After the experiment, Fu Qingjun began to diligently record the archives.
"According to the petri dish sand table on the desk, most of my genetically modified ants have successfully adapted, with only a few dead."
"This might be related to them being Grandmasters with Martial Dao and spirit integration."
"As the strongest creatures on the surface, they possess powerful physical qualities... Of course, their intelligence is high too. They know the optimal amount to fuse without causing their bodies to explode... Most have integrated between 3%-7%, modifying their soul structure, while a few strong ones have integrated more genes, but the risk has significantly increased."
"It really is like the principle of brewing wine."
"As a mature scientist, one should not conduct experiments personally on living subjects, rather allow the subjects to research the experimental data themselves and then conduct tests on themselves to improve survival rates..."
He pondered for a few seconds and wrote down a final experiment summary,
"Controlling the conditions oneself is the most suitable."
Fu Qingjun continuously documented his experimental insights, resembling writing a diary, organizing and recording some details and processes that contribute to better experimental development.
This has been his habit for seventeen years; summarizing and analyzing is the most efficient learning exploration method, facilitating the formulation of next-stage life plans.
Fu Qingjun glanced at the ants on the table.
It was evident they were beginning to diversify.
Their bodies were rapidly transforming, resembling a wild documentary film, condensing billions of years of biological evolution into this short period.
Yet their evolution was directional.
They moved in four directions, exhibiting some limb features like chicken claws, duck webs, snake scales... Life structures became more complex; these transgenic ants were no longer purely ants but an unprecedented miniature organism.
If before, there was an Ant Kingdom, now an ecological chain with variegated species was manifesting!
"This is a brand new biological evolution!"
"Like an exceedingly rudimentary biological explosion."
Clearly, I have designed the future of this life, possessing limitless potential.
He stood up, turned around to tidy up the room,
"And if they fuse too many physical traits, they become tiny creatures, the size of rice grains, like chickens, ducks, snakes, dogs, jumping around on the table..."
"Certainly, these are ant gene template lives cloaked in animal skins."
Time ticked away, and the day was wholly gone. Fu Qingjun stretched lazily.
After glancing at the ants on the table, he stood up, donned a specially-crafted broad black coat, and put on a hat to prepare to go out and see, "I altered the coat with some sewing, hoping to appear tall and imposing using hair..."
"Still missing a biological template, the only intelligent biological template on earth, human soul energy..."
He reached the door; his spiritual power sensed the surroundings. No observing gaze was present.
Little Trumpet should have gone home.
...
...
It was already dusk.
Fu Qingjun walked through the old neighborhood, continuously moving. He found this ancient night particularly quiet, with almost no recreational activities.
After walking a stretch, a brightly lit street gradually appeared before him, bars, nightclubs, several flashing neon signs hung on storefronts.
Like the earthy style of old Shanghai.
Fu Qingjun looked around, sat in a nearby noodle shop, ordered a plate of fried noodles, sat at the table, watching the surrounding burly men and fellow diners.
He observed the passing pedestrians and the distant nightclub and bar.
Occasionally, drunken passersby passed by to buy more drinks, desolate drunkards, numb office workers, warriors covered in scars, some young girls...
All beings suffer.
Especially in this era, it is not peaceful, being during World War II, filled with violence, gangs, armed fights... It's a turbulent time.
He continuously observed the passersby, finally spotting a destitute, skinny girl, with dark skin, decent features, hesitantly looking at the nightclub.
Poor people without spending capacity, ordinary looking, seemingly introverted, hesitating outside a place like a nightclub... Fu Qingjun understood her intention.
In wartime, when people are starving, there are too many like her.
Fu Qingjun considered several prospects in his mind, finally confirming this girl, "She's the one..."
Not out of sympathy, but because of safety.
He couldn't handle Little Trumpet, neither could he tackle a normal tall and robust adult male, so he could only target the weaker, but if it were a thin woman, paired with his rapid soul response, he should have the upper hand, not fearing her use of force...
Fu Qingjun lowered his hat brim and stood up, slowly moving towards her.
"Are you alone? Do you need money?" he asked in a lowered voice.
The skinny girl was slightly startled, nodded heavily, hesitated briefly, and uncovered her sleeve to show her wrist, "Are you from this store? I still have..."
Fu Qingjun glanced at it, it was Vermilion Sand, his suspicion completely verified, he said in a low voice, "This is not the place for conversation, I'm not from the shop, but follow me, I can give you money."
Fu Qingjun was poaching outside their door, so it was best not to linger long.
She hesitated for a moment, her eyes showing struggle as she silently followed Fu Qingjun.
Fu Qingjun directly took her into the adjacent inn, feigning calm, paid on the first floor, and took her upstairs, arriving at a room.
The room was not electrified; Fu Qingjun lit a kerosene lamp, with only a bathroom, a large bed, and a wooden desk in the room.
The light flickered dimly throughout the room, with the atmosphere ominously dark.
The skinny girl stood cautiously at the door.
Her eyes were bloodshot, staring fixedly at the mysterious masked figure before her.
