ATDIWR Chapter 71

Chapter 71: Jumping from Ji An’s Laboratory to Han Yaokun’s Laboratory Noah…

Zhao Zhen’s excitement was completely unconcealable. He jumped and shouted like a wild beast releasing his emotions.

Almost everyone in the entire research institute was startled and rushed out to watch the commotion.

As the head of the logistics department of the research institute, Zhang Yi was naturally there. He had previously gone through the back door to buy space storage items from Ji An, so even though he had some connection with Ji An’s laboratory, he now saw Wu Youyang, who had come out to watch the excitement after hearing the commotion, and asked, “What’s going on? Why is Zhao Zhen so agitated, like a lunatic?”

Wu Youyang pursed his lips, “He must have made some research breakthrough!”

Wu Youyang felt a bit uncomfortable. It wasn’t that he was jealous or couldn’t stand to see Han Yaokun’s laboratory doing well; it was just the timing…

Ji An’s ability had just been disabled. There was a chasm between an ordinary person without an ability and a mental power user who engages in intellectual labor, an insurmountable gulf.

Ji An’s future was uncertain, and his current experiments were also stuck in a predicament, unable to progress. Yet, Han Yaokun’s laboratory, neither too early nor too late, happened to achieve results at this very time. Wu Youyang was truly worried about Ji An’s mental and emotional state.

Zhang Yi asked, “Seeing Zhao Zhen’s smug expression, as if he’s about to fly, Director Han’s side must have made a very important research breakthrough.”

Wu Youyang didn’t say anything. He didn’t wish for Han Yaokun to fail, but he hoped that when Ji An was in a slump, the other party could be a little more restrained after achieving a major breakthrough, and not stimulate Ji An’s nerves too much.

Human joys and sorrows are not interconnected; it is impossible to ask others not to laugh when you are crying.

So Wu Youyang could only hope that Ji An’s resilience would be stronger, and Commander Gu would be powerful enough to comfort and protect Ji An’s spirit from harm, helping him safely get through this setback.

After all, it was a major research breakthrough, so even if Zhao Zhen acted a bit crazily, no one said anything. On the contrary, the staff in Han Yaokun’s laboratory were quite infected by Zhao Zhen’s frenzy.

Many people started dancing and shaking their heads in celebration.

The researchers and students split into two groups, quietly discussing the central figures in their circles.

One researcher said, “Ji An is completely finished now. Our Director Han choosing this time to overcome the M Country’s technique of coexisting zombie virus antigens and antibodies really stomped Ji An into the mud.”

“That’s a fierce stomp; Ji An won’t be able to climb out in this lifetime!”

“Otherwise, is Ji An going to make a comeback in this lifetime or something?” Another researcher named Wang Zhenghao, who had previously wanted to join Ji An’s laboratory but was rejected, said disdainfully, “He’s an ordinary person whose ability has been disabled. There’s a wall between him and us mental ability users; it’s a chasm that ordinary people can’t cross their entire lives!

Could it be that Ji An still has pipe dreams of competing with Director Han?”

Speaking of this, Wang Zhenghao’s eyes rolled so far back they almost disappeared, his tone filled with strong disdain, as if Ji An wasn’t even worthy of carrying his shoes.

“I’ll say it right here today, from now on, let alone comparing himself to Director Han, Ji An can’t even compare to us researchers. We are at least mental ability users; he’s just an ordinary person now. What does he have to compare with!”

No researcher took that bait.

Ji An was simply too outstanding. At such a young age, he could produce one technological advancement after another, far surpassing the current era’s technology, technologies that even these seasoned researchers couldn’t decipher despite their best efforts. It was bound to attract jealousy.

As many people liked and sincerely appreciated Ji An, there were just as many who deeply envied him and wished every day that Ji An would fall into the mud and never get up again.

There was no way around it; people who were too outstanding were always sharp and prominent.

Even though Gu Jinsheng and Jing Shi Base had kept the news sealed externally, not leaking the researcher of the nutrient solution, how could they keep it from the internal personnel of the research institute?

There were only two major factions in their research institute. If someone from Han Yaokun’s side had developed it, they, being from Han Yaokun’s side, couldn’t possibly have received no information at all.

