Chapter 73: Another Great Feat!

Chapter 73 Yet Another Monumental Achievement!

Zhao Zhen's initially indifferent, amused, dismissive expression instantly changed.

He straightened up. "Can you confirm that core is from a Zombie King, and that the Zombie King was a Psychic Zombie King?"

Zhao Zhen had never handled a Zombie King's Core before, but it was said that even cores of the same level, those from Zombie Kings were of higher quality and offered a greater chance of advancement compared to ordinary Zombie Cores.

Even with a Zombie Core, not all Superpowered individuals could successfully advance—there was still a chance of failure.

Especially for someone like Zhao Zhen.

No matter how much Zhao Zhen boasted about his hard work and diligence, deep down, he knew better than anyone that he was far from dedicated to scientific research. Most of his efforts were spent on political maneuvering and self-promotion.

More than the research itself, he was obsessed with the glory that came with scientific achievements. He wasn’t truly passionate about research; if he could attain honor without it, he would leave Han Yaokun's lab without a second thought.

For someone like him, whose motives were impure and whose focus was never truly on research, his Psychic Superpower was bound to be unstable and superficial. Even with a Psychic Zombie Core, his chances of successful advancement were slim.

So when he heard about a Zombie King's Core that could increase the probability of advancement, Zhao Zhen's eyes turned red with greed.

Not to mention, after successfully advancing with a Zombie King's Core, the resulting superpower would be far more powerful and stable.

Zhao Zhen was currently stagnated at Level 4, early stage of Psychic Superpower, and had been for years without any breakthrough, largely due to the lack of a suitable Zombie Core.

During the recent auction, representatives from Nation R had brought many Psychic Zombie Cores. Han Yaokun had secured one suitable for himself through the base, while Zhao Zhen had privately obtained several high-quality Psychic Zombie Cores from Nation R. Just when he thought everything was ready and all he needed was the final push, Ji An—that meddling bastard—exposed that those cores were actually Superpowered Crystal Cores.

This shattered Zhao Zhen's dream of advancement. No matter how desperate he was to advance, if the cost was developing mania, going insane, suffering mental instability, superpower chaos, and eventual core-induced self-destruction, Zhao Zhen wouldn’t take that risk.

Now, Wang Zhenghao was telling him that the base had hunted a Zombie King and obtained a Psychic Zombie King's Core of far superior quality compared to others of the same level. How could Zhao Zhen not be consumed with envy?

At this point, Zhao Zhen wasn’t just envious—he was practically seething, his eyes burning with avarice.

Seeing Zhao Zhen's reaction, Wang Zhenghao allowed a faint smirk to curl his lips.

"Where is that Psychic Zombie King's Core now?" Zhao Zhen demanded, barely containing his urgency.

"It's in Ji An's hands," Wang Zhenghao replied, deliberately omitting the fact that Ji An had participated in the base's mission, subtly steering Zhao Zhen's thoughts.

Zhao Zhen immediately twisted with jealousy and resentment, nearly shouting, "Why would they give the core to that worthless Ji An?!"

"Probably because he’s Commander-in-Chief Gu’s little pet," Wang Zhenghao added fuel to the fire, feigning casualness. "He knows how to 'use his connections'! Someone like you, Director Zhao, who works hard and plays by the rules, has no shortcuts—of course you wouldn’t get it."

Wang Zhenghao watched Zhao Zhen's expression carefully. Seeing that Zhao Zhen was teetering on the edge of fury, just one more push would send him over the edge into irrational, reckless action.

He continued, "Honestly, I feel this is deeply unfair to you. If this had happened back when Ji An still had his superpower, fine—he could still contribute to the base in the future, so giving it to him would make sense.

But now? Ji An’s superpower is gone. He’s just a worthless nobody, separated from you by an insurmountable gap. He’ll never contribute to the base again.

Meanwhile, you have a stellar future ahead, limitless potential, and will make countless contributions to the base.

In terms of value, that worthless Ji An doesn't even compare to you. Frankly, even mentioning him in the same breath as you is an insult."

These words struck a chord with Zhao Zhen, who indeed harbored such thoughts.

Wang Zhenghao pressed on, "Your worth is so far beyond Ji An’s that he isn’t even fit to lick your boots. By any measure, that Psychic Zombie King’s Core should go to you, not Ji An.

Just because Ji An whores himself out, and you don’t, they give the core to him?

How is that fair to you? It's intolerable!"

Zhao Zhen was now in a furious rage, like a bull seeing red. It seemed as if Ji An and Gu Jinsheng were standing right before him, and he could gore them both with his horns.