Her eyes looked like she hadn't slept for seven or eight days, her whole aura filled with deep pain, confusion, and she was worn to the extreme, her spirit stretched to the limit.
"Name, why the lack of money?" Fu Qingjun casually asked, opening the conversation, "Sit down."
"Qin Hong, seventeen." Her eyes were bloodshot, her voice a bit choked, "My elder sister practices Martial Dao, three days ago at the station dock, she was moving goods and got her back crushed by the load. After a few days of emergency care, she finally pulled through, but we're still short on money..."
"Medicinal herbs are too expensive. I asked the neighbors for money, but those who usually get along with my sister all found excuses saying they didn't have any when it mattered."
"They said even if my sister survives, she's ruined, half-paralyzed, and told me to give up... But she's my sister! My own blood sister!"
Qin Hong's face twisted, looking as if she was collapsing, "If she can be saved, how could I not save her!! Even if she's half-paralyzed, I can't leave my sister!"
Fu Qingjun asked, "How much money do you need?"
"Thirty taels of silver!! If that's too much, twenty... twenty taels will do." She hesitated for a moment, looking over with eyes akin to grabbing the last straw to hang onto life.
Fu Qingjun glanced at her and said slowly, "I can give it to you."
She revealed a trace of delight.
She knew she wasn't considered pretty, with dark, rough skin and a skinny frame, hands full of calluses from years of hard labor. It was already quite a good price, the nightclub wouldn't possibly offer as much.
Fu Qingjun continued, saying:
"However, there's a give and take, what I need you to pay is not something ordinary."
"What thing?" she said, not knowing what else she had.
"Something more precious."
Fu Qingjun's face hidden, his entire figure billowing beneath a wide black robe like a sea within his body, waves undulating, as if a massive shadow of black cloth were surging forth.
"You!?"
She looked in terror at the mysterious form beneath the clothes rolling like ocean waves.
The shadow expanded, slowly taking shape over her head.
Fu Qingjun's hands were in his pockets, a modified massive octopus-shaped hood raised by hair like a balloon, expanding—a super large octopus headpiece propped up by hair...
Head multiplying technique.
"Ghost??"
Qin Hong stood frozen entirely.
This black octopus-headed humanoid monster, the octopus head two meters tall, brushing the ceiling, while the tentacles beneath, like beards, continually waved.
Her breathing turned heavy and rapid, revealing unimaginable terror, shivering all over.
Oh my god!
Sister, you told me not to believe in supernatural forces...
But in this world, there really are ghosts and monsters!!!
"Let me introduce, I am a merchant, knowledge, money, power, whatever you want, for an equivalent price, you can have anything." An eerie childlike voice emanated from the giant octopus head.
She saw this scrawny figure, hands in pockets, yet with a huge octopus head, realizing the monster showed its true form, forced calm, gritted teeth saying, "What do you want? As long as you don't want my life and organs, I can sell anything!"
"I just want thirty taels of silver! That's enough to cover my elder sister's medical fees, and she has a child in school. If I work hard enough in the time remaining, it's enough to support him until adulthood." She showed a hint of relief, "Anyway, I've lost my Vermilion Sand, I won't need to marry, our family continues with my elder sister's son, no regrets left."
Fu Qingjun listened, honestly putting thirty taels of silver on the table.
He was from a peaceful society, only arriving a few days ago. Naturally, he couldn't become Fu Qingjun, ruthless, treating lives cheaply. As a kind-hearted boy, he sympathized with her, although not a saint, he helped if he could. This was most of Fu Qingjun's savings in the house.
After all, a gang leader wouldn't keep much money at home.
"I... should I go bathe?" She smelled of sweat, overwhelmed by unimaginable fear, wishing she hadn't hesitated to enter the nightclub, even the ugliest man was better than a monster...
But now, she dared not run away.
"Go." Fu Qingjun thought for a moment and said, "Relax, prepare everything."
The bath was quick, like she was fearful of provoking anger, then timidly came over.
"Close your eyes."
Fu Qingjun said.
She trembled, closing her eyes, all trembling with terror, wondering if after being defiled would she bear a monster with an octopus head...
"But it doesn't matter..." She laughed wryly, long prepared mentally, "It's just the most precious thing to me."
Her mind grew hazy, unknowingly falling into a deep sleep, utterly worn out.
The next morning.
Qin Hong awoke from the bed, feeling intense pain throughout her body, especially her throbbing head.
"It was truly a strange experience, yet still the same... outcome." She lay on the bed with a knowing look, dazedly staring at the ceiling, without any anger or despair.
She knew she lost the most precious thing for a girl, her mind foggy for quite a while before regaining clarity.
Rising from bed, suddenly looked at the mirror beside her, inside was a strange girl, the top center bald, surrounded by cascading hair, like soft willow branches,
The whole hairstyle resembled an octopus.
She shook her hair, astonishingly floating like a circle of grass skirt,
Her whole being stunned.
Then looked at the Vermilion Sand on her arm, unexpectedly still there....
Ah!!!
She roared in unconceivable remorse, letting out an unimaginable scream of terror:
"My hair?"