market, it couldn’t be such a coincidence that the Memory Brokers’ neural-link work had zero connection to Rhine. Thinking back on how Rhine’s research projects had progressed by leaps and bounds over the last decade, she felt a chill. Without human experimentation, where would all that data have come from?

The two researchers led Wen Yishu into the laboratory, treating her entirely as someone sent from headquarters. The scanner at the door swept her iris and issued no alarm. The two became even more at ease. In a way, Aix hadn’t betrayed Rhine; because Wen Yishu’s information hadn’t been removed from the database yet, she still held a position and a serial number at headquarters.

The interior laboratory was virtually identical to Rhine’s. Wen Yishu practicedly took a pair of goggles from the nearby cabinet and put them on. Her slender fingers slipped into gloves as they passed through the disinfection chamber, exactly like every time at Rhine.

The two researchers were now fully convinced of her identity. A new door lock slid open, and cold white sterile light poured out. The lab was emptier than expected. In the center was a cylindrical transparent isolation pod, surrounded by holographic data screens and neural monitoring equipment. The air was thick with a faint scent of ozone and the scorched smell of burnt flesh—a scent that reminded Wen Yishu of the dentist.

Her teeth ached for a moment. She took a deep breath and looked at Zhan Xiaofan lying on the tilted metal bed. The situation was worse than she had imagined. His limbs were locked down with polymer restraints, and a metal suppression collar was fastened around his neck, pulsing with a weak electric current. Sensors were plastered all over his skin, with wires snaking into his veins like parasites to draw blood samples.

A man who was vibrant just two hours ago had now been turned into this ghost-like state. Wen Yishu didn’t want to think about what would happen if she were caught. But she wouldn’t be.

Zhan Xiaofan had dried blood at the corners of his mouth, and his chin and chest were stained with thick saliva, clearly the result of violent vomiting or convulsions. There was a fresh surgical scar at the base of his skull, with the faint outline of an embedded electrode visible beneath the skin. This was a standard neural-link surgical interface. Wen Yishu saw the specific data sheet posted nearby:

Subject ID: #NT-X7

Ability Type: Telescopic/X-ray Vision (Evolvable)

Experimental Phase: Neural Suppression Test (17th iteration)

Side Effects:

Frontal lobe functional decline.

Motor neuron dissolution.

Estimated Survival Time: 72 hours.

Wen Yishu asked: “What experiments were conducted?”

Knowing she was from “headquarters,” the other researchers showed noticeably more respect. A woman handed Wen Yishu a tablet showing a reagent listed as a catalyst. Wen Yishu stared intently at all the data. What had they done to him?

This wasn’t a normal catalyst; it was a veterinary-grade catalyst. One injection was equal to ten times the strength of adrenaline, capable of maximizing body functions in a short time. This reagent had never appeared on the market; Wen Yishu had heard rumors of internal research on it for experimental use. She hadn’t expected it to be used on humans already.

Zhan Xiaofan’s original ability was telescopic vision. After the catalyst injection, his bodily functions hit their limit, catalyzing the X-ray vision ability. But this came with the destruction of cell walls; his body couldn’t withstand the impact of the ability, turning him directly into a vegetable. Perhaps if he evolved further, he could withstand the catalyst, but his current physical condition wouldn’t allow it.

The researcher recording data nearby clicked his tongue in regret: “Still too reckless. Such a good prospect—I wonder if he can even be salvaged.”

Another replied: “Nothing to be done about it. Now we just see if we can save those eyes. Has the transplant recipient arrived yet?”

The woman added: “Word came from the clinic. The medical equipment is ready, the doctor has arrived, and the experimental subject should be in preparation.”

She then looked at Wen Yishu. Wen Yishu immediately realized that she was supposed to be the “medical equipment” the woman spoke of—the pawn. The woman had mistaken Wen Yishu for the doctor, and the experimental subject was about to be brought over.

Looking at Zhan Xiaofan, it was clear he was a goner. She had obtained the information she wanted; now she needed to escape. She said immediately: “Then I’ll go prepare. I left my tools downstairs; I’ll go have the robot butler bring them up.”

The others nodded without a shred of suspicion. She had less than a minute before she would be out the door.