Zhao Zhen kicked over the experiment table in front of him, heedless of the petri dishes and other lab equipment still on it. Glassware, culture solutions, and bacteria splattered everywhere. The researchers and students conducting the experiments were startled by the sudden outburst, crying out in alarm.

Zhao Zhen paid no attention to any of this. He stood up and marched off to confront Gu Jinsheng, only to be stopped by Wang Zhenghao at the door.

"Wang Zhenghao, what do you mean by this? Are you siding with that worthless Ji An too?" Zhao Zhen roared.

Wang Zhenghao quickly shook his head and explained, "Of course not. Ji An is nothing but trash. Not to sound arrogant, but even if I were to make any breakthroughs in research in the future, that good-for-nothing Ji An never could."

"Then why are you stopping me? I, Zhao Zhen, am no coward who’d fear a Commander-in-Chief who bought his way into command!"

Wang Zhenghao replied, "I’m looking out for you, to prevent you from suffering a loss. Think about it—if you go alone, Gu Jinsheng might pretend to agree with you on the surface, only to have someone eliminate you behind the scenes. With his influence, he could easily make it look like an accident or pin it on R Country. Who could possibly trace it back to him?"

Zhao Zhen found Wang Zhenghao’s reasoning sound, but it only stoked his fury further. It felt as if a fire were burning in his chest, threatening to reduce his entire being to ashes.

"So I’m just supposed to hide like a coward and endure this injustice?"

"Of course not," Wang Zhenghao suggested. "A Commander-in-Chief like Gu Jinsheng—who bought his rank—must have committed countless injustices. We should gather all those who’ve suffered under his unfair treatment and confront him together.

Strength in numbers, even he wouldn’t dare silence all of us. Then, not only will justice be served, but you’ll also reclaim that Psychic Zombie King’s core."

"Fine," Zhao Zhen agreed immediately, his eyes alight with envy, greed, and spite.

Meanwhile, at Ji An’s research lab, people streamed in and out. Wu Youyang stood guard at the entrance, instructing, "Rong Fan, log every item. We’ll conduct checks on these plants and animals to ensure they’re free of the zombie virus. Compensation will be distributed based on the order of registration."

Though Gu Jinsheng had kept Ji An’s identity as the inventor of the nutrient solution a secret—known only to high-ranking officials and select researchers—many still knew him as the creator of the spatial storage device. Their curiosity about him was no less than if he had invented the nutrient solution.

Many of those delivering goods lingered at the entrance, peering inside. Unfortunately, they could see nothing beyond the outer chamber of the lab. Moreover, Yin Fang and Yu Xi stood watch like statues on either side of the door.

Inside the lab, Ji An placed a pair of mosquitoes into his spatial storage device. Indeed, after the two white mice, the third living creatures to enter the subspace were two tiny mosquitoes.

Ji An couldn’t help but chuckle as he released them. He mused whether future generations would resent him upon learning that mice and mosquitoes were among the first creatures he preserved.

At least he had the decency not to place the mosquitoes in the kitten’s living area, instead keeping them with the two white mice. After all, the fluffy kitten was too cute—how could he bear to let mosquitoes bite it?

Ji An’s reach was impressive. In just two weeks, he had received an astonishing variety of uninfected, non-mutated plants and animals—beyond his wildest expectations.

Crops like rice, wheat, and sorghum, nearly extinct in the apocalypse, had somehow been recovered by scavenger teams.

The food they currently consumed was primarily grown by plant-based superpowered individuals—of no use to Ji An. With the natural world contaminated by the zombie virus, unmutated plants had all but vanished. Ji An had no idea how these people had found them. Finding unmutated plants was harder than hunting zombies with the rarest superpowers. Proof that money talks!

Ji An planted the crops in a patch of seemingly fertile soil, far from where the kitten and white mice resided. After dousing them with Magic Spring water, he let nature take its course.

He had both Zombie Cores and Superpowered Crystal Cores from plant-based sources. These could be artificially converted into energy and infused into the subspace to accelerate plant growth, but Ji An chose not to do so.

Since the subspace had selected the most primitive, uninfected genes, there must be a reason. Ji An wouldn’t interfere artificially but would instead respect its choices, protecting it from the corruption of the zombie virus and mutations, allowing it to develop naturally.

Even the fertilizer he used was the most primitive kind—feces from the white mice and kitten.

Now, the subspace held three animal species and six plant species. So far, no marine life had appeared, meaning the Magic Spring water had yet to upgrade.

