‘Young man, what is your name?’
Dr. Wei pondered for a moment before speaking to Chen Xuanqiu as gently as possible. If the person before him hadn’t been brought in for experimentation, he would have found it hard to believe such a delicate-looking boy existed in the world.
‘I… my name is Qirong.’
Chen Xuanqiu hesitated before giving a half-truth. After all, he couldn’t fully trust the seemingly kind old doctor in front of him.
‘Qirong, are you truly a boy? I find it hard to believe. Where’s your beard? Your Adam’s apple? Even your voice is so high-pitched, and you have long hair.’
Before the old doctor could speak, the young man in the white coat beside him rattled off a series of questions.
‘Uh… the long hair is fake. As for the rest… perhaps it’s because my development is too slow.’
Chen Xuanqiu surmised.
‘That’s impossible. A boy your age shouldn’t have no visible Adam’s apple at all.’
The young man in the white coat mumbled to himself.
‘Shut up.’
The old doctor scolded his grandson, then turned back to Chen Xuanqiu. ‘Qirong, was it? How were you captured and brought here?’
‘I was secretly kidnapped and sold to them.’
Chen Xuanqiu replied evasively.
‘If you don’t wish to elaborate on the details, I won’t press you. However, you must remember how you arrived here, correct?’
Dr. Wei prompted.
‘I know. I came voluntarily.’
Chen Xuanqiu answered truthfully.
‘Good. You’re undoubtedly aware of your predicament without me needing to remind you. Therefore, if you wish to survive, I hope you will fully cooperate with me to complete this experiment.’
Dr. Wei stated, setting expectations.
‘I understand.’
Chen Xuanqiu nodded repeatedly, like a chick pecking at rice. He now understood that this was his only path to survival. Whether he would turn into a girl was a concern for another time; gender was utterly insignificant compared to life itself.
‘Furthermore, I must warn you: this secret laboratory is located in a remote area with stringent security measures. So, do not even think about escaping, or I won’t be able to save you.’
Dr. Wei added another warning.
Chen Xuanqiu continued to nod, appearing utterly compliant.
‘Alright, please lie down on the bed now. Before we proceed with the experiment, I want to collect as much data from your body as possible to maximize our chances of success.’
Dr. Wei instructed.
Chen Xuanqiu removed the wig from his head and obediently lay on the bed. All the while, the young man in the white coat watched him with an unblinking, curious gaze.
‘Also, if you need anything at all, you can tell Xiaocai. He is my grandson, Wei Shoutai.’
Dr. Wei said, introducing the young man in the white coat while tinkering with his equipment.
‘That’s right. Since you’re new, you probably don’t know your way around, do you? Things like the restroom, the shower, the bedroom. I can show you around when I have a moment.’
Wei Shoutai offered enthusiastically.
Chen Xuanqiu offered an awkward smile. He understood that the other’s eagerness stemmed entirely from his own cursed face.
Chen Xuanqiu then lay quietly on the bed, observing the grandfather and grandson busy with their experiment. As he watched, a wave of drowsiness washed over him, and he drifted into a hazy sleep. After days of turmoil, he was utterly exhausted, both physically and mentally.
‘I hope when I wake up, the police will have already found this place.’
Chen Xuanqiu fantasized.
Alas, fantasies remained just that. Chen Xuanqiu was jolted awake by a sharp pain. He looked down to see the old doctor drawing his blood. Though caught off guard, he still tried his best to cooperate.
Perhaps because Chen Xuanqiu behaved so compliantly, the grandfather and grandson’s attitude towards him steadily improved.
Feeling a measure of relief, Chen Xuanqiu continued to observe the busy pair. From their conversations, he gathered some information: this was the basement of an abandoned factory in the suburbs of Dengtai City. The laboratory’s objective was to develop a drug capable of changing a person’s gender, dubbed “Super Estrogen.” As an illicit project, security and confidentiality were paramount, with all necessary supplies delivered by specialized personnel.
‘It seems escaping is entirely unrealistic.’
Chen Xuanqiu completely abandoned the thought. His only hope now was that the grandfather and grandson could succeed, at least reducing the hormone’s mortality rate to the absolute minimum. While he didn’t want to become a girl, it was truly insignificant compared to the chance of survival. After days of torment, he now fully appreciated how fortunate it was just to be alive.
