“Hai, what’s wrong?”
The three men who had gone to retrieve the “goods” rushed in, their faces etched with trepidation.
“See for yourselves what this is all about!”
Hai, the corpulent boss, pointed a furious finger at Chen Xuanqiu, who lay on the bed.
“Holy crap! How is he a man?”
Liqiang, the leader, was instantly terrified, nearly wetting himself, as he clearly understood the situation.
“That’s what I should be asking you! How is he a man? Huh? Didn’t I tell you to thoroughly verify the goods when you picked them up?”
Hai’s voice was sharp with accusation.
“I’m sorry, Hai! It was our oversight. He looks so incredibly similar to the actual target that we didn’t give it much thought at the time.”
Liqiang tried desperately to explain.
“And ‘sorry’ makes everything fine? Do you have any idea how much I paid for ‘her’? A full one hundred million!”
The more Hai thought about it, the angrier he became. He raised his hand and delivered a resounding slap across Liqiang’s face.
Knowing he was in the wrong, Liqiang covered his stinging cheek, not daring to utter a complaint.
“Tell me, how are you going to compensate me for this hundred million?”
Hai pressed him, still seething with unvented fury.
“Hai, you know our situation. We have no money. If you want our lives, take them.”
Liqiang paused in silence before offering a helpless reply.
“Who wants your worthless lives? Huh? Do you think your pathetic lives are worth a hundred million?”
Hai’s rage flared even further.
“How can these ‘flower thieves’ have no integrity whatsoever? To palm off a man on us—it’s utterly shameless!”
Liqiang gnashed his teeth, cursing under his breath. Then, he cautiously suggested, “Hai, why don’t we go find them and get to the bottom of this?”
“Are you an idiot? They’re a bunch of criminals! Do you think they’ll listen to reason? I’ve already paid, the transaction is complete. Do you honestly expect them to refund the money?”
The more Hai spoke, the angrier he became, raising his hand once more to strike.
Liqiang hastily retreated two steps, lowering his head without a word.
Hai struggled to compose himself. He then turned and violently ripped the tape from Chen Xuanqiu’s face.
Chen Xuanqiu felt as if his very skin had been torn away. He gasped sharply, wincing in pain.
“Speak! What exactly happened here?”
Hai’s plump face was shadowed with menace as he questioned him.
Chen Xuanqiu remained silent, knowing that anything he said now would be futile. His only recourse was to pray that his captors weren’t ruthless killers and would spare his life.
“Are you going to speak or not?”
Hai erupted in fury, lifting his leg and delivering a brutal kick to Chen Xuanqiu’s thigh.
Chen Xuanqiu doubled over in agony, yet still, he made no sound.
“Hai, why waste words on him? He’s a man anyway. I say we just find a place to bury him and be done with it.”
Liqiang offered the suggestion from the side.
“Are you telling me how to do my job? I paid a hundred million for this, and you want to just bury him? Are you going to cover the loss?”
Hai spun around, demanding an answer.
Liqiang was left speechless, only able to relapse into silence.
“Refusing to speak, are you? You’ve got guts!”
Hai spat out the harsh words, then pulled out his phone and made a call. Once the other party picked up, he heard him say, “Is that Dr. Wei? Come to our company’s suburban warehouse immediately! Now! At once!”
‘So this is a warehouse,’
Chen Xuanqiu realized. No wonder the room’s structure hadn’t seemed like a typical bedroom. It was too vast, and the natural light was poor, with only a small window about a foot square. Without the lamp, it would likely be difficult to see clearly even in broad daylight.
“You wanted to be a woman, didn’t you? I’ll grant your wish.”
Hai turned back, his gaze fixed on Chen Xuanqiu with malicious intent.
‘What does this guy mean?’
A shiver ran down Chen Xuanqiu’s spine. ‘Surely, he doesn’t possess some supernatural ability to change my gender, does he?’
‘Impossible. If he truly had such power, he would already be wielding immense influence in this world of scarce women and abundant men. He wouldn’t be stuck here as a mere boss, nor would he be raging over a measly hundred million.’
Chen Xuanqiu quickly dismissed the thought, a profound sense of bewilderment settling in his heart.
After barely half an hour, a white-haired old man entered the room. He appeared to be in his sixties, dressed in a grey suit and wearing thick spectacles. His entire demeanor exuded the air of an intellectual.
