Adjusting the camera angle, the short and chubby man with glasses pressed the record button.
“I am Dr. Chen, and this video file documents the modification process of Subject 888714. The subject was brought in on the first day with severe damage to the respiratory system and extensive burns on the body. Currently preparing to clean the wounds and monitoring the vital signs.”
“On the 36th day, the subject’s vital signs have stabilized, and we can proceed to the next experiment. Although all previous subjects have shown severe rejection reactions after upgrading the control chip designed by the predecessors, I have confidence in Subject 888714 because he is one of the first batch of artificial embryos.”
“At that time, creating artificial embryos was not only legal but also allowed for genetic modifications. According to the records, Subject 888714 does not carry any disease-causing genes and has strong self-healing abilities. I hope he can successfully accept the control chip.”
“We did it! We finally did it! On the 90th day, after a few weeks of critical conditions, the subject gradually stabilized and accepted the control chip! This is good news! Next, we will prepare to strengthen the subject’s muscles, which will be a long process requiring modifications to each muscle fiber.”
“On the 788th day, the leg muscles of the subject couldn’t withstand the intensified modifications and experienced tissue deaths on the leg muscles, triggering a chain reaction. It appears that there are limits to the enhancements, and we can’t follow Colonel Moran’s suggestion of unlimited modifications.”
“Colonel Moran is dissatisfied with the experiment’s mistakes, and I must persuade him. If he wants a humanoid weapon with thinking abilities rather than a machine, he must accept the fact that the human body has limits.”
“On the 2589th day, all the subject’s muscles have been reconstructed and modified, with a strength surpassing mechanical prosthetics. Unfortunately, except for Subject 888714, all other subjects failed during the first step of modification. So after such a long time, only Subject 888714 has been successfully modified.”
“Perhaps to create the perfect soldier, we can only start from artificial embryos. But this involves the founders of the Tree of Life, and General Miller will definitely not agree. Therefore, we must be extremely cautious in the subsequent modifications of Subject 888714 and not ruin this unique semi-finished product.”
“On the 4236th day, Captain Shen has his new skin. This is the result of my detailed research. I have finally surpassed my predecessors! Next, I will upgrade the chip designed by her and surpass her in all aspects!”
“On the 4250th day, since Captain Shen regained his normal appearance, Colonel Moran has made many new demands. He wants to change Captain Shen’s hair color, skin color, and eye color. Does he think my experiment is a dress-up game? I can’t defy him and can only add these boring new features. The Colonel is very satisfied.”
“On the 6832nd day, Colonel Moran requested to transform Captain Shen’s eyes into mechanical ones for real-time monitoring. I refused because it would put a significant burden on Captain Shen’s brain. I can’t take that risk.”
“On the 7288th day, refugees broke into Zone Z of the city, and Colonel Moran decided to awaken Captain Shen for the mission. Currently, I am repairing his cardiovascular function, and there is a high chance of success, but I have to temporarily pause.”
“On the 7297th day, the mission in Zone Z of the city failed, indicating that there are still shortcomings in my research. Next, I must block Captain Shen’s memories. I agree with Colonel Moran on this. Controlling his thinking is more important than physical enhancements.”
“On the 9001st day, Captain Shen will be awakened again for a mission. This mission will be his ultimate test. If the mission is successful, it means his thinking is fully under control, and then I will proceed to restore his cardiovascular function. If the mission fails, it means we need to upgrade the chip and rely on it for control.”
“I don’t think it will fail because I have blocked his memories.”
…
“Stay calm, Boss!”
Malken quickly put down the surgical knife and stopped klet, who was rushing over.
“The negotiator is already anesthetized. If you want to stop the surgery, do you think he will agree?”
“No,” klet, like a crazed beast, grabbed Malken’s collar, “He is the one! I can’t bear a 1% risk!”
“No,” Malken, bewildered by the shouting, said, “Although I’m not sure what’s going on, the surgery was a joint decision. You can’t let the negotiator undergo anesthesia for nothing, right?”
On the other side, the holographic projection of the Old Ghost spoke, “klet, what are you doing?”