With these thoughts settled, Chen Xuanqiu’s sole concern became the current status of the grandfather and grandson’s experiment. After listening in, his spirits grew heavy. Just as Dr. Wei had mentioned earlier, the experiment was still in its preliminary stages; animal trials had a very low success rate, let alone human trials. The only solace he found was that the pair still possessed basic humanity, and they intended to use the final critical moment to refine their experiment, hoping to save the life of their ‘guinea pig.’
Soon after, someone called for dinner. Chen Xuanqiu followed the grandfather and grandson to the dining area, where, famished to the point of his stomach pressing against his back, he ravenously devoured two large bowls of food.
‘I never would have guessed you’d have such a huge appetite, looking so delicate.’
Wei Shoutai seized the opportunity to tease him.
‘My apologies, I’ve been hungry for a very long time.’
Chen Xuanqiu could only offer an embarrassed apology.
‘It’s alright. Just tell me if there’s anything you want to eat, as long as you behave. I’ll have them bring it.’
Wei Shoutai, fearing he might have offended Chen Xuanqiu, quickly rephrased his statement.
‘Thank you!’
Chen Xuanqiu expressed his sincere gratitude. It was truly moving to find someone who cared about him, even in such a place.
The grandfather and grandson finally ceased their work late into the night. They then led Chen Xuanqiu out and assigned him a bedroom.
That night, Chen Xuanqiu did not sleep well. His heart ached with longing for his parents from his previous life. He swore that if he ever found a way back to Earth, he would dedicate all his efforts to achieving it.
Early the next morning, Chen Xuanqiu was woken up. He didn’t complain, for he knew that time, for him, was now measured in seconds, and not a single bit could be wasted.
Upon arriving at the laboratory, Dr. Wei quickly obtained most of Chen Xuanqiu’s bodily data. He examined it repeatedly, clicking his tongue in amazement. ‘Now I finally understand why you, child, have developed this way.’
‘Why?’
Before Chen Xuanqiu could even speak, Wei Shoutai eagerly pressed for an answer.
‘Why do you look even more anxious than I do?’
Chen Xuanqiu looked at Wei Shoutai with a hint of surprise.
‘The amount of estrogen secreted in your body is significantly higher than that of an average man, almost on par with your testosterone levels. These high estrogen levels have inhibited the development of your secondary sexual characteristics, which is why you’ve experienced such a delayed development compared to boys your age.’
Dr. Wei explained as simply as possible, then added, ‘Do you know what estrogen is? Estrogen is a hormone secreted by certain organs in the human body. In females, it not only promotes the maturation of reproductive organs but also the appearance of secondary sexual characteristics. However, if a male secretes too much estrogen, it has the opposite effect, just like your current situation.’
‘I see.’
Chen Xuanqiu nodded, understanding only vaguely.
‘Grandpa, if that’s the case, wouldn’t he have very little rejection to our “Super Estrogen” agent?’
Wei Shoutai conjectured.
‘Yes, theoretically, he is our most perfect test subject. Success or failure now depends entirely on this one attempt.’
Dr. Wei gave a definite affirmative.
‘That’s wonderful!’
Wei Shoutai jumped up in delight.
Chen Xuanqiu, too, revealed a smile he hadn’t shown in a long time. ‘Could it be that Heaven has finally opened its eyes?’ he wondered.
For the next half month, the grandfather and grandson worked tirelessly, day and night, finally reducing the Super Estrogen’s mortality rate to fifty percent. By this point, CEO Hai’s patience had reached its limit.
‘Child, whether you live or not now depends on your will.’
That morning, Dr. Wei and his grandson were finally ready to begin the clinical trial on Chen Xuanqiu.
‘Mhm!’
Lying on the bed, Chen Xuanqiu nodded resolutely. He believed that no one at this moment possessed a stronger will to survive than himself.
In the tense atmosphere, Dr. Wei injected the Super Estrogen into Chen Xuanqiu’s arm, a flicker of reluctance in his eyes. After all, this drug had never undergone human trials before, leaving everything uncertain.
‘You can do it!’
Wei Shoutai also squeezed Chen Xuanqiu’s hand firmly.
Following this, the grandfather and grandson attached numerous tubes all over Chen Xuanqiu’s body, meticulously monitoring his vital signs.
‘Chen Xuanqiu, you can do it. You will definitely pull through. Your parents from your previous life are still waiting for you to find them.’
Chen Xuanqiu gritted his teeth, silently encouraging himself.