Chapter 590 - Codename Seraph
Chapter 590: Codename Seraph
Panhuman Alliance, Terminus Star Region, Quantum Holdings’ Genetic Engineering headquarters.
Xia Fei had left everything to chase after his dream and greater power in the Law Realm, which the average human could never hope to see, but the development of Quantum Holdings did not stop just because of his departure.
Over the past handful of years, Xia Fei had built a loyal and efficient team, and this team showed their extraordinary control and combat effectiveness while he was not around. While Xia Fei was making great strides to improve himself in the Law Realm, Quantum Holdings was setting off a grand and explosive commercial revolution in the Alliance.
Charlie, Porter, and Sarah were the top three people in charge of the team. Sarah oversaw security and transportation; Porter presided over technological development and completely represented the interests of Quantum Holdings in Terminus; Young Charlie was in control of the team’s three core branches: finance, trade, and diplomacy.
In addition, there was Andre and Qin Mang, each with his wealth of experience; both were serving as company staff, alongside Wulong, Boateng, Yawei, Allen, and the many company elites, as they led various departments in the company.
What was once a nameless enterprise on Earth had since developed into an unprecedented powerhouse!
Xia Fei’s Quantum Holdings and Avril’s family’s Starlink Corporation had also been closely linked business partners, firmly holding down the throne as the top business in the Panhuman Alliance. Everyone knew about the relationship Avril and Xia Fei shared, so it was only a matter of time before the two companies combined as one.
This was not mentioning the robot army located in the Hidden Realm, where the Sentinel Goddess Sophia was guiding the massive army in constructing the ultimate warship for Xia Fei, the Titan! They were also one of the trump cards that Xia Fei had left hidden, only to be mobilized at the most critical juncture!
Thus, it could be said that Xia Fei and his Quantum Holdings had already become the number one force beyond the Law Realm!
*Whoosh!*
A warship descended, and Charlie hurriedly disembarked, deeply breathing in the air of Terminus.
Seeing the large Genetics Engineering Research and Development Center in front gratified him greatly. It seemed like Old Porter had truly done quite a lot of work here in the Terminus Star Region. Unfortunately, the anxiety he was feeling in him meant that there was no way he could admire the scenery around him.
Xia Fei had given him a very important task—a task given the highest security assignment in Quantum Holdings’ brief history: The sequencing of a gene optimization fluid for Avril. Charlie made this trip out here in Terminus for the very first time all because of this task, for he wanted to take a look at the progress Harris had made on it personally.
“Charlie.”
“Uncle Porter.”
Porter was the only person who received Charlie. Due to the importance of this task, only the two of them, including the head scientist Harris, were aware of all the details.
Porter clapped Charlie on his shoulder and smiled. “Yes, I haven’t seen you in years, but you’ve become a lot more mature. Was your trip uneventful?”
Charlie nodded. “Our fleet has already been widely acknowledged as a military force with no equals, so of course the trip has been safe and smooth-sailing. I must say that Terminus Star Region is really peaceful nowadays. We didn’t even see a lick of pirates anywhere.”
Porter burst out into raucous laughter. “Pirates? That’s already long in the past. Yawei and the three Ling brothers led their fleet to free Terminus of pirates so many times that if any pirate were to mention this star region, their scalps would become numb and not dare do anything rash.”
The two chatted amiably as they made their way to the center. The place was extremely strict, with guards armed to the teeth stationed and the latest security systems installed.
“The security guards here were all from Earth, and not a single individual who knows about this place is allowed to set half a foot out of the research center, and it is monitored around the clock,” Porter explained.
“Given the importance of this matter, these arrangements are all well within the parameters of reason. If we fail at this task, there’s no way we can explain ourselves to Brother Xia Fei.”
Porter nodded. “Xia Fei has given us so much; we must accomplish this important task that he gave us no matter what the cost is.”
Taking the lift down to the sub-seventh floor and clearing more than a dozen of checkpoints after, Porter and Charlie finally reached the core laboratory of the research and development center.
Harris was waiting for the two men in his office. Harris, regarded historically as the most maniacal scientist, had a messy head of hair, which had not been washed for god knew how long. He was lightly biting onto his index finger, seemingly pondering over a problem.
After a simple greeting, Harris turned on a projected screen and solemnly stated, “This is the final product, codename Seraph, the catalytic sustained-release gene optimization fluid.”
Porter and Charlie stared at the image of that tiny bottle filled with transparent liquid, as well as the molecular equation that neither could comprehend.
“Are you sure that this gene optimization fluid fulfills Xia Fei’s every condition?”
Harris nodded. “That’s right. Seraph was prepared using completely biological components, the ultimate product that Xia Fei and I ended up with after a total of 4,179 preliminary formulations. The safety and medicinal strength have all reached unprecedented levels. It can now be considered the highest level of gene optimization fluid the Alliance is currently capable of creating with its present level of technology. It is wholly unique.”
Charlie heard Harris’s confident words and asked in a low voice, “Over four thousand preliminary formulations? You and Xia Fei managed to come up with so many different formulas?”
Harris appeared to be somewhat ashamed as he stated, “Actually, most of them were from Xia Fei. I was merely in charge of the experimentations as his understanding of pharmacology has already surpassed mine many times over.”
Porter continued. “I don’t know a thing about pharmacology, but I do know that experimentation is the only criterion to test the validity of the product, so tell me about the human experimentation results.”