“Hai, did you need me for something?”
Dr. Wei inquired, neither humble nor arrogant.
“Dr. Wei, what’s the progress on your ‘Super Estrogen’ research?”
Hai asked, his tone surprisingly polite.
“Hai, a week ago, I conducted an experiment on four male mice. Three of them died within twenty-four hours of injection due to organ failure. One, however, has survived until now. Its internal and external male organs have completely degenerated, and female organs are gradually forming. So, it has largely achieved the desired outcome. If you give me a few more years to refine it, I believe it will soon be ready for clinical trials.”
Dr. Wei reported his findings with utmost seriousness.
“No need to wait years anymore. I’m giving you a test subject right now. Conduct the clinical trial immediately.”
Hai gestured towards Chen Xuanqiu on the bed.
Chen Xuanqiu paled dramatically. He had heard Dr. Wei’s words perfectly clear: the survival rate for mice after injection was only one in four. What about a human? Wouldn’t this be tantamount to murder?
“What? This is far too risky! I just explained that the drug’s side effects are still too severe. Applying it to a human body rashly carries an immense risk.”
Dr. Wei looked at Chen Xuanqiu, his voice tinged with agitation.
“Risk? What risk? You won’t be held responsible if he dies anyway.”
Hai countered.
Dr. Wei still hesitated. As an intellectual, he possessed a fundamental moral compass.
“Getting soft? I can tell you honestly, I’ve wanted to kill him for a while now. If he goes with you, he has a sliver of hope to survive. Otherwise, he’ll die immediately.”
Hai stated bluntly.
“Dr. Wei, isn’t it? Don’t hesitate. I’ll willingly go with you. Please, take me away.”
Chen Xuanqiu carefully considered his options, then pleaded with the old doctor. He knew that if he left, there was a faint chance of survival. If he remained here, he might not even see the sunrise tomorrow.
“Did you hear that? What are you still hesitating for? Do you want him to die right now?”
Hai snatched a knife from nearby and pointed it at Chen Xuanqiu.
“Fine! I’ll take him!”
Dr. Wei cast a complex glance at Chen Xuanqiu, then spoke with difficulty.
“Excellent. Liqiang, take this fellow to Dr. Wei’s lab. Then, I want you to guard him closely, not leaving his side for a single moment. Don’t let any more mishaps occur, or I’ll make you regret ever being born.”
Hai warned them.
Liqiang and his two subordinates acknowledged the order. They then placed Chen Xuanqiu back into a cardboard box and carried him out of the room.
“Dr. Wei, I expect results within a month. So don’t even think about being perfunctory, understand?”
Hai added a reminder, ensuring Dr. Wei wouldn’t try to fob him off.
****
Thus, Chen Xuanqiu embarked on yet another journey. After half an hour of being jostled in the vehicle, he was carried into another building. Though he couldn’t see outside, the succession of checkpoints made it clear that this place was heavily guarded.
When Chen Xuanqiu next saw light, he found himself in a spacious laboratory. All manner of experimental equipment filled the surroundings, and the air was thick with the smell of chemicals.
“Grandpa, why have you brought a child back? Is it a boy or a girl?”
Inside the lab, a young man in a white coat approached, curiously observing. He appeared to be in his twenties, slightly plump, with thick eyebrows and large eyes that gave him a guileless look.
“Hai gave him to us, said he’s for our experiments.”
Dr. Wei replied succinctly.
“What? How can this be? The drug we’re developing currently has such severe side effects; it doesn’t meet the standards for clinical trials yet.”
The young man asked, agitated.
“What choice do I have? Hai said he either comes with us for the experiment, or he dies immediately.”
Dr. Wei explained with a hint of impatience, clearly in a foul mood.
The young man was speechless. When he looked at Chen Xuanqiu again, his eyes were filled with profound sympathy.
“The three of you haven’t been disinfected. Get out, don’t contaminate the lab.”
Dr. Wei instructed Liqiang and the other two men.
Though Liqiang and his two companions were slightly displeased, they complied.
“Hai said he’s only giving us a month. It seems we’ll have to speed things up. I certainly don’t want to become a murderer.”
Dr. Wei said to the young man in the white coat.