Published: February 11, 2025
Even with thorough disinfection and cleaning, there was still a complex, unpleasant odor in the Life Gene Laboratory.
As Ye Zhongming stepped into a closed-off individual lab, he was greeted by a scene of vast amounts of blood and corpses. If one didn't know any better, they might think this was a slaughterhouse.
Liu Zhenghong, currently wearing a white lab coat stained with red liquid and occasional small pieces of tissue, paid no mind to her appearance. She continued her work, only glancing at Ye Zhongming through the isolation glass when he entered, before immediately returning to her tasks.
It wasn't until forty minutes later that she straightened up, removed her mask and gloves, and began to take off the soiled clothing as she moved through the isolation area.
“Have you been waiting long? Let's go home,” Liu Zhenghong said, throwing her arms around Ye Zhongming's neck in a playful manner. Fortunately, it was just a habitual way of teasing the boss of Cloud Summit, and she quickly let go.
The two exited the Life Gene Laboratory, and the guards tactfully retreated, not following them.
“How's the progress?” Ye Zhongming instinctively glanced around, then asked.
The playful expression on Liu Zhenghong’s face faded, replaced by the seriousness and rigor of a top researcher.
“Quite good.”
This answer surprised Ye Zhongming.
No one understood Liu Zhenghong and Le Da Yuan's pride better than him, and no one knew their caution in their field more than he did.
Typically, Liu Zhenghong would only give a positive answer if the experiment was on the verge of success. Otherwise, her most common response would be, "It depends.”
Now, when she said it was quite good, it made Ye Zhongming hopeful.
“This Rat King is quite generous; it always provides enough experimental subjects, as if its subordinates are endless,” Liu Zhenghong said with a cold smile. Even though this situation created good external conditions for her, she still scoffed at the cruelty of these non-human lives.
“This makes things much more convenient for me. Many processes can be carried out simultaneously, allowing for multiple possibilities to be tested together.”
As Liu Zhenghong walked, she continued, “The Rat King's requirements are not high; they aren’t specific. As long as their next generation has better genes, that’s enough. I don't know how long you want to control these guys, but from my end, even if the technology doesn’t update for the time being, it’s enough for them to breed more than ten times, with each batch of pups showing significant improvement.”
The Red Creator clearly understood Ye Zhongming's intentions. As for this group of mutant rats, Ye Zhongming had no intention of treating them kindly; they were merely tools for mutual benefit, with Ye Zhongming holding the initiative.
“No need for obvious improvement; just let the Rat King sense it,” Ye Zhongming waved his hand at a spot, causing Xia Bai's figure to vanish. “How long is their breeding period?”
“That depends on the species. They have evolved towards two extremes in this regard,” Liu Zhenghong said, her expression turning serious.
She had never regarded these rats highly before, which was not surprising. Her experimental subjects were the likes of Dr. He, who represented a combination of human and animal genes, and top-tier mutants like Yama Tree and Yangos. How could she possibly care for these filthy underground creatures?
However, after delving deeper into the studies of these mutant rats, she was shocked by some data, which prompted this dinner appointment with Ye Zhongming.
“Some species have a much shorter breeding period,” Liu Zhenghong said, her hands tucked into the pockets of her white coat, her voice carrying through the apocalypse night. “Previously, regular house mice took about forty days from birth to reproduction, and larger ones wouldn’t exceed ninety days. But now, some varieties can enter their breeding period in just twenty days.”
“Twenty days?!” Ye Zhongming frowned, finding this time far too short. “Breeding seventeen or eighteen times a year is quite frightening.”