Chapter 63

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Chapter 63: Radiation Protection Agents

“How low is too low?” Luo Yu felt a bit of sweat forming; after all, she had received a stamp from the old doctor at the menstruation center declaring her body fat was too low.

Ji Shu looked at her and replied, “The warning threshold is twenty percent. Personally, I recommend at least twenty-two percent for adults. However, children before the onset of menstruation have faster metabolism and do not have this restriction.”

Luo Yu was dumbfounded. After all her effort, was she the first to be unable to use the radiation protection agents? She blinked and asked, “Is there a time requirement? Is it still possible for me to gain weight in time?” She recalled how she had been eating well every meal lately, so her body fat percentage should have gone up a bit, but she was unsure if it exceeded twenty percent.

Noticing her anxious expression, Ji Shu smiled, “So now you finally understand the value of body fat?” She chuckled and patted her shoulder. “These two tubes are universal agents for you to take back. The targeted agents made with your genetic information don’t have these restrictions. I’ll take you upstairs for the injection shortly.”

Ji Shu then sized up the three of them again. “When you arrived, you were all a bit thin, but you seem to have gained some weight over these past few days. The nutritious meals at the cliff residence seem to be quite good. Let’s measure your body fat upstairs later and see how much progress you’ve made.”

The four of them sat in that office for a while, listening to Ji Shu discuss the analysis progress on reincarnation by the time investigation team from Mo Chuan’s side. Mo Chuan was supposed to come today, but due to too many matters on her end, she had rescheduled to talk with Ji Shu later in the evening.

Currently, Ti Ran was still working with her team to calculate the specific start and end points of cyclical time. However, since the boundaries between the cycles were somewhat unclear and unobservable, there had been no progress for now. Mo Chuan was analyzing the data returned by the exploration team, confirming the natural species and social patterns of those two historical time periods. There was still a lot of work to be done, which was why Mo Chuan hadn’t contacted the three of them in the past few days.

After listening, Ying Zhao felt a bit regretful at first because they were about to return and wouldn’t be able to explore the question with Ti Ran. But she quickly cheered up, saying, “Once we return, I’ll find a way to investigate the situation of those two unknown time periods thoroughly. The history of our old group is vast and complex. By the next same dimension time point, we might be able to tackle this issue together.”

Ji Shu nodded, “Ti Ran has been at the time travel center these past few days. You can contact her anytime.”

Once she noticed that they had finished their drinks, Ji Shu got up and led them to the medical room upstairs for the injection of the targeted radiation-resistant agents.

The genetic medicine research institute built on top of a massive rock had a large footprint, so it wasn’t designed with multiple floors. Inside, there were only two levels. Following Ji Shu out of the office, they took an internal elevator to the upper floor and horizontally moved a few hundred meters to arrive outside a medical room.

This room was clean and bright, contrasting with the lush, nature-themed design of Ji Shu’s office. The style was much simpler and more straightforward. Upon entering, they were greeted by several large soft chairs, each equipped with a breathing apparatus hanging above.

Luo Yu was quite familiar with this breathing apparatus. It was the same type she wore when she woke up at the assembly hall’s care center after their emergency landing.

From her observations during her time here, comparing facilities from the care center to the menstruation center and the biological research stations, the Ponsuo Tribe employed a diverse range of treatment methods. In addition to the familiar pills and injections, they also used gas injection methods, the umbilical cord approaches from menstruation therapy pods, and the scanning methods applied during body purification at the biological research station.

As she walked into the room, Luo Yu shared her observations. Ji Shu listened attentively and replied with a smile, “Although there are many methods, each is the most suitable treatment for the corresponding condition. Some treatments are appropriate for the digestive system; others for the respiratory system, and some for the secretion system. The human body’s design is incredibly precise. We have spent many years understanding bodily mechanisms to introduce appropriate artificial interventions, always achieving more with less effort and minimizing potential risks.”

While speaking, she gestured for the three to sit in the chairs and began preparing their agents. Luo Yu sat back, thinking of the medical level in their world.

In their era, biological medical technology had made significant advancements. Most human joints and organs could be replaced with artificial materials, and challenging conditions could be resolved through organ replacement surgeries, along with extensive use of antibiotics and hormones.

Of course, such crude medical methods also came with numerous side effects and aftereffects. However, since artificial organs and subsequent care treatments were monopolized by wealthy families, many negative realities were intentionally concealed.

In the Federation and the New Southern Union, both controlled by the affluent, many patients who didn’t even need joint or organ replacements found themselves defrauded by healthcare institutions through various marketing tactics, lured into borrowing from financial tycoons for entirely unnecessary replacements of artificial organs.

Ji Shu retrieved the prepared agents from the assistant robot, set them up in the breathing apparatus, and, hearing Luo Yu recount the medical situation of their world, shook her head gently. “I see no respect for the human body and nature in your medical philosophy. It’s astonishing that you’ve tied medicine to finance, leading some to concoct bizarre money-making schemes, subjecting many patients to even more suffering.”

After finishing the preparations for all three breathing apparatuses, Ji Shu smiled at them again. “I have also organized a document on genetic medical technologies during these past few days. I hope it will be useful for any experts in relevant fields back home.”