Then it could only have been developed by Ji An’s side. Although the development of the nutrient solution there was very low-key, and no one had stepped forward to admit that Ji An had developed it, everyone knew and had guessed it.

Now, everyone within their research institute tacitly agreed that Ji An was the inventor of the nutrient solution, including Han Yaokun, who had publicly stated that he had not researched the nutrient solution and had even established a special research team to crack the nutrient solution.

The result was the same as with the space storage items – they achieved nothing!

Even based solely on these two technologies, even if Ji An had no further scientific achievements in his life, his contributions in this lifetime would already be significant enough to be recorded in history, leaving a legacy that future generations would remember forever and be grateful for his life-saving grace.

And they? They were just a group of ordinary researchers with no notable accomplishments to speak of. There were thousands upon thousands of researchers like them all over the world, but there was only one Ji An who could save the lives of people worldwide and be remembered and revered for generations. What did they have to compare with someone like Ji An?

Not everyone was blinded by jealousy. There were more clear-headed people, so everyone remained silent, and no one echoed Wang Zhenghao’s words.

This made Wang Zhenghao feel both awkward and lose face, somewhat angered out of embarrassment. At the same time, he thought his colleagues were hypocritical. His eyes began to scan the crowd, eager to find someone who agreed with his viewpoint.

Suddenly, Wang Zhenghao’s eyes fell on a researcher from Ji An’s laboratory who was standing next to Wu Youyang, looking at the fervent celebration on Han Yaokun’s side with intense envy. Wang Zhenghao could clearly feel that yearning to join and participate in the celebration, even through the layers of people.

Isn’t this the flatterer Wang Zhenghao was looking for? Wang Zhenghao’s mouth curved into a broad smile.

“Hey, Li Fengying!” Wang Zhenghao waved, “Why are you also here to catch some good fortune?”

Li Fengying didn’t hide his envy and nodded, “Yes.”

Hearing Li Fengying’s unconcealed and strong desire to join, Wu Youyang glared at him furiously, wishing he could burn him with his gaze. But Li Fengying didn’t care at all. He continued to speak in that envious and yearning-to-join tone, “Such a lively and exciting spectacle, I’m afraid I won’t have the chance to participate in this lifetime!”

Li Fengying was from Ji An’s laboratory. Saying such words was equivalent to saying that Ji An would never be able to produce any more research in the future, wasn’t it?

This was no longer an indirect hint; it was a straightforward and direct declaration!

Wu Youyang was almost dead with anger. He blazed with fury and roared, “Li Fengying, do you know what you are saying right now!”

Li Fengying wore an innocent expression, as if saying, ‘I didn’t say anything important; I’m just stating a fact,’ and said, “I’m just telling the truth. Now Ji An is an ordinary person with disabled mental power. Do you still expect him to be able to research anything? That’s absolutely impossible!”

It was this flat tone, as if he was just stating a fact, that made Wu Youyang even angrier. Wu Youyang wished he could rush up and punch Wang Zhenghao directly.

But these words greatly pleased Wang Zhenghao. He laughed heartily, walked over, and clapped Li Fengying on the shoulder like they were buddies.

“Brother Li, we were colleagues who spent time together before, with so many years of working together. I can’t bear to just watch you continue to sink in the mire.

How about this, I’ll show you a clear path. Why don’t you come back? While Director Han has achieved major research breakthroughs and is in a good mood, you can earnestly ask him. Director Han isn’t a petty person and cherishes talent very much. Maybe he’ll agree to let you come back!”

Wang Zhenghao had an expression like ‘I genuinely feel sorry for your talent’ and said, “Brother Li, your talent and ambition are being wasted and buried in Ji An’s laboratory. I sincerely feel sorry for you!”

Li Fengying’s eyes lit up, “Yes, Brother Wang, you have truly enlightened me!”

Li Fengying walked out from the ranks of Ji An’s laboratory and went to the ranks of the celebrating Han Yaokun’s team, shouting loudly, “Director Han, Deputy Director Zhao, do you two still remember me? My name is Li Fengying, and I used to be a staff member in our laboratory.”

