Chapter 97 Falling Flowers and Spring Gone 03

The underground command center was affectionately referred to as "Old Sector Seven" by the Emergency Response Team One personnel.

Lin Shuicheng spent his entire day here, with a security guard rotating every two hours to monitor him. Meals were delivered from outside three times a day. The subterranean space was damp and dimly lit, with incandescent bulbs illuminating the area around the clock, erasing any sense of day or night.

Occasionally, the Emergency Response Team would hold meetings, allowing Lin Shuicheng to sit in. Most of the time, however, he was not permitted to leave the confining room.

Most people here were from the Aerospace Agency, and their attitude toward him was nuanced—neither neglecting him nor treating him with the same level of importance as the Ninth Sector personnel.

Behind closed doors, some jokingly bestowed him with a nickname, playfully addressing him as "God." Lin Shuicheng, upon occasional overhearing, showed no reaction.

On the fifth day of his stay, a familiar face appeared in Lin Shuicheng's solitary workspace.

Kim Li, dragging his suitcase, moved in with an air of nonchalance, accompanied by two assistants. Upon spotting Lin Shuicheng, he whistled as a greeting, "Fate has brought us together again, my second boss. Looks like we'll be working side by side for a while."

Lin Shuicheng lifted his gaze to meet his.

Kim Li had already started pacing, his cerulean eyes wide with complaint about the living facilities, "What is this? A latex pad on top of a folding spring and they call it a bed? Tsk... Can we order dinner? I want fried chicken."

The expressionless war preparation team member who had brought him in said, "It's wartime, and this is the front line. There isn't much room for you to be picky. I hope you understand that."

"Food is my driving force. My brain and body are key weapons in this war," Jin Li piled his luggage on the cot and pointed at Lin Shuicheng. "His is too. This is how you treat the key to the gods? He's the man who forced me to come up with two hundred plans in just three days!"

The war preparation team member fell silent.

The guard nearby made a note of the situation before responding, "We'll report this matter to our superiors."

During dinner, large servings of fried chicken were delivered, piled high like a small mountain. In addition, there were more refined meal boxes and pre-cut fruits.

Jin Li invited Lin Shuicheng to eat with him. "Come on, buddy. Have you been eating birdseed these past few days?"

Lin Shuicheng replied calmly, "Not birdseed. But thank you."

"No need to thank me. Your brain and body need insurance too. I'm contributing to the Alliance." Jin Li put on gloves and tore into the fried chicken. The fragrant, scorching juices flowed down the crispy golden crust, and he passed a piece to Lin Shuicheng.

Lin Shuicheng asked, "Why did you come here?"

Jin Li shrugged. "For B4. They dragged me in to continue working on it."

Lin Shuicheng frowned and repeated, "B4?"

"Right, they've asked me to proceed with Plan B4 as usual," Jin Li whispered to him. "I've been keeping an eye on them. Most of Group One for Battle Preparation are from the Aerospace Bureau, which means they're under that female general's command. I've heard quite a bit about her gossip too; she seems to be the sort who's strong-willed and decisive within the Alliance. Did you attend any of their meetings?"

Lin Shuicheng shook his head and replied softly, "They didn't let me."

"That's right. They don't actually place much importance on you, and they know you're on Little Fu's side. I think you had to pull some strings to convince that female general to trade you for my old boss," Jin Li observed him with an astute gaze born of his familiarity with the world, then added, "But that doesn't matter now. Group One still believes that solving the case hinges on Chu Shihan's case. At this point, the female general is still targeting the academic circle. The logic is simple: since RANDOM is a high-tech organization, there must be corruption at the top of the academic hierarchy. Before Chu Shihan was killed, he contacted her to discuss some issues within the academic circle—brother, putting aside the fact that you're the prime suspect, she suspects that Chu Shihan and B4 meddled with certain people's interests."

Lin Shuicheng remained calm as he pondered over it.

After the incident with the Star University painting report, He Muya had already hinted at this during their conversation. She had bluntly told him, "I want you to be a sharp blade that slices through the rotten fruit." Her words were a direct attack on the current academic circle.

The policies she implemented regarding the academic circle afterward only reinforced this notion.

Jin Li continued eating his fried chicken. "Her line of reasoning isn't entirely wrong, but when it comes to your involvement, they probably find it too mystical... Don't look at me like that. I also think you're quite a mystical person in many ways."

Lin Shuicheng laughed wryly. "Me?"

