Chapter 84 (1/2)
Zhuo fired the rifle as he spoke, the sound of the gunfire filling the void of the experimental field. Bullets were ejected from the gun barrel like cheetahs, they all bolted toward the same target -- that hairless bizarre man.
Ratatatat -- --!
These metal cheetahs crashed into the man's pale skin, making a series of deep sounds. Zhuo threw aside the rifle, watching Qing Shui go closer to the strange man. He almost couldn't disguise his exhaltation.
”Ah,” the strange man moaned as he saw Qing Shui come closer to him. He raised his right arm, slowly gouging out the bullets from the indentations on its surface. Some bullets had been lucky enough to penetrate his skin but none of them went far enough to injure his organs.
”What do you think of it?” Zhuo laughed out loud with pleasure. ”I made him bullet proof! Qing Shui, did you see that? The bonus of this perfect layer of keratin scales is that despite its resistance to impact, it won't slow down his movement at all!”
”Catch it!” Zhuo bent down to pick up the rifle again and threw it to the strange man. ”Rip it.”
”Ah.” The strange man caught the rifle in the air precisely with two hands as if it was a programmed sequence of actions. He broke the rifle in half by smas.h.i.+ng it to his raised knee. He even went further. The broken rifle returned to his knee, the two pieces crushed in half once more. It became four pieces of wasted metal laid on the ground.
”This is how powerful it is.” Zhuo turned to the pale man and shouted, ”Come on! Show Mr. Li how fast you are and how you can react.”
The pale man immediately ran around the experimental field as Zhuo commanded. His heavy steps left indentations on the floor. Meanwhile, Zhuo approached Qing Shui to pick up the rifle pieces, flinging each of them to a different corner.
And because he hurled those gun pieces from different angles, the flight paths were quite different from each other. However, the pale man accelerated accordingly and caught the gun pieces one by one as if he was programmed to run this way.
The strange man demonstrated his flexibility and balance as he grabbed all of the pieces before they touched the ground. He didn't even make loud noises during his actions. It was purely an elegant sequence of movements.
”Now, come back!” Zhuo shouted again and the pale man returned to him with the gun pieces in hand. He opened his palm to submit his mission.
”What do you think?” Zhuo flaunted arrogantly as the pale man had performed as well as he planned him to do.
”Not too bad, I don't think a troop would be able to subdue him.”
Qing Shui stepped closer to carefully observe the man-made creature again. It was as if he wanted to engrave every detail in his mind.
When looking into the pale man's pupils, he said, ”However, his intelligence seems lacking. It deviates far from average.”
”You are not wrong, and that is because I inserted gene segments from other species.” Zhuo didn't avoid talking about the disadvantages. ”Those gene segments messed up with its development. But I don't care whether it is intelligent or not. I think intelligence would be even troublesome for me. As long as it listens to my commands... Don't you think?” Zhuo said, fondling the fine scales on the pale man.
His eyes were filled with joy.
”Ah.” The pale man dully nodded.
”On top of that, he can't evolve further, can he?” Qing Shui continued. ”His genes are broken in some way so mutation will be hard.”
”True, it can't reproduce either, besides having low intelligence and being unable to evolve,” Zhuo said. ”Those are the defects but they mean nothing to me. I would say those are even good news - because all I want is a force that is obedient. I can manage to improve their genes and soon we will have the second generation.
”As to natural evolution, although it is faster than before, it is still much slower than my technique.” Zhuo reveled in his madness. ”I can always extract the best DNA sequences out of the most aggressive species in the nature and insert them into my super soldier prototypes. The natural evolution is way too slow. Humans are atop the other species and this fact will not change. How dare they to challenge the thousands of years of human history and technology?
”I am glad that the red fog, this gift from the G.o.d, awarded such a brilliant era for scientists like myself. An era of global evolution, an era of chaos. I've even executed experiments that I never thought I could conduct in my life! Are there times that are better than we have right now? Join me...” Zhuo reached out his hand to Qing Shui. ”Join my research group. I need you, and you are the only person who would be truly helpful to me. Neither of us is superior to the other, and so we will only conduct the research we love with the time on our side.”
”Humankind will prosper with elites like you and me. Those other stupid pigs don't deserve to pa.s.s on their genes.” Zhuo kept on proposing his great plan, his eyes revealing his bloodthirstiness. ”What do you think, Mr. Li? If you've made up your mind already, just tell me your decision right now!”
”Sure.” Qing Shui nodded, he grinned as he spoke. ”My answer is positive, even if I wanted to turn down your offer, I simply cannot turn my back to the temptation of science.”
”I need your answer to be more clear.”
”I am joining.” Qing Shui glanced at Zhuo and the pale man beside him, laughed. ”And I just don't think I have a chance to say no in here.”
”Hahaha, well, I never meant to threaten you! My invitation is sincere.” Zhuo waved his left hand in the air for the pale man to go away and he reached out his right arm to Qing Shui. ”Welcome to Alpha, the team of elites.”
”My pleasure.”
The hands of two young men were held tightly together.