“He can’t die.” klet reluctantly calmed down, placing his hands on the surgical chair, staring at Shen Siwei’s sleeping face, murmuring, “He can’t die.”
“Why did he suddenly go crazy?” the Old Ghost asked Malken.
“I don’t know,” Malken said, puzzled,
Malken walked back to the surgical chair, patted klet’s shoulder, and said, “Boss, let’s proceed with the surgery for now.”
klet didn’t move, his gaze fixed on Shen Siwei’s face. “I have many things to say to him. Wake him up first.”
“Tsk,” Malken hesitated, “The negotiator has a bad temper. Won’t he get angry if we do this?”
Upon hearing this, klet pursed his lips, and his expression slightly relaxed.
“Boss, 10% is already a small chance. My mentor is still watching.” Malken continued to persuade, “Let’s proceed, and if anything goes wrong, I’ll immediately stop. Is that okay?”
“He can’t die.” klet seemed to have lost the ability to speak and could only repeat this sentence.
“I know,” Malken said, trying to lead klet to the other room, “You stay here and watch. I’ll report to you in real-time.”
klet finally calmed down, but judging by his tightly clenched fists, it was evident how much effort he had exerted to maintain composure.
The surgery continued, and Malken picked up the surgical knife again, sitting back at the surgical chair.
“First, I will remove this artificial skull.”
To reassure klet, Malken had to perform the surgery while explaining.
He used the surgical knife to make an cut on the holographic projection suspended in the air, and the precise instruments on the surgical chair immediately followed his movements, cutting open Shen Siwei’s skull.
“I won’t touch the negotiator’s nerves, only modify the wireless part on the chip.”
The three-dimensional projection of the chip enlarged, and Malken used the surgical knife to cut open a circuit board, while the little instruments on the surgical chair accurately performed the command.
“Alright.” Malken breathed a sigh of relief, waving away the remaining projection of the chip, leaving only the wireless part. He then asked the Old Ghost, “Mentor, take a look. Where should we start?”
Klet didn’t look at the projection in mid-air; he kept staring at the monitoring device, grateful that Shen Siwei’s vital signs remained stable.
“Don’t cover the part that receives signals, so they won’t notice anything out of place,” the Old Ghost said. “But the part that sends commands needs to be connected elsewhere so that he can know what commands are coming from the control console.”
“Okay, I’ll separate the receiving part first.” Malken explained to Klet as he operated. “The control console can still issue commands as usual, and the negotiator can still receive them, but his body won’t be controlled by the chip anymore.”
As the surgery went on, Klet became calmer. He continued to stare at the monitoring device and asked, “Won’t the person giving the commands notice anything?”
“No,” Malken said, “The negotiator can know what the commands are and provide feedback, so it appears that he is still being controlled by the control console.”
“In other words,” the Old Ghost chimed in, “for example, if the control console asks him to change his hair color, he will know the command and then control the hair color change himself.”
Klet nodded, no longer having any other questions.
“Alright, now we need to deal with the part that sends commands. Hopefully, the negotiator’s brain won’t have a stress response.”
Malken carefully changed the circuit, but just when he thought he had succeeded, Shen Siwei, who was still unconscious, suddenly frowned, and his chestnut hair began to darken rapidly.
The monitoring device emitted a beeping warning sound, and Klet immediately rushed forward, asking, “What’s going on?!”
“Don’t panic!” the Old Ghost said. “Malken, use a small amount of anesthesia spray.”
“Okay, got it.”
The surgical chair immediately sprayed a small amount of mist at the location where the chip connected to the brain, and the vital signs on the monitoring device gradually stabilized.
Malken breathed a sigh of relief and said, “The negotiator’s hair has turned black.”
Looking up at Klet, he noticed Klet’s pale face, still shocked , unable to recover for a while.
“For heaven’s sake, we’re still in the middle of surgery. Can you please respect the doctor?” Malken interrupted Klet, dissatisfied with his interruption.
“Okay.” Klet obediently stepped aside, crossing his arms in front of his chest, anxiously waiting for Malken to continue the surgery.
“I checked; the negotiator’s memory part cannot be altered; it can only be accessed through the nerves.”