"Have you watched any sci-fi movies? Researchers like you usually end up being the final villain, conducting relentless experiments for some ideal or other. Lin, you fit that profile. Anything associated with you, like the butterfly effect... all of that is too abstract, so they're hesitant to bet on you." Jin Li took a sip of Coke and patted his belly meaningfully. "As for me, I'm one of those pursuing hamburgers and Coke; the ultimate goal of science has nothing to do with me. But I don't mean to mock you. Based on my impression, you truly are that key. However, I might be more useful at this point."

"So how does all this relate to B4?" Lin Shuicheng asked.

"Inside B4, there's what that female general wants: two hundred and sixty-six sets of human gene optimization sequences, as well as the genetic adhesive we developed previously," Jin Li lowered his voice even more. "She wants me to hurry up and create it to counter RANDOM, because she believes RANDOM is secretly using human optimization technology."

Lin Shuicheng was stunned. "That sounds too..."

"Too unrealistic, right?" Jin Li spat out a chicken bone. "Seems like they really didn't tell you anything."

"You've met Qin Wei, a member of Organization R. From the start, they realized the truth serum used by the Alliance was ineffective on him, so they sent him for a genetic test," Lin Shuicheng whispered.

"I know about that. What were the results?"

"In his body, we found two types of genetic nuclei. One is something he originally had, while the other has been modified through adhesion. This genetic material controls the expression of traits, making him immune to any scopolamine-based anesthetics, which is why he could remain silent."

Lin Shuicheng's eyes widened slightly.

"I examined his blood samples. His body has shown widespread transcription abnormalities due to this modification, preventing normal protein synthesis and causing DNA dissolution and fragmentation. The effects resemble mild radiation aftermath and to some extent confirm their suspicions."

Jin Li continued, "Do you remember? B4 contains the only adhesive that doesn't cause such side effects. Little Fu was always right. When all the Alliance's quantum computers were disrupted, he immediately urged me to continue with the B4 project, believing that Organization R's target might be within B4 – he wasn't wrong. While Organization R can't eliminate the side effects, B4 can."

With this line of discovery, people here aren't actually very interested in the religious aspects or the butterfly effect you mentioned... Their priorities lie elsewhere. All I can say is that both sides are making efforts," Kim Lee said, looking at him with his deep blue eyes. "However, Lin, I do have some good news for you."

Lin Shuicheng inquired softly, "What news?"

"Not telling you yet," Kim Li winked at him. "You'll find out when you encounter it."

Room 343 in the Old Seventh Department.

"Deputy Director Fu, by joining the Special Task Group now, it's implied that you're fully prepared for any combat situations. Given your background in Sector Eight, you'll be leading the Investigative and Apprehension Division. It might be extremely perilous, do you understand this?" an astronautics agency member inquired.

His gaze fell upon the man at the end of the conference table.

Fu Luoyin was clad in the attire of the Alliance military, exuding an aloof aura with a hint of nonchalance: "Understood."

"The Special Task Force has made certain decisions regarding the current situation. Are you willing to accept and agree to fulfill your responsibilities as stipulated in these decisions?" the astronautics agency staff member probed further.

Despite his youth, the man before them radiated a sharp and intimidating presence that made one feel a sense of trepidation.

Fu Luoyin lifted his gaze: "I accept. However, I insist that we cannot abandon the thorough investigation of religious groups."

"Little Fu," He Muya sat at the other end of the table, also dressed in a crisp military uniform, her posture upright and energetic. She spoke with a gentle tone, "We've already investigated and found no suspicious organizations. All religious groups currently active within the Alliance have registered and comply with the law. Illegitimate ones were long since disbanded."

"But the absence of evidence doesn't mean their nonexistence," Fu Luoyin insisted. "This is not contradictory to your ongoing investigation in academia. Conducting both simultaneously might put more pressure on Organization R, making them reveal more of their weaknesses. We're too passive right now. Data recovery, post-disaster reconstruction, and soothing societal unrest are indeed top priorities, but our ignorance about the origins of Organization R is a disgrace to the entire Alliance."

The others in the meeting exchanged glances.

He Muya remained seated, silent for a moment before asking, "I recall... a few months ago, after the government's quantum computer was disrupted, it was you who proposed the countermeasure to expand the quantum interference globally, correct?"

Fu Luoyin nodded. "Thank you, General He, for remembering."