Li Fengying’s shout successfully attracted the attention of everyone in Han Yaokun’s laboratory who was celebrating. Everyone looked at him.

Including Han Yaokun and Zhao Zhen.

To be fair, Han Yaokun might not really remember Li Fengying. He was too busy with too many things every day. Moreover, with his broad mind, he wouldn’t harbor resentment towards someone who had switched jobs. However, Zhao Zhen had always kept it firmly in mind.

Li Fengying continued, “Director Han, Deputy Director Zhao, I was once blinded by some petty gains and chose the wrong path. Now I want to return to the right path and come back to our laboratory. I sincerely implore you two to give me this opportunity to correct my mistakes!”

Wu Youyang was so angry he felt like two Buddhas were ascending to heaven. He roared like an enraged beast, “Li Fengying, since you came to Ji An’s laboratory, has Ji An ever mistreated you in the slightest? Whether it was treatment or projects, is this how you repay him now!”

Li Fengying still wore that innocent expression, as if he didn’t understand what Wu Youyang was angry about, and said, “I never said Ji An treated me badly, but what does that have to do with my desire to display my ambition and talent!

With Ji An in this state, it’s clear he won’t have any more research breakthroughs. Just because he treated me pretty well, should I waste my ambition and talent?”

Li Fengying righteously questioned Wu Youyang, “Even if I accepted that. Would that truly be fair to the millions of ordinary people in the world? Just because I want to repay my own selfish desire, should I let the billions of people in the world lose a talented researcher who could create research that could change their lives?”

Li Fengying’s words instantly seized the moral high ground and were said in a very grand manner, as if he had switched jobs not for his own selfish desires at all, but entirely for the sake of the ordinary people throughout the world!

Wu Youyang was furious that Li Fengying was acting like a saint after being a prostitute. His eyes were red with anger, and he no longer gave Li Fengying any face, “Li Fengying, don’t forget how you got into the laboratory in the first place! If you hadn’t knelt down and begged Ji An, how could Ji An have possibly taken you!”

Li Fengying’s face immediately changed, and Zhao Zhen’s face also looked a bit unpleasant. However, Zhao Zhen then thought, even if Li Fengying did kneel and beg Ji An to enter Ji An’s laboratory, what did it matter now?

The person who was willing to beg so humbly and give up everything to enter Ji An’s laboratory back then was now trying his best to get out. Didn’t this just show that Ji An was finished!

Zhao Zhen felt a strange sense of satisfaction. His face regained its smile, and he magnanimously said, “Wu Youyang, your words are meaningless. Shouldn’t you go back and have Ji An reflect on his mistakes? Why is it that people who were willing to give up their dignity and everything to enter his laboratory back then are now trying their best to climb out?”

Wu Youyang was so angry his body trembled. Who didn’t know why? Wasn’t it because Ji An had lost his ability now, and these people all thought that Ji An would never be able to conduct research again and had no hope of making a comeback in this life!

Wu Youyang couldn’t say these words out loud. He could only endure it.

Zhao Zhen looked at Wu Youyang’s frustrated expression, unable to speak, and was extremely smug. He held his head high and said with a condescending expression, “Forget it, neither Director Han nor I are petty people. Especially Director Han, he has always been a leader who cherishes talent. You can come back.”

Han Yaokun hesitated, “Isn’t that not good? We should discuss this matter with Researcher Ji first?”

“I believe Ji An isn’t such a petty person and won’t care about such a small matter. Don’t you think so, Team Leader Wu Youyang?” Zhao Zhen said smugly.

Wu Youyang sneered, “Indeed, our boss doesn’t care about such small matters at all. I can decide on the spot!

Since Researcher Li wants to leave, please leave. As for wages, don’t worry at all. We will pay Researcher Li until the day he stops working for us, not a single credit point will be less!

And you…”

Wu Youyang coldly swept his gaze over the crowd behind him, “I’m saying this here today, including all of you. If you want to leave, you can leave immediately now!

Anyone who leaves today, I will not pursue. After today, don’t say I don’t care about our past relationship!”

The people from Ji An’s laboratory looked at each other. There were indeed some who were wavering. After about a few minutes, a sparse group of more than ten people walked out.

