The Beautiful, Strong, and Tragic Female Lead is Mine [Transmigration Into a Novel] - Chapter 48

Xie Zhitian repeatedly analyzed He Yuzhu’s words in her mind, confirming she hadn’t misunderstood.

She heard Luo Yang’s voice: “Are you saying they’re transforming xenomorphs into soldiers, like the cyborgs?”

“Exactly,” He Yuzhu replied.

She leaned back against the cold, hard wall as if she needed its support to continue speaking.

“The whole process is very dangerous, and only cyborgs are up to the task, which is why they recruited so many people. First, they use lures to attract xenomorphs, selecting the ones with good potential to capture and immediately killing the others. Then, they begin inducing the xenomorphs’ brains to evolve, giving them a certain level of thought and discernment, mimicking human thought patterns.”

“I don’t know what kind of drugs they researched, but after using them, the xenomorphs’ gaze is terrifying. It’s a creepy feeling, somewhere between human and beast, and it’s hard to describe in words.”

Listening, Xie Zhitian immediately thought of the strange animals in District 14. It seemed the purpose of District 7’s animal experiments was to provide data to support the xenomorph transformation project.

“After that comes taming. Xenomorphs are naturally bloodthirsty and attack humans and animals indiscriminately. The goal of taming is to make them obedient and target specific enemies. This step is very difficult. Once they have some cognitive ability, the xenomorphs become more aware of the human threat. Far from being obedient, their killing intent becomes even stronger. The requirements for the tamers are extremely high, and successful cases are few and far between.”

Luo Yang frowned, then felt a sense of irony. “Compared to xenomorphs, the cost of transforming humans is indeed lower. These two steps you mentioned are essentially the process of humanizing the xenomorphs—the starting point for the cyborgs themselves.”

He Yuzhu gave a bitter laugh. “Who says it isn’t? Humans are much more obedient than xenomorphs and more easily succumb to threats.”

“Since it’s a violation either way, why did they choose to experiment on xenomorphs instead of continuing with humans?” Luo Yang asked.

“Because of ambition,” He Yuzhu said.

Luo Yang was taken aback. “Ambition? Are you saying a successfully transformed xenomorph would be stronger than a cyborg soldier?”

“Yes,” He Yuzhu confirmed, analyzing the situation seriously. “Look, a xenomorph’s physical strength is far greater than a normal person’s. If an ordinary person can be transformed to fight a xenomorph, what kind of monster would a successfully transformed xenomorph become?”

“So the next and final step after successful taming is inducing the xenomorphs’ physical evolution. This process is extremely dangerous and could lead to loss of control and a rampage. A rampaging xenomorph is far more terrifying than a mutated cyborg.”

“Have there been any successful transformations?” Xie Zhitian asked.

He Yuzhu replied, “Not yet. A few have been successfully tamed in the second step, but their condition isn’t stable; they sometimes still show aggression. The third step is the most dangerous. A slight mistake could lead to serious consequences. How to proceed is still under discussion; it hasn’t officially started yet.”

“This is too risky,” Luo Yang said with a grave expression. “The cyborg program was implemented out of necessity and is now strictly prohibited. These people are actually trying to transform xenomorphs—it’s absurd.”

He Yuzhu sounded helpless. “I think they’ve gone mad. A failure in any part of the xenomorph transformation could cause the situation to spiral out of control and lead to mass casualties. I don’t know what they’re thinking. But they probably feel that even if they fail, the ones who die will just be us cyborgs, and there’s nothing to lose.”

“Who are ‘they’?” Xie Zhitian asked. She already had a guess; with such a large-scale operation, recruiting cyborgs, and capturing xenomorphs, only those in high positions could be behind it.

Just as she suspected, He Yuzhu confirmed her thoughts. “It’s the leader of District 7, Zhou Quan, who ordered others to do this. Although it’s not official, many of his subordinates are involved. For example, the alarms on the perimeter walls are temporarily shut off when lures are placed, making it easier to capture xenomorphs without drawing public attention.”

“But what’s his motive?” Luo Yang asked.

“I don’t know. I can’t access the plans of those at the top. We can analyze this more tomorrow night when we have time. For now, I need to teach you the process of transforming xenomorphs. As per usual, you two will likely be involved in the process tomorrow morning.”

“Let me be clear: don’t get a hot head and rush to resist. There are nearly 200 cyborgs in this underground complex, and about 40 of them are held as hostages during each transformation. If the other cyborgs are disobedient, those hostages will be killed one by one. We’re all cyborgs and know how difficult it is, so we have no choice but to obey.”

“And there are many natives from District 7 here. The remote control for the self-destruct system is still in Zhou Quan’s hands. This district is not like ours; there’s no democracy to speak of. He’s the one who calls the shots. If he’s unhappy, a cyborg could lose their life.”

Xie Zhitian’s eyes darkened. It seemed no matter where you went, there were always corners where sunlight couldn’t reach.

“Understood,” she said. “We’ll see how things are tomorrow.”

The xenomorph transformation process was sure to be guarded, which meant they would come into contact with more people. They could then use the situation to try and glean more information.

She took out her communicator and planned to report the information to Tang Zhuoran. Her fingers skillfully tapped out a series of numbers, describing what He Yuzhu had said in concise language. After sending the message, she looked up and asked He Yuzhu, “What’s the name of the woman who locked us up?”