This can't be blamed on those treasure-hunting squads; after all, the ocean was the first place where mutations appeared.

The origin of all mutations traces back to Nation R discharging nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the sea.

From then on, marine life first suffered mass die-offs from disease, and those that survived began mutating—marine life sprouted extra heads, eyes, or limbs—mutations beyond counting.

Later, when the world's oceans were polluted by nuclear wastewater, acid rain fell from the sky. After days and nights of acid rain, the zombie virus silently took hold, ushering in the apocalypse for humanity.

Thus, finding unmutated marine life is the most difficult task of all!

Ji An sighed; even he was starting to worry whether he could ever find unmutated marine creatures.

However, with the addition of unmutated animals and plants, the pocket dimension had indeed become more vibrant and full of life.

After hand-feeding the kitten and white mice with nutrient solution, Ji An stood up and walked to the incubator, a smirk playing on his lips.

Through the transparent incubator, a small fragment of an unknown animal's bone could be seen. Ji An put on sterile gloves, carefully took out the bone fragment, and held it up to admire. Sunlight reflected off the alabaster bone, casting a glow onto Ji An and wrapping him in an almost divine glow.

This halo made Ji An appear beatific yet unnerving.

Especially with Ji An's smiling eyes and upturned lips, as if he were gazing at some priceless artifact, entranced while admiring and toying with the bone—he looked exactly like a deranged researcher ripped from a horror flick.

If anyone had walked into the lab at that moment, they would have been terrified by Ji An's bone-worshipping antics.

After a while, Ji An finally placed the bone back into the sterile container, peeled off his gloves, and sent a message to Gu Jinsheng.

About half an hour later, Gu Jinsheng arrived at the lab.

At this time, Wu Youyang was still collecting unmutated specimens. He froze upon seeing Gu Jinsheng. "Commander-in-Chief Gu, what’s the occasion?"

Gu Jinsheng nodded at Wu Youyang and the ever-vigilant guards, Yin Fang and Yu Xi, before saying, "I came to see Xiao An."

Wu Youyang awkwardly replied, "Commander-in-Chief Gu, you know our Boss Ji’s got a strict no-visitors policy while he’s conducting experiments."

No sooner had Wu Youyang spoken than Ji An opened the door and waved at Gu Jinsheng. "Jinsheng, you're here! Come in, I have something wild to show you!"

Though Gu Jinsheng's face remained as expressionless as ever, betraying no emotion, his whole vibe mellowed out—like a blade sliding back into its scabbard, its sharp edge no longer palpable.

"Xiao An called me here," Gu Jinsheng said gently, striding into the lab after tossing out this line.

Wu Youyang's lips twitched. If Boss Ji himself came out to greet someone, how could Wu Youyang not know? Did Commander-in-Chief Gu really need to emphasize that? Wasn’t it just rubbing it in?

Truly, was this the difference in treatment between an employee and a lover?

Employees were untouchable—interrupt and die—while lovers were text-bombed until they showed up.

Wu Youyang couldn’t help but mutter under his breath at Gu Jinsheng’s retreating figure, "God, you’re pathetic."

Everyone present except Wu Youyang was a super. Though Wu Youyang thought he had whispered softly, the sharp senses of the supers around him caught every word.

Nearly everyone widened their eyes at Wu Youyang, and Yin Fang even gave him an admiring thumbs-up.

Wu Youyang slapped his own mouth hard—why’d he have to say that?

Ji An led Gu Jinsheng into his lab—this was the first time Gu Jinsheng had crossed the threshold into Ji An’s inner sanctum. The previous glimpse through Thunder Dragon’s eyes didn’t count.

Gu Jinsheng noticed that in just a few days, Ji An’s lab had sprouted new gear, the most obvious being the 3D printer by the wall.

This 3D printer was requested by Ji An from Gu Jinsheng, who obtained it through personal connections and personally delivered it to him.

It was arguably the most advanced 3D printer at the time, with both sleek looks and top-tier performance.

However, that once visually stunning 3D printer had clearly been disassembled and modified by someone, and now its appearance was... downright ugly.

But Gu Jinsheng knew Ji An wouldn’t do anything pointless—there must be a reason for such modifications.

Opposite the 3D printer was an inflatable bathtub.

The inflatable bathtub measured approximately two meters in length, 65 cm in width, and 60 cm in height, big enough for a grown man.

Now, the bathtub was filled with a gooey, almost-clear fluid that was thick and slow-moving, making it difficult to discern what it was.