“Sorry, Team Leader Wu, that…” Most researchers still had some shame and knew that their action wasn’t very honorable, but compared to their future, being honorable seemed less important.

Wu Youyang closed his eyes for a moment, waved his hand to interrupt the other party, “No need to say more. As long as you yourselves have a clear conscience!”

Zhao Zhen’s eyes flashed with smugness, and he chuckled to Wu Youyang, “Although Team Leader Wu is an ordinary person and doesn’t quite meet our laboratory’s recruitment standards, well, if it’s Researcher Wu, I can still give Researcher Wu this much consideration! Does Team Leader Wu want to come over as well?”

“Deputy Director Zhao, I’m afraid you’ll never see that day in this lifetime!” Wu Youyang finished speaking, flicked his sleeve, and led the people from Ji An’s laboratory away.

Shi Jun, who was mixed in the crowd, sighed softly, “No matter what Wu Youyang’s future holds, at least he is a decent person!”

Someone whispered, “Forget it, it’s just out of helplessness! We have plenty of talented people here, all mental ability users. What future could Wu Youyang, an ordinary person who hasn’t awakened an ability, have if he came over? It’s better for him to stay with Ji An and gain a reputation for being loyal and righteous!

Moreover, Ji An still has two technologies in his hands, the nutrient solution and space storage items, which are enough for Wu Youyang to live off for a lifetime!”

A student from Han Yaokun’s laboratory said to Meng Chang’an, “I saw Rong Fan just now, looking very haggard. He must be too worried about his future lately. Meng Chang’an, you’re lucky; you chose to stay.”

Meng Chang’an’s smile couldn’t be suppressed and kept curling upwards, “Oh, Ji An’s side also has a lot of things going on. There are space storage items, and the nutrient solution they have to be busy with. Now that Ji An is injured, these things are probably going to fall on Rong Fan and his teacher. Rong Fan being haggard might just be because he’s busy and too tired!

We want to be busy but can’t help. After all, Director Han’s side has many researchers and doesn’t need students like us.”

“Still living off old achievements!” a student pouted, but his heart was not without envy. It was said that they were living off old achievements, but such achievements were not something everyone could live off of; they were enough for several lifetimes. They also wanted to, but didn’t have the chance.

“I feel like Rong Fan being haggard isn’t because he’s busy, but because he’s worried. After all, he’s different from his teacher, that ordinary person with no abilities. He has awakened a mental ability and is also very outstanding. Now that his boss’s ability is disabled and his future is bleak, how could he not worry about his own future!”

“I wonder if Rong Fan will come back?”

“He’s just a student; it might be difficult for him to come back, after all, he’s not an experienced researcher.”

“It’s a pity for Rong Fan’s talent. He used to seem to perform better than Meng Chang’an…”

Ji An on his side had no idea that the research institute was turned upside down because of him. After enjoying the brilliant fireworks in the sky, he went into the isolation room with Gu Jinsheng for isolation.

The little kitten was kept in a cage by Ji An and placed separately in a corner. Gu Jinsheng asked, “You like kittens?”

Ji An treated all small animals the same; he wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about them, nor did he dislike them, but he wouldn’t raise them.

Ji An vaguely said, “It’s alright, for experiments.”

Gu Jinsheng knew that Ji An was conducting tissue and organ regeneration experiments. That experiment didn’t seem to have anything to do with an unmutated kitten, but Gu Jinsheng saw that Ji An didn’t want to talk about it and didn’t press further.

Fortunately, three days later, all the personnel in Ji An’s team passed the isolation and no one was infected. Seven days later, the kitten also passed the isolation period and was not infected with the zombie virus either.

It is worth mentioning that during this period, the kitten’s health was good and it never developed a fever, which means that the kitten was never infected with the zombie virus. The wounds on its body were not caused by zombies but were probably accidental scratches from branches.

After Ji An confirmed that there was no zombie virus on the kitten, he began to study the spatial necklace.

Ji An submerged his consciousness into the spatial necklace and found that the spatial necklace was the same as before, completely dark. There seemed to be no passage of time or concept of light in the entire space; everything was in chaos.

