Chapter 291: You Will Become – a Mutant
When Jacob saw the confused look in Xu Cheng’s eyes, he roughly explained to him, “Now I can be sure that a critical reason you are okay with so many genes from other species inside your cells is the water bear genome. Let me briefly give you a lesson on the micro-animal called a water bear. The reason it is able to survive in the harshest environments is that its own genome has strong adaptation abilities. The human genome is isolated, and we will die if it gets mutated or damaged, and many other animals are like this too. However, 18% of a water bear’s genetic pool is derived from that of other species, which means that they can quickly absorb the surrounding bacteria or organisms’ DNA to help themselves adapt to the new environment and survive. They can separate those foreign genes into separate genome branches, and that’s the biggest reason you can survive as all the foreign genes were stabilized in your body instead of going rampant and taking your life! This is really a perfect idea to add water bear to the mix, it’s just pure genius!”
Jacob exclaimed and cheered and he even wanted to pop a bottle of champagne to celebrate.
Xu Cheng didn’t really understand these scientific concepts, he just frowned and looked at his repaired wounds and asked, “I remember I was injured by bullet wounds. Can you explain in simpler terms for me?”
Jacob said, “In fact, you should already be dead by now.”
“Dead?’ Xu Cheng frowned.
Jacob nodded. “On the way to the hospital, you already died from excessive blood loss. If your doctor didn’t check carefully, they would’ve already pronounced you dead. But, the water bear’s genes saved you. The water bear is an organism that can be frozen for 50 years and then be reanimated after. It doesn’t matter how harsh the environment is, it can fake death perfectly and enter a state of cryptobiosis. That way, no matter what kind of sh-t you are in, your heart will still beat very subtly, and your brain will enter a coma, while the water bear genes cracked your other bodily functions and put them into dormancy. Even the ECG would be barely able to detect signs of life from you. Now, do you understand?”
Xu Cheng nodded, feeling a little less confused. He pointed at his wound and said, “Then what’s with my wounds?”
Jacob: “That’s easier to explain. First of all, water bears can dehydrate its cells to freeze them and sent them into a suspended state, and so, the moment it comes into contact with water, the cells will be revitalized. Their cells are riddled with pores so they can absorb all kinds of particles, including those that make up DNA from the environment. Lastly, they are very good at repairing DNA strands, repairing the damage caused by dehydration.”
Xu Cheng sunk into his thoughts.
Chapter 291: You Will Become – a Mutant (Part Two)
Jacob: “That’s all I know right now, and as for what kind of effects those animal genes in your body has, I have no idea.”
Xu Cheng narrowed his eyes. If this guy found out about the other effects, he shouldn’t let this guy live to see another day. Actually, he should get rid of this guy right now! If he just leave him be and continue investigating, he would sooner or later find out about his abilities, and by then, he would be taken away and studied like a monster, getting dissected into pieces.
Just when Xu Cheng was about to take action, Jacob turned around to grab something else as he said, “I also found that the genes in your body are beginning to undergo fusion.”
“Fusion?”
Jacob nodded. “The water bear’s genes are decomposing and recombining and merging the other genes, and over time, they will be completely integrated. By then, you may no longer be a human.”
Xu Cheng’s eyelids jumped. “Then what would I be?”
Jacob looked at Xu Cheng with a serious face and said, “Your own DNA will be completely integrated as well. If we use a sci-fi movie term to describe you, you will be called – a mutant.”
Xu Cheng: “By then, I would be captured and dissected, right?”
Jacob looked at Xu Cheng and said, “You should cooperate with me, I can help you. I just want achievements in the medical field, and I promise I won’t use you like a lab rat like the other scientists, how about that?”
Xu Cheng: “What’s the difference? In the eyes of you crazy scientists, human lives are no different than those animals.”
In the past, he went on that mission to destroy the lab, and over there, he saw various hybrid experiments of human and animal corpses. It was a terrifying sight.
When Xu Cheng was sunk in memory, Jacob sneakily took out a anesthesia needle from his drawer and suddenly rushed over to Xu Cheng. In his eyes, Xu Cheng was the key to a great scientific breakthrough he could lead, so how was he going to let Xu Cheng go just like that?
Xu Cheng was too lazy to even look at him. He just threw a punch and sent him into a wall.
He quickly got off the operating table and got a bag to take in all of Jacob’s notes. He knew these things would come to be of use in the near future. After all, he didn’t really know what was going on in his body and he didn’t dare to go to the hospital for a checkup. It was good to have someone gather the information for him.
After glancing at the introduction of leaf ants, Xu Cheng was shocked. Then, taking a look at his fist, he now understood a little why he could summon such explosive strengths. It turned out that the genes of the leaf ants played a key role.
Then, after seeing the introduction on bats, Xu Cheng realized why he could use ultrasonic waves and even be able to shoot when blind-folded! It felt like these super abilities of his could really be linked to these animals’ genes.
At this thought, Xu Cheng became more and more aware that he must not let these secrets leak. He immediately took all the notes Jacob made, and then he poured water onto the computer to burn the circuits and then shattered the hard drive with his fist.
– Outside –
In the corridor, Bei Shan sat as he looked up at the ceiling. When he heard the infrared sensor he placed at the end of the corridor get triggered from his earpiece, he was suddenly alarmed.
They were here!
At this moment, a group of British police officers came over.
Seeing them coming in such an imposing manner, Lin Chuxue stood up and asked, “What are you guys doing?”
She subconsciously moved closer to the operating room and tried to stop them from getting closer.
Lin Lei got in front of her to protect her.
The police officer leading the group said to Lin Chuxue, “Miss Lin, please do not interfere with us enforcing the law. We are here to arrest a criminal.”
Lin Chuxue: “Who’s the criminal?”
Police: “Xu Cheng!”
Lin Chuxue: “He’s not! Her Majesty the Queen wasn’t even going to pursue this anymore, what are you guys doing here?”
Police: “Sorry, we are under the orders of the British government to arrest him, not the Queen.”