“won’t he recover his memories?” Klet frowned and asked.
“This memory section is just a medium; his lost memories should be stored in the control console, and they cannot be retrieved through this part,” Malken explained. “For now, I can only cover it, so at least the negotiator’s memories won’t be altered anymore.”
“Also,” Malken added, “the negotiator’s cardiovascular function is an old injury, and I can’t do anything about it.”
“As long as he wakes up, it’s fine,” Klet said in a deep voice.
“Okay, everything is fine now.” Malken finished the surgery and closed the wound with adhesive. “The negotiator has a unique immune system, so there’s no need to worry about infection. Recovery should be quick.”
It was only then that Klet’s anxious heart finally calmed down.
In a daze, Shen Siwei felt a slight difference in the skin at the back of his head. It was as if there was a hole that didn’t match the surrounding skin.
He instinctively altered the molecules in his skin to move to the hole, and the strange sensation instantly disappeared as if it had never existed.
“His eyeballs are moving.”
“Is he waking up?”
“It’s been almost half a day; he should be.”
Someone was talking nearby, making Shen Siwei’s brain buzz.
He opened his eyes and sat up, but before his vision became clear, he was embraced tightly.
“Captain!”
Shen Siwei blinked in confusion, and when he saw the handsome young man in front of him clearly, he widened his dark eyes in astonishment. “Leizhe?”
Did the surgery fail?
Shen Siwei wondered in a daze, otherwise how could he see someone who had already died?
“It’s me, Captain!” Leizhe grabbed Shen Siwei’s shoulders, filled with excitement. “I didn’t die. When Malken told me it was you, I rushed over immediately!”
“You…” Shen Siwei furrowed his brow in confusion, “Moran said that you…”
“Do you not remember what happened twenty-five years ago?” Leizhe said. “I thought you were killed in the explosion. I fell from the building and someone saved me. It’s a long story; I’ll tell you slowly once you recover.”
“Okay.” Shen Siwei nodded lightly and touched the back of his head where the surgery had taken place; there were no traces left.
“You’re no longer under their control.” Leizhe seemed to have countless words he wanted to say to Shen Siwei, but he didn’t know where to start. He said without any order, “After I recovered, I didn’t go back to the team because I found out that the military was conducting experiments on soldiers. Captain, it’s so great that you’re alive.”
After more than twenty years of not seeing each other, Leizhe remained the same, not hiding his emotions in front of Shen Siwei.
“Just look at yourself,” Shen Siwei couldn’t help but raise his hands and adjust Leizhe collar. “Why are you still so careless?”
Leizhe gritted his teeth and looked deeply moved, saying, “You’re always the best to me, Captain.”
Seeing his teammate after many years, Shen Siwei also felt emotional. He touched the scar at the corner of Leizhe’s eye with his fingertips and asked, “Does it still hurt?”
“No, it doesn’t hurt,” Leizhe shook his head. Unable to contain himself any longer, he hugged Shen Siwei tightly and said, “Captain, I missed you so much!”
“Alright, alright,” Shen Siwei patted Leizhe’s back, urging him to let go. “How do you know Malken?”
“I am the Nightingale leader, and he is my deputy.”
“You’re the Nightingale leader?” Shen Siwei was once again surprised.
“Yes, but we are different from the old Nightingale,” Leizhe said. “Thanks to you, this agreement was possible. I never imagined that the person helping us would turn out to be my old captain. Isn’t it destiny?”
While the two of them were still in conversation, a heavy atmosphere gathered on the other side of the room. Klet and Malken leaned on the workbench, both crossing their arms in front of their chests, wearing extremely displeased expressions.
“How come they are so familiar with each other?” Malken glared at Leizhe and asked unhappily.
“I don’t know,” Klet said with a gloomy look in his eyes.
“Damn it! They’re hugging again!” Malken cursed under his breath. “Destiny, my ass.”
Suddenly, Klet stood up straight, squinting his eyes, and asked, “Can we kill him?”
Malken was taken aback and quickly held down Klet’s aggressive fist. “Calm down, boss.”
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