While Zhou Tianming browsed the technology database selecting systems, Lu Sizhe had been closely monitoring his 1D movements.
His eyebrow twitched when he saw the Nuclear Furnace (Laser) being chosen.
Pressing the intercom button on his desk: "Have Xiao Li come here."
Soon, a young man with messy hair, black-framed glasses, and a white lab coat entered. "Professor." "Remember the research topic I assigned you years ago?"
Nodding: "Yes, regarding conditions for nuclear reaction interference and countermeasures."
"If using laser ignition, which methods could be avoided?"
Xiao Li frowned, standing in thought before listing five or six possibilities.
"Eliminate the overly complex ones, discard those requiring rare materials..."
After considering Lu Sizhe's conditions, Xiao Li finally answered: "That leaves only neutron interference. But theoretically speaking, practical implementation may still fall short of your requirements."
Leaning back in his chair, Lu Sizhe murmured: "Neutron interference..."
The office fell silent, only faint voices audible from outside.
Xiao Li stood quietly until Lu Sizhe spoke: "Starting today, you'll lead neutron interference research, focusing on countermeasures." Xiao Li looked puzzled: "Neutron interference? But this field isn't advanced—other methods are more feasible."
"You..." Lu Sizhe shook his head. "Read beyond your specialty. Stop burying yourself in experiments—you're becoming dull. Get to work!" Xiao Li left with a helpless expression.
Returning to his lab, when announcing the new direction to colleagues, they looked at him like he was an idiot.
"What?"
"Technological breakthroughs aren't about progress timelines. Sometimes a flash of inspiration creates solutions instantly. Besides, neutron interference is far more practical than alternatives."
"Eh? It's actually useful?"
"Why research it otherwise?"
"But suppressing nuclear reactions? We have other energy sources—just less cost-effective."
Shaking his head, the colleague turned away: "Too much studying rotted your brain."
Xiao Li remained utterly confused.
In following days, Zhou Tianming first optimized the [Electromagnetic Field Wireless Power Supply Technology]. Now using Black Tortoise's [Yin-Yang] for electromagnetic operations enabled large-scale continuous charging for Vermilion Bird and Feather Plumes, ensuring sustained operation.
The laser nuclear furnace proved trickier. He only managed structural optimizations based on Black Tortoise's framework for proper installation. Handcrafting was impossible—blueprints had to be submitted for custom fabrication. Nuclear-related approvals were exceptionally stringent, with three generations of family history scrutinized repeatedly.
After being investigated, her grandfather Zhou Junguo called to tell her to take it easy and not cause any explosions.
It was only after several months that she finally obtained an inseparable, one-piece finished product.
Even this speed was only possible because she was a member of the Zhou family. Otherwise, for a private individual to obtain a nuclear furnace? That would be no different from asking for a nuclear bomb. With the Black Tortoise no longer a concern, she poured all her energy into constructing the Gundam Frame.
She adopted the Iron-Blooded style, focusing solely on creating an integrated internal frame, while the external armor would be built separately to allow for future enhancements and adaptations to different needs. Watching the frame gradually take shape, Zhou Tianming felt the joy of a model enthusiast.
They only get to play with models, but I'm building the real thing.
Of course, problems arose along the way. The blueprints were just theoretical, and many compromises had to be made during actual construction, forcing her to constantly revise and adjust.
Amidst this sleepless, relentless work, December arrived.
One day, inside the rented private repair shop—
The various parts of the Gundam Frame had been completed. The limbs, torso, and head, still unassembled, hung suspended about 10 meters in the air. Designed to mimic the human body, the frame looked like the dismembered skeleton of a giant, dangling in midair.
The metallic bones were covered in a network of thick and thin pipes of varying colors, resembling blood vessels and meridians. Zhou Tianming sat inside the cockpit on the torso, debugging the 0S Data. As she worked, the Gundam Frame's limbs began to move—bending arms, clenching fists, flexing knees, kicking legs...
After setting it to automatic operation, Zhou Tianming leaned halfway out of the cockpit to observe the frame's movements with her own eyes. But then, she suddenly felt dizzy, her limbs going numb.
Her grip on the cockpit's edge loosened, and her body tipped forward, plummeting from the height.
Thud!
Unable to react, Zhou Tianming hit the ground hard, yet she lay there motionless, her expression blank and her eyes empty.
After a long moment, she finally groaned as if waking up.
Gritting through the pain, she pushed herself up from the ground and sat for a while, a self-deprecating smile on her face. "I can't hold on much longer..."
She pulled out her phone from her pocket—the screen was shattered, but it still turned on.
Zhou Tianming stared at the date displayed: December 11.
"Is the limit adulthood?"
As she muttered to herself, a few drops of bright red blood fell onto her arm. The thick scent of blood filled her nose. Wiping under her nose, her hand came away stained red. She casually wiped it on her sleeve before lying back on the ground.
"CE67... Nothing major happened this year. I don't want to die lying in bed."
First Medical Research Institute
Bang! Bang!
The sound of objects crashing to the floor came from an office.
In the hallway, a few people glanced curiously, but the office door remained tightly shut, revealing nothing. Soon, they left.
Inside the room, papers and shattered decorations littered the floor. Zhou Hanxiang sat in her chair, her eyes vacant.
On the computer screen, the glaring red word "FAILURE" dominated.
There was no way. No hope.
All these years, she had studied every topic related to genetics, but the results were always the same—failure. Current technology simply couldn't cure genetic diseases.
And as for the issues left behind by genetic adjustments? To put it bluntly—it was fate. Just destiny at work.
Biting her lip, Zhou Hanxiang's eyes regained their determination. "There's still time. I must find a way to cure Tianming."
Click!
The door opened as Lainesse walked in with a file tucked under her arm.
Frowning at the messy office, she then smiled and walked to the desk to place the file down.
"Sister Hanxiang, I brought you something good."
Puzzled, Hanxiang reached for it. The moment she opened it, her expression changed. "Lainesse! Where did this come from?"
Lainesse circled the desk and perched on the armrest of Hanxiang's chair, leaning against her affectionately. "I got it from a friend over in the Atlantic. So, did it help you?"
Her face pale with anger, Hanxiang glanced at the file again—filled with results of human experiments, every word reeking of cruelty and bloodshed. "Lainesse, how could you associate with such people? I won't accept this."
"Sister, just observing won't solve anything. Lab mice and humans are different. Even if you find a solution, do you really plan to—"
"Shut up!"
Lainesse stopped but then continued, "Besides, what's done is done. If you don't use this, those people died for nothing."
Hanxiang stared at her in shock. Lainesse' expression remained unchanged, still smiling.
Only then did Hanxiang realize that all these years, she had assumed she understood Lainesse' identity—but she had never truly known this person.
A chill crept into her heart.
Ring ring!
The phone snapped her back to reality. Picking it up, she heard Zhou Junguo's voice: "Tianming's condition has worsened."
Her face drained of color, Hanxiang suddenly struggled to breathe, her right hand clutching her chest. "How... how could it happen so fast?"
"We overlooked something. The deterioration isn't linear—it accelerates as he grows older." Zhou Junguo's voice was heavy with sorrow. "Come back quickly. He probably already knows his condition and has been hiding it from us."
"I'm on my way!"
Tossing the phone aside, Hanxiang rushed out.
Lainesse followed closely. "Sister, I'll go with you."
Hanxiang stopped in her tracks and turned to look at Lainesse. A sharp sixth sense screamed at her—Don't let her near Zhou Tianming!