He Yuzhu replied, “Her name is Ning Ximing. I haven’t had much contact with her since I got here. I heard she’s a recently retired cyborg from the military who was assigned by Zhou Quan to be in charge of this underground complex. She always has a cold face, like a ‘demoness,’ and everyone is afraid of her. You have to be polite to her and definitely don’t provoke her. She’s not soft when it comes to punishment.”

Xie Zhitian sent Ning Ximing’s name to Tang Zhuoran, spelling out the characters so he could check it. She put the communicator back in her pocket and then into her spatial storage, when she heard He Yuzhu’s curious voice. “Hey, Ning Ximing must have searched you when you came in. How did you bring that thing in?”

Xie Zhitian casually made up an excuse. “Maybe she was tired and didn’t search me carefully. Please don’t tell anyone, though—it’s classified information for our district.”

He Yuzhu looked impressed. “You’re so lucky. Don’t worry, I won’t say a word.”

Xie Zhitian smiled and changed the subject. “Okay, tell us what we need to pay attention to tomorrow.”

He Yuzhu nodded. “Alright, first, remember one thing: do what you’re told, at least on the surface. Otherwise, you’ll not only harm yourself but also others.”

“This complex is divided into a living area and a work area. We’re in the living area now. Every morning, everyone gets up and goes to the work area to transform the xenomorphs, and then we’re brought back here at night to rest. But as you can see, it’s called a ‘living area,’ but it’s really a prison.”

“The first step—the cognitive transformation—is basically complete, and the successful xenomorphs have been picked out. The vast majority of people are now working on the second step, taming. I expect you’ll be assigned to the second step as well.”

“What does ‘taming a xenomorph’ specifically involve?” Luo Yang asked.

“There’s no single standard,” He Yuzhu explained. “Everyone is figuring it out as they go. They’ll provide some food for rewards and some tools for punishment. Whatever means you use, whether it’s threats or bribery, the goal is to make the xenomorph obedient. If you feel you’ve made progress with a certain xenomorph, you can report it to the guards, and they’ll come to verify it.”

“But be careful,” she warned. “Some xenomorphs are very cunning; they might pretend to be obedient temporarily, then suddenly go berserk and injure someone during the verification. That counts as a failed taming. You’ll definitely be scolded, but no matter what the guards say, don’t talk back, or you’ll be punished.”

Xie Zhitian frowned. “‘Punishment’ meaning what?”

He Yuzhu answered, “It depends on the situation. They usually don’t make a cyborg lose their mobility or their life, since manpower is tight. The most terrifying thing is the whip Ning Ximing carries. It has barbs on it. Getting hit leaves you with open wounds—it’s agonizing—but it doesn’t cause a fatal injury, so you still have to work the next day as usual.”

Xie Zhitian thought back carefully. She vaguely recalled seeing a whip at Ning Ximing’s waist when she was locked up. She wasn’t an impulsive person. Since He Yuzhu, an experienced person, was emphasizing this, she would take note and avoid trouble.

He Yuzhu continued to share some details about taming the xenomorphs and the experiences others had gained. Before they knew it, the wall clock showed midnight.

“But you don’t have to worry too much,” she concluded. “Everyone helps each other out, so very few people get hurt.” She pointed to the clock. “We should get some sleep. We have to get up at six and be on duty before seven. We work until nine at night, with a half-hour for lunch and dinner. It’s a high-intensity schedule, so we need to save our energy.”

Luo Yang frowned. “Fourteen hours of work a day?”

Even for a cyborg, this work intensity was excessive. Taming xenomorphs wasn’t an easy job; it involved physical conflict and maneuvering.

He Yuzhu sighed. “Yeah, it’s more tiring than my time in the military. The first few people who arrived got sick and had to rest in bed for two days to recover.”

“It seems District 7 is in a hurry,” Xie Zhitian said. She tidied up a few mats and picked out the least moldy quilts to make makeshift beds. “When in Rome… let’s rest first.”

Perhaps from the day’s exhaustion, she slept soundly until morning.

At 6 a.m., a sharp, piercing bell echoed through the corridor like a death knell.

Xie Zhitian opened her eyes, half-asleep. After a moment of mental fog, she quickly realized her current situation and sat up.

People in the other rooms also woke up, and the low buzz of voices from all directions wasn’t loud or annoying; it was almost like white noise.

A guard pushed a small cart and left a simple breakfast at the door of each room.

Xie Zhitian glanced at it: steamed buns, pickled vegetables, and a bowl of watery congee. It was unappetizing.

It really was prison-style management.

He Yuzhu was also up. She walked to the bars and brought the three breakfasts in.

She said to the two quietly, “Don’t be picky. If you don’t eat, you’ll be hungry. We’ll take turns washing up, then eat and go quickly. We’ll be punished if we’re late.”

Xie Zhitian nodded and told Luo Yang, “You go first.”

Luo Yang agreed and was about to get up when she heard crisp footsteps behind her.

She looked up and saw an unexpected figure.

Ning Ximing was standing outside the bars, looking in their direction.

He Yuzhu reacted quickly and immediately stood up. “Sister Ximing, why are you here? Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of them. I’ve taught them the xenomorph taming techniques, and they’ll follow me to practice in a bit.”

Ning Ximing showed no reaction to her enthusiasm and didn’t even spare her a glance.

She said, “We’ve been stuck on this taming step for days. It’s time to move on.”

He Yuzhu was stunned. “You mean?”

“The final step is dangerous, but it can’t be avoided,” Ning Ximing said. Her gaze passed over He Yuzhu and settled on the two behind her. “You two, starting today, will be in charge of the xenomorphs’ physical evolution.”

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