Time seemed to stand still as they drifted through the vast universe. In a closed environment like the starship's command hall, time seemed to have lost its meaning. The only thing everyone could do was wait for the girl to wake up.
The white-haired old man stood straight and stared at the screen in a daze, like an emotionless statue.
After an unknown amount of time, the data on the central screen remained motionless. There was no change at all. A young man walked over from the main control panel and said carefully, "Doctor, you've been working for a long time. Why don't you take a break?"
"No need!" The doctor spat out two cold words without even turning his head.
The young man sighed secretly. He could not go against the doctor's will. In fact, no one could go against the doctor's will. Once he had decided on something, no one could change it. He had to carry it out.
The doctor suddenly said, "Xiao Ai!"
As soon as he said that, countless rays descended from the sky and combined into a lifelike mirror image of a girl. This girl was quite similar to the girl in the nutrition water ball, but she was obviously a few years older. She was about twenty years old.
If the girl was full of mysterious and noble temperament, then Xiao Ai had a maturity and stability that did not match her age.
"Dr. Harxinte, what can I do for you?" Xiao Ai asked respectfully.
"Which gene body is this?" Dr. Harxinte still had no expression.
Xiao Ai immediately replied, "Number 164367."
Hearing this number, the young man sighed even harder. He was the only one who knew what this number meant.
The experiment hall had tested 164366 gene bodies. There were all kinds of gene bodies, including humans, larvae, monsters, foreign objects, life forms, and even plants and single cells. Most of them were humans, but all of them failed and died without exception. Only the girl in front of him had a 100% match and had survived.
This kind of experiment could only be conducted in outer space. If it entered the Federation's territory, it would be a prohibited crime against humanity. The Federation would never allow experiments on living people.
This young girl was the 164367 test subject. She also had a special identity. She was the only granddaughter of Dr. Harsin. She was actually used as a living experiment by the Doctor himself. From this, one could see how cruel and ruthless the Doctor was.
However, the young man did not think so. The doctor had done his best for this experiment and was under tremendous pressure from the regulators and investors. He had no more subjects to use in the experiment, so he had no choice but to send his granddaughter to the experiment hall. This was a desperate gamble.
Sometimes, the lunatics in the eyes of outsiders were actually geniuses in the eyes of scientists. Only geniuses would dare to gamble and take such crazy risks.
In the eyes of the young man, the doctor was such a genius. He had dedicated everything he had to biological research. He had spent his whole life searching for the truth and was not bothered by the secular world.
Dr. Harsin was also in a trance. The 164367th experimental subject meant that it was the last one. It was impossible for there to be a 164368th experimental subject. He had no way out. The girl in the water ball was his last hope.
While he was deep in thought, the alloy door of the command hall opened automatically. A group of people walked in with their heads held high, led by a man in a suit.
The man in the suit walked over. "Doctor, is there still no progress?"
Dr. Harsin glanced at him and did not answer. He did not have a good impression of the regulators.
The man in the suit did not mind. He knew the doctor's temper, but this time he did not come alone. The investors were also here. He had to introduce them. "Doctor, this is Mr. Chu Mingfeng. He is here to visit you on behalf of the Haitian Group."
The middle-aged man named Chu Mingfeng was also in a suit and leather shoes. He stepped forward and stretched out his hand in a friendly manner. "Doctor, I have heard a lot about you. It is a pleasure to meet you."
"Humph!"
The doctor snorted. He did not answer or shake hands. In his opinion, Chu Mingfeng was not here to visit him.
What the Haitian Group really wanted to see was the result, not the person.
In the eyes of businessmen, there were only benefits and people who created benefits. There were no simple people.
Seeing the doctor's indifference, the man in the suit could only cough awkwardly. "Doctor, this time it has been more than a hundred days. It is the longest time. Is there still no progress?"
This time, the doctor was forced to answer. "You don't understand!"
"Yes, in the field of expertise, I really don't understand."
The man in the suit responded in a tone that was neither humble nor overbearing. "But Doctor, the amount of money we've invested now is already an astronomical figure, and the material and manpower are also quite tight. I hope you can understand the pressure I'm under."
Dr. Harxinte frowned. "What pressure can you have?"
The man in the suit smiled. "Doctor, you are good at scientific and technological research, but you don't understand venture capital. Investment has always been about returns. Now that we have invested such a huge amount of resources, but the progress is zero. If there is no return, it will be difficult for us to explain to the Haitian Group."
Dr. Harxinte sneered. "You don't understand anything at all. People like you only know about money. In your eyes, there is nothing else …"
As he spoke, he looked back at the central screen. "Once she wakes up, it means that my research is completely successful. The significance of her awakening is not something that can be compared with a few stinky money. It is not even qualified to be compared …"
The man in the suit's face was gloomy. "But without this stinky money, your research can't be carried out at all. You have ignored the power of money …"
"What did you say?