Ji An picked up the kitten. The moment his hand touched the kitten, Ji An felt the spatial necklace become hot again. It was a reaction of craving.

Although the spatial necklace had a strong reaction, Ji An didn’t know whether he should put the kitten into the spatial necklace. He still couldn’t determine if this was the correct way to upgrade the spatial necklace.

After all, the space storage items he researched couldn’t store living creatures. Any living creature, even if placed in the space storage item he developed, would turn into a corpse the moment it entered the space storage item.

Furthermore, the spatial necklace in Ji An’s hand had a history; it liked to absorb the energy from Power User crystal cores but ignored zombie crystal cores.

Who knew why the spatial necklace was reacting to the kitten, a living being, now? Was it because it craved life, wanting to absorb life energy, or something else?

However, this idea was quickly dismissed by Ji An. If it was simply a craving for life, then Ji An had come into contact with other animals before.

When he did regeneration experiments, various mutated animals had passed through his hands, and the spatial necklace had no reaction at all.

Of course, considering that the spatial necklace didn’t like zombie crystal cores, it was highly possible that it disliked the zombie virus and consequently disliked mutated animals that had been infected with the zombie virus.

But regardless of the reason, Ji An decided to give it a try. If the spatial necklace simply liked unmutated animals as a blood meal, at worst, he wouldn’t feed it anymore in the future.

Ji An tried to send the kitten into the spatial necklace. The entire process was smoother than Ji An had imagined. The spatial necklace wasn’t reserved at all when it encountered the kitten and produced a huge suction force, instantly pulling the entire kitten into the space.

Before Ji An could react, he felt his hand become empty, and then the kitten was already standing on its four paws within the spatial necklace.

And at the moment the kitten landed, the space underwent a magical change.

The chaotic sky seemed to be split open by an invisible giant axe. The clear qi rose to form the sky, and the turbidityqi descended to form the earth.

After the heaven and earth were formed, a beam of light shone in from somewhere, and the space, which had been in darkness, suddenly had light.

The space actually formed its own heaven and earth.

Moreover, Ji An discovered through the direction the light came from that it was consistent with the direction of the sun where he lived in reality. The space seemed to be simulating the time of the earth where Ji An was.

The entire change in the space was somewhat like the most primitive state of the earth when it first formed, a period when heaven and earth were indistinguishable, and the entire earth space was filled with chaos.

This magical phenomenon reminded Ji An of some ancient Chinese myths and legends.

According to legends, the earth was initially a chaotic expanse, and it was Pangu who used an axe to split heaven and earth, thus creating the sky and the ground.

The state of the spatial necklace was like the earth in chaos before the heaven and earth were split, and could the kitten be the ‘Pangu’ who split heaven and earth, or perhaps ‘the origin of life’ would be a more fitting term?

After the kitten landed on its four paws, it kicked its hind legs and began to explore its new environment.

In fact, there was nothing in the space to speak of in terms of environment. Ji An used to put his supplies in the space, but after he developed his own space storage item, he took them out. Now, there was nothing at all in the entire space.

This, seen in the space that had formed a small world with light, appeared as a vast emptiness, everywhere desolate, with nothing but endless wilderness stretching as far as the eye could see.

The small space in Ji An’s consciousness seemed boundless to the kitten. The kitten ran for a long, long time, but in Ji An’s consciousness, it seemed only the distance of a palm.

This realization did not make Ji An uneasy; it only made his heart pound.

The space was a mustard seed space, a small world, containing everything like a single flower, a single tree, a single Bodhi, encompassing thousands of living beings entering it.

Since it could accommodate life, Ji An wanted to see if humans could enter it. If so, the predicament humans faced in The Apocalypse could be easily solved.

Ji An had never thought about entering the space himself; this was the first time, but it didn’t work. Ji An tried several times but couldn’t. He tried many methods, but none worked.

Ji An also realized that the spatial necklace seemed to have never reacted to humans. Ji An had come into contact with many ordinary people who were not infected with the zombie virus, but the spatial necklace seemed uninterested.

Ji An couldn’t help but think of ‘Noah’s Ark’. Could the spatial necklace be the second Noah’s Ark?