The atmosphere instantly became a little gloomy. Human testing and experimentation had long been banned in the Alliance, but Xia Fei had insisted on conducting human experiments and to do so without any care of the consequences of such actions!
To Xia Fei, even tens of thousands of lives were nothing compared to a single strand of hair on Avril’s body, the one person whom he genuinely cared about in his whole life. Nothing else mattered.
Harris pulled out a form and earnestly reported. “We tested it on 12,305 individuals at a 6:4 ratio of men and women, ranging from 16 to 170 years old, with people who have their seventh brain region open and not.
“Not one individual the product was tested on demonstrated any adverse effects to the fluid, not to mention death. On average, the degree of openness of the seventh brain region is at 49%, with a 100% probability of opening.” Harris’s eyes sparkled with excitement as he said this. A 100% probability of opening, and a 100% rate of survival. The success of this gene optimization fluid, codename Seraph, was excellent!
The historically strongest, safest gene optimization fluid was born!
Charlie and Porter could not help but get up from their seats. Both men knew very well what it meant to have this new gene optimization fluid. Once in mass production, mankind would be able to achieve a complete breakthrough toward the seventh brain region, and every individual would become a special ability user!
No one said a word for a good while. What could anyone say when standing face to face with such an amazing super gene optimization fluid?
“Uncle Porter, how many more subjects can we use for human trials?” Charlie asked.
“About 12,000. All of whom are captured pirates and criminals.”
“Immediately begin a larger scale of human experimentation, use these 12,000,” Charlie ordered in a grave voice. “Brother Xia Fei told us that this must be 10,000% safe, so we will achieve 100,000%!”
Porter and Harris were moved. Using more than a hundred individuals for human experimentations? Such a decision was practically at the limits of insanity!
Leaving Harris’s office, Porter asked in a serious tone, “You understand the potential of Seraph, right?”
Charlie nodded. “Big Brother Xia Fei has succeeded in concocting the most powerful gene optimization fluid in the history of mankind, and if popularized, humanity will be free from the confines of the laws of the universe.”
No one was a fool. Something as overpowered as this would naturally come with risks, and the universe had its own rules and conventions. Xia Fei breaking the rule with regard to the seventh brain region might not necessarily be a good thing for the entire mankind.
“This is something Brother Xia Fei created, so we’ll just go along with his decision regarding its utilization. He has my trust,” Charlie said.
Porter agreed as well, though he could not help but be filled with worry toward this drug that could very well change the inherent rule of the universe.
Changing the topic, Charlie raised a different subject in an attempt to shake off the oppressive atmosphere around them.
“Do you still remember Butcher?”
“Ah yes, him. He’s a warrior with decent ability and also Xia Fei’s friend. We haven’t heard a word from him in these last few years, and it’s said that he left in search of Eden.”
The existence of Eden had once shaken the Alliance, and countless people left in search of it, but due to the subsequent war with the insectoids, this legendary untainted paradise of humans had gradually been forgotten.
Charlie laughed. “Quantum Holdings has recently received Butcher’s ultra-long distance correspondence, stating that they’re on their way back, requesting that he be allowed to give his report to Xia Fei regarding their expedition. Unfortunately, due to the overly long range and the fact that Butcher’s expedition fleet wasn’t fitted with the Black Bat radar, there’s no way for us to inform him about Xia Fei’s departure from Alliance space.”
Porter was stunned. “Has Butcher’s expedition located Eden?!”
“He did not say anything about that, merely expressing how he wishes to have a private chat with Xia Fei. I reckon that, even if he didn’t locate Eden, he found some clues pertaining to the place.”
Porter was beaming. “Xia Fei’s always had great curiosity; he’ll surely be elated if he learns of this news. Let’s find a chance to tell him about it, as well as the progress we’ve made with Seraph.”
Charlie nodded. “The Black Bat radar’s connection with the Law Realm is sporadic, and I haven’t heard any news from Brother Xia Fei recently. Who knows what he’s up to out there?”
The two men inadvertently looked up; they were mortals who could not contain that fatal attraction toward the starry sky above.
…
While Charlie and Porter were celebrating and worrying about the success of the newly concocted gene optimization fluid, with Avril studiously training her body every day in preparation for the day she would open her seventh brain region, and were waiting with much anticipation for the arrival of Butcher’s expedition team who would be bringing them unknown information, Xia Fei was undergoing a series of hellish tests.
*Thud*
One figure after another collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily, each of them looking utterly exhausted.
Xia Fei expressionlessly stared at the desert behind him, which stretched out for over tens of thousands of kilometers, as he enjoyed an Origin Crystal with Furball. He savored this rare opportunity to rest and replenish his nearly spent physical energy.
Tired. Everyone was feeling fatigued, but none of them gave up.
“There are still 605 people left! You, candidates, are really detestable! Those who lack the strength should just quit already; save this old man from wasting my time on you all!” Busey said, absolutely unperturbed. “We’re beginning the third round of assessment. The last ten people to cross the spatial gate are eliminated!”
The end of the first round had at least given candidates thirty seconds of rest, but by the second round, Busey had become even stricter, not even giving any of them some time to rest!
Gritting his teeth, Xia Fei held onto Furball and entered the spatial gate even as he repeatedly told himself, ‘Persevere! You must persevere!’