My research can't be compared with money? "Dr. Harxinte was a little angry. He couldn't tolerate others criticizing his research results.
"Forget it!"
Chu Mingfeng stepped forward and pulled the man in the suit away. He tried to use a gentle tone and asked, "Doctor, we, the investors, definitely respect you. I just want to ask, when will your granddaughter wake up?"
Dr. Harxinte was still angry. "This is hard to say. She may wake up at any time, or it may take seven years to wake up."
Chu Mingfeng frowned. "Seven years?
Why does it take so long? "
"Yes!"
Dr. Harxinte sighed helplessly. "She is not an origin ability user. Her body's endurance is too weak. Although the fusion is successful now, she is still in the human development stage. She must wait for the body to mature and the major organs to function well before she can wake up. Once she wakes up, I will extract the genes. At that time, the technology will be fully mature …"
He only cared about his own explanation and didn't notice that Chu Mingfeng's expression was getting colder and colder. "Doctor, according to what you said, it is unknown whether she can wake up in seven years?"
When he heard his question, the young man also felt that the atmosphere was not right. He quickly jumped out and explained, "The probability of waking up is very high. I have calculated that it is as high as 80%."
Chu Mingfeng sighed. "To be honest, I personally support you, doctor. But the investment team behind us can't afford to wait so long, so …"
Dr. Harxinte stared at him. "What do you mean?"
Chu Mingfeng sighed. "Actually, I came this time to convey a message. The higher-ups of this project have lost their patience. Whether it succeeds or not, it is actually not that important."
Dr. Harxinte and the young man were stunned at the same time. Could it be that after investing so much, they were going to give up at this juncture?
The man in the suit jumped out again. "Yes, I will be in charge when the time comes."
Dr. Harxinte suddenly fell silent. After a long time, he raised his head and said in a low voice, "I understand. I personally don't care. I believe in success. However, there are more than a hundred assistants on this starship. They are all top talents in their field. I hope that they will be able to receive the remuneration in the agreement when they return to the Federation and be properly settled …"
Chu Mingfeng showed an apologetic expression. "I am very sorry, doctor. Please forgive me for not being able to do anything about your request. Even if it is conveyed to the higher-ups, I am afraid they will not approve it."
"Why?"
Dr. Harxinte felt an inexplicable anger. "These people work day and night, forgetting to eat and sleep. Shouldn't they be getting what they deserve?
What you are doing is simply unethical. "
The man in the suit couldn't help but say, "Doctor, are you worthy of talking about ethics?
You've sacrificed so many people for live experiments. You've disregarded the federal laws. When have you ever had any morals?
You even used your own granddaughter for experiments. Is this what you call ethical? "
Dr. Harxinte was furious. "You don't know shit. I am doing this for the sake of great science."
The man in the suit sneered disdainfully. "Science?
It is a pity that you have been experimenting for so many years and have not produced any results. Are you worthy of talking about science?
Things that can't produce any benefits are only worthy of being trash. You expect us to raise a bunch of trash?
Don't even think about it. "
"You!
You bastard! "Dr. Harxinte was so angry that his body swayed. The young man next to him hurriedly supported him.
"Now, I finally see the true colors of you people."
Dr. Harxinte was so angry that he was out of breath. After all, he was an ordinary human being. He was old and could not withstand such provocation. Moreover, with his prestige and authority, no one dared to say that he was trash. He could not even be the President of the Federation.
At this moment, Xiao Ai suddenly let out a surprised voice. "Doctor, she is awake!"
Everyone was shocked by this sentence and turned their eyes to the central screen. The real-time data on it had indeed changed:
Heart rate: 32 beats per minute;
Body temperature: 29.9 degrees;
Breathing: 12 beats per minute;
Brain frequency: 67 Hertz;
Fatigue: 0%;
Infection rate: None;
Health status: Sub-health level -2;
…
This was clearly a sign of recovery. In the nutrition ball, the girl's long eyelashes were trembling slightly. She seemed to have also felt the doctor's anger. Her brows were already furrowed and her expression was very angry.
The young man rushed to the main control panel and operated it in a panic. Not long after, he turned his head in surprise and said in a trembling voice, "Doctor, her heart rate is accelerating. Her blood pressure has returned to normal. Her brain is abnormally active and her breathing has also increased to the standard of a normal human. She … she is really going to wake up …"
Dr. Harxinte was not blinded by the great joy. He frowned and said, "No, she should not have woken up at this time. Could it be … could it be that Mou Xing …"
Unfortunately, his words were ruthlessly interrupted because at this moment, the entire command hall flashed with red light and the alarm was triggered. The system sounded:
"Warning, warning, a large number of high-risk energy scans have been detected and have locked onto the ship. All crew members, please return to your positions!"