She then tapped a few buttons on a nearby control panel. “Let me check your body fat beforehand before starting the injections.”

As she operated the panel, a scanning laser began to emerge from below their chairs. The data quickly appeared on the indicator to the right, revealing the current body fat percentages: Luo Yu’s had risen to 21.5%, while Zhu Huai and Ying Zhao were at 23.7% and 25.3%, respectively. It seemed the nutritious meals over the past few days had indeed yielded fruitful results.

Ji Shu expressed her satisfaction, saying, “Not bad! Although Luo Yu is still a bit on the thin side, at least you’re no longer below the warning threshold. When you return, all three of you need to pay attention to your nutritional intake. Make sure these numbers don’t decrease, especially you, Luo Yu. It’d be best if you could increase it a little more.”

Seeing all three nodding in agreement, Ji Shu then asked the robot to put the breathing apparatus on them and began the injection of the targeted radiation-resistant agents.

The gas in the breathing apparatus had no smell and felt slightly cool. Inhaling it through the nostrils clarified her head, and she felt a satisfying pressure in her chest and back as the gas entered via the respiratory system.

The whole injection process was not lengthy, lasting about twenty minutes. Afterward, Ji Shu immediately conducted genetic testing to verify the results on the spot, stating that the effects were even better than she had anticipated. Thanks to their previous full-body purification at the biological research station, the absorption and conversion efficiency from this injection were remarkably high. The three of them were now completely immune to all high-energy particles from nuclear radiation.

Zhu Huai, upon hearing this outcome, burst out excitedly, “So if I were to take on a nuclear bomb with the enemy, I could walk away unscathed?”

Ying Zhao shot her an exasperated look, “Huai Jie, wake up! You’re immune to nuclear radiation now, not invincible!”

Ji Shu laughed heartily. “Yes, this simply provides you with an additional layer of protection. However, remember not to act too impulsively once you return.”

Zhu Huai rubbed her head with a cheeky grin. “Of course, of course.”

As the robotic arms retrieved the breathing apparatuses, they took a moment to relax before following Ji Shu out of the medical room and toward the outside of the research institute.

With her work for the day finished, Ji Shu was prepared to head to the helipad with them, intending to rest briefly at home before seeing Mo Chuan later. Luo Yu and her companions wanted to return to the simulator to further discuss their plans for the return journey.

The group made their way up to the platform atop the rock. The sunlight was not as intense as when they first arrived, and sure enough, they soon spotted the large lynx they had seen last time, now lazily lying on a big stone with its cubs. Upon seeing them approach, it casually waved its tail before stretching and sitting up slowly.

As Ji Shu approached the large lynx, it took a couple of steps toward the steps, affectionately rubbing against her arm. Then it turned to give a look at Luo Yu and the others standing behind her; it seemed to recognize them, and its gaze was not as sharp as before. Upon a closer look, it even appeared a bit gentler.

The three cubs at the lynx’s feet appeared steadier on their paws than they had two days prior, playfully sprawling around on the big rock, emitting soft sounds as they moved.

Once Ji Shu took a seat nearby, Luo Yu and her friends joined her on the big rock, playing with the cubs for a while. When the sun began to set a little further down, they moved together with Ji Shu to the nearby helipad, bid her farewell, boarded the aircraft, and left the giant rock hidden within the jungle.

About fifteen minutes later, they landed on the helipad next to the cliff residence, entered the leisure room in the hangar, and collectively sorted through the complete details of their mission, including the situation of the two trainees and the video evidence from 015’s confession about the temporal magnetic storm caused by his device at the biological research station. They reviewed their prepared statements to address the inquiries they would face upon returning home.

They had only two days left to complete their preparations for the return. Tomorrow, they would conduct the final return simulation exercise before contacting the space station to report the launch time twenty-four hours in advance, allowing the space station to arrange for Hu Jiao and his team to come and assist.

Even with all their preparations, the thought of just two days remaining until their official return made the three feel a sense of urgency. They worked together to list the tasks ahead and scheduled their time, before entering the simulator for a round of three return training exercises. They didn’t leave the mountaintop until night fell and made their way back to the cliff residence.

The three all went to bed early that night. The next morning, they lingered for a while in their soft and comfortable cozy nests before emerging as a group to sit in the lounge, enjoying a lavish breakfast while facing the spectacular, mist-covered waterfall. Just as they were about to rise and head to the simulator for their last return simulation, they heard the in-house housekeeping system declare, “Visitor Mo Chuan has arrived at the cliff residence’s front desk.”

They exchanged glances. They had agreed to meet Mo Chuan in the afternoon; they wondered if her early arrival indicated a change in plans.

Waiting by the main control station at the entrance for a moment, they soon heard the butler robot’s voice. When the door opened, there stood Mo Chuan outside.

She smiled slightly at the three of them. “I came unexpectedly again. Last night, I heard from Ji Shu that the three of you decided to return together. I thought about the tasks you’ll face when you return, and since the risks are somewhat high, I contacted an equipment expert and brought some personal protective gear for you to take back. It might come in handy.”