From Apocalypse Boss to Farmer: My Vegetables Make Me Stronger!

Chapter 407 - 392: Guinea Pig

Since they still didn’t know exactly what the Superpower Seed was or how it would affect a creature’s evolution, Gu Xi didn’t dare to forcefully wake Bai. She could only let it sleep and wait to see what happened.

Gu Xi casually handed Bai to Qi Xiang. Holding the unconscious, and possibly drooling, little mouse, Qi Xiang activated her personal terminal. As she usually did, she performed a basic external examination on Bai and recorded the relevant data.

Qin Yi, who was helping nearby, couldn’t help but remark, "The name Bai really is perfect." ’He’s our very own little guinea pig.’

"You know it." Qi Xiang said smugly. She had been the one to pick the name, after all.

After measuring a series of Bai’s external vitals, Qi Xiang sent the data to Yang Chi. She then stared down at the little creature sleeping soundly in her lap, resting her chin in her hand as she fell into deep thought.

Yang Chi spoke as he compared the data. "Bai’s condition is a little strange. We can’t just let him keep sleeping like this. Didn’t someone say they moved the core of the Abnormal Ability Research Institute to City A?"

Although some of the Abnormal Ability Research Institute’s methods were highly disagreeable, Yang Chi had to admit that over the years since the apocalypse began, the Institute had indeed made significant contributions.

Especially when it came to superpower research, if the Institute claimed to be second, no one would dare claim to be first.

"How about we send Bai over for a detailed examination when we get back?" Yang Chi suggested, looking up.

After all, they knew far too little about Superpower Seeds. With Bai as their only test subject, they naturally had to be cautious and give him the best possible treatment.

To his surprise, Wei Heng was the first to object. "Absolutely not."

Back when he was in the Special Service Team, Wei Heng had already been put off by some of the Institute’s methods, finding its people far too domineering. But ever since the incident where the Institute intentionally concealed the truth about the malignant plants from the public, his dislike had curdled into outright disgust.

And especially after learning about Gu Xi’s past, he subconsciously wanted to keep her from having any further involvement with that place.

’Just thinking about it felt like a jinx.’

Yang Chi pushed the glasses up the bridge of his nose. He glanced at Wei Heng, then at Gu Xi sitting in front of him, but ultimately said nothing more.

’...He had a vague idea of what Wei Heng was thinking.’

Qi Xiang, however, spoke up while resting her chin in her hand. "I actually think we could. Last time in the Death Swamp, when Bai advanced, didn’t we already send a sample of his blood over, albeit indirectly?"

It had been done through someone on the main expedition’s research team.

But Qi Xiang knew exactly where those samples taken from Bai had ended up.

So if they sent Bai over openly this time, they could use the opportunity to check on the Institute’s research progress. They might even be able to leverage the other party’s findings to deepen their own understanding of Superpower Seeds.

While Qi Xiang also strongly disliked some of the Institute’s practices, having grown up there, she understood its capabilities better than anyone else in the vehicle.

There was no denying that when it came to superpower research, the Institute was truly skilled.

Most importantly...

She looked up at the others, a flash of bold, languid charm in her eyes. "Besides, we’d just be freeloading."

Gu Xi considered this for a moment, her gaze landing on Bai. "That’s not out of the question."

Wei Heng’s brow furrowed slightly. He glanced at Gu Xi but remained sullenly silent.

He had to admit that Qi Xiang had a point, but the moment he thought about the role the Institute might have played in what happened to Gu Xi all those years ago, he instinctively recoiled from the idea of her having anything to do with them again.

’...Even if it was just to freeload.’

Yang Chi sensed the atmosphere in the vehicle had suddenly turned strange. After a moment’s thought, he said, "There’s no rush on this. Why don’t we wait until we’re back, discuss it with my cousin and the others, and then decide?"

Qin Yi looked from one person to the next, then leaned forward. "Um, has no one else thought the Institute’s attitude has been really strange recently?"

Ever since Zhou Jinyu had vaguely indicated a desire to align with Gu Xi back at the Death Swamp, they had expected him to use Gu Xi’s presence at A City Base as an opportunity to approach them.

But strangely, ever since Gu Xi had gone to Farm 0101, Zhou Jinyu hadn’t contacted her once.

Compared to their usual behavior, the people from the Institute were being far too low-key. Qin Yi even wondered if they had already left City A.

"I don’t think so." Gu Xi slowly shook her head. "Last time at Gu Garden, Ye Junhan mentioned that people from the Institute had approached him. They wanted the Special Service Team to help them collect biological samples from the mutated animals near the Land of Death."

Thinking of Ye Junhan, Gu Xi sighed. ’That man is more perceptive than anyone. With him keeping an eye on things, he would definitely know if the Institute was up to something.’

The fact that she hadn’t heard anything from Ye Junhan recently meant one of two things: either the people from the Institute were actually lying low and quietly conducting their experiments without any unusual activity, or someone was deliberately keeping her in the dark.

And the only person who could convince Ye Junhan to hide things from her was Li Ming.

"Any news from Central Base?" Gu Xi suddenly asked, looking up at Yang Chi.

Yang Chi shook his head. After more than a month of chaos, Central Base had recently settled into an eerie state of peace.

Gu Xi nodded, her gaze drifting out the window as she fell silent.

’Qin Yi was right. Zhou Jinyu had indeed been far too quiet recently.’

’Especially after Dr. Qi’s arrival in City A, Zhou Jinyu’s presence had become even more negligible. Based on recent intel from both Shen Yue and Tang You, it seemed that all of the Abnormal Ability Research Institute’s power in City A was now in Dr. Qi’s hands.’

’It was as if Zhou Jinyu, the Director of External Relations, had been completely marginalized within the Institute.’

’But Gu Xi hadn’t forgotten the Chen sisters, who had been out of the picture for a long time.’

’...When it came down to it, the Chen sisters were the true masters of the Abnormal Ability Research Institute. Even though Ye Xin had been struggling to climb the ranks for years, trying to use various factions to usurp the sisters’ power, the Institute’s core was still firmly in the hands of the elder Miss Chen.’

’Thinking about it now, even the younger Miss Chen’s departure back then probably had a hidden story behind it.’

Li Ming, just like Wei Heng, didn’t want her to get entangled with the Institute again. But the truth was, during the most difficult period of their childhood, it was the Institute that had taken her and Li Ming in, giving them a place to call home.

’Regardless of what the Institute did to them afterward, the fact remained that it had raised them.’

That was why, after returning this time, Gu Xi hadn’t moved against the Chen sisters—at least, she hadn’t killed them.

Li Ming knew that the little sister he had single-handedly raised, despite her emotional detachment, was very clear when it came to debts of gratitude and vengeance.

’That’s why he didn’t want to put Gu Xi in a difficult position.’

’...It was better to leave this kind of thing for him to handle. He was used to it, after all. Why dirty his sister’s hands and leave her caught in the middle?’

Gu Xi was well aware of Li Ming’s painstaking efforts to protect her.

But...

Gu Xi suddenly turned back to Yang Chi. "Have you heard anything from Zhou Jing recently?"

The girl hadn’t contacted her in a long time, and a faint sense of worry was starting to creep in.

Especially after Zhou Jing had vaguely revealed that her birth mother had a significant connection to Yun Ye, and was also linked to the Gu Family...