Chapter 48
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Chapter 48: Rebound
Ji Yongxing, though young, had a fair understanding of first aid.
Observing Zhao Kai’s pallid complexion gradually returning to a healthy hue, he felt a sense of relief.
He had initially intended to assist Zhao Kai to the medical department for treatment, or at least escort him back to the conference room to rest.
However, Zhao Kai declined, stating that he had already summoned assistance and wished to regain his strength here before proceeding. He instructed Ji Yongxing to return to the conference room, dismiss everyone, and announce the postponement of the meeting.
Ji Yongxing saw no reason to object, but as he glanced at the still frail Zhao Kai, he hesitated, taking three steps before finally leaving the restroom with a backward glance.
Once Ji Yongxing’s footsteps had faded around the corner, Zhao Kai retrieved a handheld short-range communicator from his pocket, adjusted it to the appropriate channel, and spoke to the person on the other end:
“Come and get me immediately, and prepare everyone for surgery. We’ll commence the second transplant within half an hour.”
After setting down the communicator, Zhao Kai leaned against the wall, attempting to steady himself, but after several tries, he remained unable to rise.
The strength of the superpowered individual named Wang Xiao exceeded his expectations, perhaps even to an excessive degree…
Half of Zhao Kai’s blood, along with his liver, kidneys, and pancreas, had been sourced from the volunteer Wang Xiao.
In truth, Wang Xiao’s abilities far surpassed a C rating; were it not for the necessity of secrecy, Zhao Kai would have eagerly awarded him an A rating, a symbol of power and rarity.
But he could not afford to do so.
In Hope City, a C rating was the threshold for superpowered individuals, and the mysterious disappearance of someone rated above C would inevitably draw the attention of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Though Zhao Kai had some influence, he dared not act recklessly under such scrutiny. He had to suppress Wang Xiao’s rating to ensure his disappearance went unnoticed.
According to the original plan, Wang Xiao was supposed to be lured by the allure of the inner city, accepting his transfer order willingly.
This would have allowed Zhao Kai to manipulate the handover, transferring Wang Xiao to his department under legitimate pretenses.
However, the young man proved unyielding, forcing Zhao Kai to deploy his own resources, exploiting loopholes in the regulations to bring him into the inner city.
It was a risky move, but one he deemed worthwhile!
Wang Xiao’s regenerative ability was unlike any Zhao Kai had encountered before; every cell in his body exhibited extraordinary vitality, and his regenerative capacity surpassed all known records.
Moreover, these tissues and organs shared a peculiar connection.
After extensive study and cultivation of Wang Xiao’s flesh and blood, Zhao Kai discovered that certain organs, such as the liver, could be removed intact. By maintaining their vitality with a culture solution, he could create the illusion that the organ was still alive.
This prevented the regeneration of a new liver in Wang Xiao’s body.
Only if the liver were destroyed—whether by burning or shattering—would new organs begin to form within him.
Having dedicated much of his life to the study of biotechnologies, Zhao Kai quickly conceived an unethical plan upon confirming these traits:
To seize control of this body and harness its power for himself.
To this end, he devised a radical strategy: to transplant his brain entirely into Wang Xiao’s body while using a culture solution to keep Wang Xiao’s brain active, thereby preventing his own brain from being crushed by regenerating tissues.
Yet, he retained a shred of rationality; the idea was too perilous, and the current state of biotechnologies in Hope City made it unfeasible.
Furthermore, as Zhao Kai aged, he grew increasingly cautious about his own mortality. The thought of entrusting his life to another through brain transplantation was unthinkable.
After all, he was the kind of man who required local anesthesia and the presence of armed subordinates pointing guns at the doctors’ heads just to feel secure on the operating table.
Thus, he settled on a second plan: to gradually transplant Wang Xiao’s organs and tissues, allowing himself to slowly usurp the young man’s abilities.
By the time Wang Xiao was reduced to an empty shell, Zhao Kai would claim this robust and powerful body as his own.
Right now, Wang Xiao is in a secret laboratory beneath the building of the Department of Life Technology.
This lab, numbered "3," is one of the hidden treasures Zhao Kai has accumulated over the years, bypassing regulations with his own permissions.
With this geographical advantage, combined with Wang Xiao’s organs experiencing almost no rejection reaction and the recovery abilities brought by his blood flowing throughout Zhao Kai’s body, Zhao Kai could carry out this genius idea with an astonishing frequency of nearly one surgery a day.
Zhao Kai finally stood up; he didn’t want to miss today’s morning meeting, as revealing any flaws before the plan was officially declared successful would be incredibly foolish.
But he still underestimated Wang Xiao’s abilities.
The miraculous blood and organs seemed to be thriving inside his own body.
This was highly abnormal.
Fortunately, Zhao Kai had prepared for this. Feeling some bloating in his abdomen, he twisted open a small white pill bottle again.
His hands trembled slightly, and in the absence of help, he couldn’t even count out four pills; instead, he dumped a small handful into his mouth, shaking as he did so.
However, this time, the effects of the medication didn’t seem as pronounced as before.
Feeling a surge of power within him, Zhao Kai felt almost euphoric.
This was not a good sign.
His stomach churned as if something was pressing against its survival space.
Reluctantly, he lowered his head next to the toilet.
“Ugh!”
Dark red blood mixed with his breakfast and some indiscernible tissue fragments erupted from Zhao Kai’s mouth. He could even see a few white suppressors that hadn’t fully digested.
—
“Ding~”
The elevator doors slowly opened, and two doctors in white coats pushed a folding bed toward the restroom, right at the moment they encountered Ji Yongxing, who was hurrying to the restroom.
He had already dissolved the morning meeting in Zhao Kai’s name, and a crowd of researchers rushed back to their offices. Yet, Ji Yongxing was still a bit worried about the older man and planned to accompany him to the restroom until help arrived.
Seeing the two white coats in the corridor, Ji Yongxing felt relieved. This must be the rescue called by Minister Zhao Kai, but…
The perceptive young genius instinctively looked at the two, feeling that they seemed somewhat unusual.
Their walking postures and behaviors didn’t appear to be those of properly trained doctors, yet Ji Yongxing’s trust in Zhao Kai made him decide to observe a little longer.
He explained his purpose to the two doctors and expressed his intention to accompany them to deliver Minister Zhao Kai to the hospital room.
The doctors exchanged meaningful looks but ultimately accepted Ji Yongxing’s request to accompany them.
The three people pushed the folding bed to the restroom door. Ji Yongxing held up the curtain in front, and the tall doctor, who looked somewhat strong, was the first to step inside.
But as soon as he glanced inward, he stopped in his tracks.
The restroom now resembled an accident scene.
Fragments of tissues in various colors were splattered against the walls, mixed with blood, and Zhao Kai lay at the innermost stall door with yellow-green fluid at the corner of his mouth.
At this point, his skin was no longer the pale hue Ji Yongxing had seen before leaving; instead, it took on an unusually flushed appearance, appearing overly healthy…
Now, even Ji Yongxing, who was completely unaware of Zhao Kai’s schemes, understood that something was wrong.
He blinked gently, and a faint dark green glow appeared in his eyes.
【Biodiversity】 pathway, 【Streamline】 activate!