"Jinsheng, come here, look at this." Ji An led Gu Jinsheng to the sterile culture chamber.

Gu Jinsheng’s eyes narrowed, his gaze falling on the piece of bone inside the sterile box.

It was clearly a leg bone from some animal, which wasn’t particularly surprising. What was shocking, however, were the culture dish and growth chamber under the bone.

This meant the leg bone had just been cultivated!!!

How was this possible?!

Gu Jinsheng’s pupils constricted, almost unable to believe his eyes—or the crazy idea forming in his head.

"Xiao An." Gu Jinsheng’s voice was hoarse. "Did you cultivate that leg bone?"

Ji An snapped back to attention and, noticing Gu Jinsheng’s comet-hit-Earth expression, smiled. "Yes. It was actually M Country that provided me with a breakthrough idea."

Gu Jinsheng didn’t understand scientific research, but he knew Ji An’s work went far beyond just "a breakthrough idea" from M Country. This tech didn’t exist—not in M Country, not anywhere. It was an entirely new field, far more groundbreaking than a mere idea.

Gu Jinsheng felt proud of Ji An’s achievement, but at the same time, a sharp pang shot through his chest.

If Ji An’s Psychic Superpower hadn’t been lost, how far could he have gone?

Yet now, as an ordinary person, he had broken ground in a whole new medical field!

Seeing the look in Gu Jinsheng’s eyes, Ji An guessed his thoughts. "What’s with that look? This is a good thing! If successful, Zhou Qin’s leg can be healed, and disabilities might be wiped out for good!"

Gu Jinsheng closed his eyes, and when he reopened them, the hurt in his eyes was gone.

Ji An said, "The experiment is still in progress. Don’t tell Zhou Qin yet—no point getting his hopes up prematurely."

"Alright." Gu Jinsheng couldn’t quite define the emotion churning inside him. This person was simply too extraordinary, to the point of seeming unreal. Whenever he faced Ji An, Gu Jinsheng felt a crushing helplessness—like clutching at sand or grasping time itself.

Even though Ji An was right beside him, it was like he might disappear any second!

Ji An said, "Since you’re here, stick around and watch a miracle happen!"

Gu Jinsheng’s pupils shrank sharply.

At that moment, Xiang Xintong arrived at the lab. Shortly after messaging Gu Jinsheng, Ji An had also sent a message to Xiang Xintong, though she arrived later than Gu Jinsheng.

Before coming, Xiang Xintong hadn’t known what Ji An intended to do—he hadn’t explained much, only saying he needed her healing assistance.

Now, Xiang Xintong was Ji An’s personal healing superpowerer. During the last commendation ceremony, Ji An had been rewarded with the perk of his own healer.

Originally, Fang Rurong should have been chosen—her healing skills were top-tier among all superpowered individuals. However, after treating Zhou Qin’s injuries last time, her superpower had been drained dry, and she was still recovering.

If Ji An had chosen her, during Fang Rurong's recovery period, only other healing superpowered individuals could temporarily provide services.

In that case, there would be no fixed personnel—whoever was available would assist, which would be quite inconvenient. So Ji An chose Xiang Xintong, whose abilities were no weaker than Fang Rurong's.

Xiang Xintong arrived in a hurry. Although Ji An had clarified that he wasn’t the one in trouble, she was still somewhat worried. Seeing Gu Jinsheng there only deepened her concern.

"Researcher Ji, is there something wrong with your health?" Xiang Xintong asked anxiously.

"No," Ji An explained. "Sorry to trouble you to come all this way. It’s just a personal request I’d like your help with."

Xiang Xintong breathed a sigh of relief. As long as it wasn’t an issue with Ji An’s physical or mental health, she was fine.

She finally smiled. "Not a problem. Researcher Ji, feel free to ask whatever you need from me."

"Then I'll get straight to it." Ji An led Xiang Xintong to a white mouse missing the lower half of its leg. "Here is the missing leg bone of this white mouse. It hasn’t been contaminated by the zombie virus. Could you please heal it?"

A look of confusion passed through Xiang Xintong’s eyes. Did Ji An call her all the way here just to heal a white mouse’s leg bone?

She thought, *Well, if he wants it healed, I’ll heal it.* Ji An was a researcher, after all—perhaps this white mouse was special. Otherwise, he wasn’t the type to deliberately inconvenience people.

"Alright," Xiang Xintong agreed. She put on sterile gloves, took the bone from the culture dish, and placed it against the white mouse’s hind limb where the lower half was missing. Then, she began using her healing superpower.