Wen Yishu walked downstairs and found the robot butler still in place, a countdown flickering across its face-screen. Seeing her, it immediately switched back to an expressive emoji. Wen Yishu gave it a single glance and walked away without looking back. Fortunately, she had nothing with her, making her departure light and easy.

As she came out, she happened to see the guards blocking an agitated person.

“Why don’t you believe me? How would I have a card for your entrance? I only have the card for upstairs! I’m the lead surgeon—let me in quickly, or there won’t be enough time!”

Wen Yishu swiped the card at the exit and walked out. She hadn’t taken off the white lab coat, and her boots made a crisp clicking sound on the floor. The person outside glanced at her and looked away.

The guard said coldly: “No means no. The higher-ups said the person has already arrived. Keep loitering at the gate and I’ll throw you out.”

Wen Yishu raised an eyebrow. The timing was perfect. The woman noticed her too, pointing at her clothes and asking: “Is it her? Why was she able to go in!”

The two guards’ eyes returned to Wen Yishu. She didn’t linger, walking straight out. It wasn’t until she picked up her hoverboard from the corner that the guards realized Wen Yishu was the “drug human” who had just entered. They immediately gave chase, but Wen Yishu fled like the wind, disappearing in seconds. Behind her, the real doctor grabbed the two guards, demanding an explanation.

Wen Yishu stripped off the white lab coat to reveal her inconspicuous tactical gear underneath. She was exposed, but the timing was just right.

Aix’s voice came through the earpiece: “You seem to enjoy this kind of trickery.”

Wen Yishu chuckled as she turned a corner: “You like these games too, Aix. Seeing humans spun around by you—you must be very happy. You aren’t helping me; you’re just finishing your game.”

Even an AI could be bored. A soft chuckle came through the earpiece. Wen Yishu didn’t listen to whatever she was going to say next, but said decisively:

“I don’t want to participate in whatever plan you have. Our views are different; we are destined to never be friends.”

With that, she tossed the earpiece aside and sped away on her hoverboard. The earpiece bounced twice on the ground and fell through the gap of a sewer cover, sinking into the foul water. Aix’s voice turned into bubbles and vanished completely.

Wen Yishu put on her own headset and re-established contact with Bai Mi. Bai Mi had heard everything that happened in the lab. Wen Yishu lowered her voice and communicated with her while on the move.

“How can we find out how many Ability Users Rhine has discovered?”

Bai Mi’s calm, steady voice came through: “Without using the AI, it’s almost impossible. Not even a rat could sneak into that branch office.”

Wen Yishu said with some regret: “If I’d known, I would have asked Aix just now. She’s still stubbornly trying to win me over.”

“Is that so? What did you say?”

“I told her to stop dreaming. She and I are not the same kind of people.”

Bai Mi’s voice sounded as if it were dipped in honey, saying softly: “Naturally. We are the partners.”

Suddenly, an alarm blared through the Rust Cage. The white lights at the top abruptly dimmed. Everyone stopped what they were doing.

She had been discovered!

Shops began closing their doors in an orderly fashion, and everyone hurried in various directions. Wen Yishu felt victory was right in front of her. Ignoring Bai Mi’s previous words, she pushed the hoverboard to its maximum speed.

The guards in the elevator ignored her waving and slowly closed the doors. People were still scrambling to squeeze inside, some even losing their shoes in the rush.

“Don’t close the door!” Wen Yishu crashed into the elevator entrance along with the crowd.

The person next to her shouted in a breakdown: “Goddammit, why close the doors now! I’m out of money! You greedy sons of bitches must be desperate for cash!”

Theoretically, one could stay overnight in the black market, but in a situation where the alarm was triggered, staying overnight was not an option. Everyone trapped there would have to pay astronomical overnight fees. If they didn’t have the money, who knew what would happen? Worse still was Wen Yishu, the culprit; if she were caught, there was no telling her fate.

The crowd in front of the elevator scattered, and soon Wen Yishu was the only one left. She pressed the ‘up’ button, but a gentle voice drifted out of the nearby intercom window.

“How does it feel? If you agree, I can have the elevator come back down.”

Aix’s voice carried a hint of indiscernible madness. The camera at the top was pointed directly at Wen Yishu’s calm, steady face.

Wen Yishu smiled, took two steps back, kicked hard against the wall, and smashed the camera with a single punch. Shards sprayed like water. She softly uttered three words: “In your dreams!”

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