He Muya studied him for a moment more before sighing. "Let's proceed concurrently then. Fu Luoyin, I'm entrusting the investigation into the religious aspect to you. This is because I have faith in your capabilities. In times of war, our resources are limited, so I hope you can produce results swiftly."

"I understand."

The meeting concluded, and Fu Luoyin stood up to leave.

The others present couldn't help but feel a sense of relief.

With Fu Luoyin around, the atmosphere was too oppressive. Besides, there had been several conflicts between the Aerospace Bureau and Fu's Military Technology in just one month, making it impossible to deny the awkwardness.

A discreet astronaut inquired, "Fu Military Industries... Didn't they just have a fallout the other day? Something about General Fu and the incident with that Lin fellow. Why is he here now?"

His companion whispered back, "Deputy Director Fu requested it himself. Rumor has it that he made some concessions on B4, and he insisted on coming over no matter what."

"Mr. Lin, you might experience a slight prick. Please bear with it for a moment. We'll also need to perform a bone marrow aspiration later, for which we'll administer a super-local anesthetic. The genetic sampling process will take a bit longer."

In the medical analysis chamber.

The nurse released the tourniquet from Lin Shuicheng's arm and handed him a sterilized cotton swab. Lin Shuicheng's skin was pale, revealing faint blue veins beneath.

He pressed the swab against the needle puncture and asked softly, "How many days will this continuous sampling last?"

"The sampling will be done daily for a week. You only need to come for the aspiration on the seventh day. The genetic analysis results will take another three days, so you'll know in ten days," the nurse explained.

Lin Shuicheng nodded in understanding.

After all the samples were taken, the medical staff gave Lin Shuicheng a warm glass of milk and some cookies. The guard remained by his side, watching him like a lifeless doll.

Sitting on a resting chair, Lin Shuicheng tilted his head, gazing at the overhead light as he spread his fingers wide.

His fingers were slender and fair, with a hint of red at the edges, particularly noticeable under the illumination of the light.

Could this body, with its intricate design, one day be altered beyond recognition, dissolving into fragmented DNA and disintegrated proteins?

Lin Shuicheng's memory came late; he only began to retain memories around the age of five, with records prior to three years old mysteriously absent.

He had never heard his family discuss that period of his life. With no women in the household, there was no one to speak of the time when he couldn't recall his mother.

In his recollection, he had always been an ordinary person, perhaps slightly more intelligent and diligent than the average individual. If there was any reason for him to become a "god," would the answer lie in his first three years?

Finishing his milk, Lin Shuicheng stepped into the elevator under the watchful gaze of the guards.

The medical pod was directly accessible from the elevator leading to his workspace, monitored at every level by dedicated personnel.

Pressing the button for the top floor, the elevator chimed and ascended. Halfway through its journey, the doors opened, and someone entered.

Standing before the elevator controls, Lin Shuicheng initially gazed at the bluish needle marks on the back of his hand until the newcomer stepped in and stood before him, prompting him to slowly raise his eyes.

A subtle mint fragrance permeated the enclosed space.

Fu Luoyin gazed down at him with a slightly lowered head, his eyes profound and unreadable, like a calm surface hiding an impending storm, cold and solemn.

"Fuyu," Fu Luoyin murmured softly.

They stood side by side, the warmth of his male body radiating through, and beneath the sturdy military uniform, one could faintly sense the tension in his muscles.

Lin Shuicheng was stunned. In that instant, his mind went blank, and his only response was to lower his hand to touch his pocket—where a cut-out photograph lay.

He opened his mouth, "How did you...?"

"Fuyu," Fu Luoyin interrupted him, repeating the word.

Seeing that he didn't understand, Fu Luoyin reached out—across Lin Shuicheng's shoulder, turning slightly to press the button for the seventh floor.

In that brief moment, it felt as if he had drawn Lin Shuicheng into an embrace. Their bodies shifted slightly, and they both felt each other's warm breath on their ears.

The elevator chimed, signaling their arrival at the seventh floor.

Taking a few steps forward, Fu Luoyin turned around and held the elevator door open with his hand, simply watching Lin Shuicheng.

Lin Shuicheng averted his gaze, remaining composed as he stood quietly in the elevator.

"Lin Shuicheng," Fu Luoyin gazed at him intently, his eyes burning with intensity, "I know what you want to ask. I had a question ever since the day you left, and that's why I came here."

"Why did you kiss me if you were going to leave?"