Since the bone wasn’t infected with the virus, healing the broken leg wasn’t difficult at all. For Xiang Xintong, this was even simpler than healing external injuries on a superpowered person.

In moments, the white mouse’s broken leg was fully restored.

"Done." Almost the moment Xiang Xintong spoke, the white mouse stood up. It shook its newly healed leg, finding it moved freely.

Then, it began running around, jumping up and down on its fully restored leg, with no trace of its former injury.

Gu Jinsheng’s expression shifted so visibly that even Xiang Xintong sensed something was off. She was puzzled. "This wasn’t difficult at all. Since this white mouse has minimal mutation, it hardly drained my superpower to heal it. Only cases like Deputy Commander Zhou’s—where the severed limb wasn’t preserved and needs regeneration—are impossible to heal."

Gu Jinsheng’s expression didn’t ease at her words. If anything, it grew even more serious.

In other words, as long as Ji An could cultivate suitable bones, all severed limbs could be healed!

What did this mean?

Another groundbreaking achievement following the nutrient solution! Another revolutionary invention that would alter the fate of humanity!

Ji An beamed, clearly in high spirits. "Thank you for your help. This white mouse holds extraordinary significance for us. Here’s a thank-you gift."

Xiang Xintong looked down and saw a jade necklace in Ji An’s hand.

It was well-known that Ji An was the creator of spatial storage devices. The jade necklace he held couldn’t possibly be just an ordinary piece—it had to be a spatial storage device.

Xiang Xintong grew so nervous her palms grew sweaty. "This is a spatial storage device, isn’t it? It’s too valuable. I can’t accept it."

"Please take it. I’ll likely need your help many more times in the future," Ji An said.

Gu Jinsheng added, "Just focus on serving Xiao An wholeheartedly from now on. Keep the gift."

"Then... then I’ll accept it gratefully." Seeing that both Ji An and Gu Jinsheng were sincere—and knowing she’d interact with Ji An frequently in the future—Xiang Xintong took it.

The more she looked at it, the more she adored it. Her eyes sparkled with delight. "There’s been a rumor among us healing superpowered individuals that Researcher Ji is an incredibly generous person who casually gifts spatial storage devices for even small favors.

Many doubted the truth of this, since spatial storage devices are so rare—they’re not like street-market cabbages. How could anyone just give them away for trivial matters?

But now that it’s happened to me, I know the rumors are true. I can confirm it firsthand."

"Where did this rumor even come from?" Ji An wondered, as he hadn't given out many spatial storage devices in total.

Xiang Xintong grinned ear-to-ear, her white teeth on full display. "Blame Captain Fang—Fang Rurong. Last time, she helped you heal a minor injury on an ordinary child, and for such a trivial thing, you gave her a spatial storage device. News spread like wildfire after that."

Ji An was torn between laughter and exasperation.

Xiang Xintong continued, "When everyone found out you’d be awarded a dedicated healer slot at the commendation ceremony, they were all hoping it would be them. No one saw me coming as the lucky winner. Then they started betting on when you’d give me a spatial storage device—some guessed half a year, others a year. No one thought it’d be this soon, with the closest guess being just three months."

"The long-shot bets were because no one expected you’d return to work so quickly. Everyone assumed your injuries were severe enough to require at least six months to a year of recovery."

Ji An chuckled. "Was there real money on the line? If so, they must’ve all lost. Had I known about this wager, I’d have placed my bet early."

Xiang Xintong’s impression of Ji An improved even more. A real class act—not only generous and kind but also witty and humorous.

Such an outstanding and gentle person—it’s a good thing he didn’t really die. Guess the heavens weren’t ready to let him go!

"Miss Xiang, you can’t leave just yet. I’ll need your help with another treatment later, so please wait a while. You can rest in the lounge next door for now," Ji An said.

"Alright." She’d barely lifted a finger yet got such a huge gift from Ji An, and Xiang Xintong had initially felt uneasy. But now that Ji An still needed her assistance, she immediately settled down and agreed readily.

Ji An walked Xiang Xintong over to the adjacent lounge. Upon returning, he said to Gu Jinsheng, "Notify Zhou Qin to come here. Keep him in the dark for now—just say I have an experiment requiring data collection and need his help."

There were always exceptions to everything. Ji An didn’t want Zhou Qin to get his hopes up prematurely. It’d be better to wait until everything was settled and surprise him all at once.

"Understood," Gu Jinsheng replied, immediately sending a message to Zhou Qin.