"What are you thinking about right now?"
Wu Bing and Chen Mo stood side by side atop the ancient city wall, one of the renowned "Nine Plugs" of the world. They were at the peak of the mountain, overlooking vast stretches of wilderness beneath a boundless blue sky. The winding wall stretched through the mountain ridges like a sleeping dragon, timeless and proud.
These walls had witnessed the rise and fall of dynasties and stood guard over centuries of history. Now, in the deep of autumn, the trees on the mountain had begun to wither, casting a slightly desolate atmosphere over the landscape.
"You're not going to make me write an 800-word sightseeing essay, are you?" Chen Mo chuckled as he looked out at the view.
"Sometimes, I think you're not as stiff as people say. You've got a sense of humor," Wu Bing said with a smile, casting him a quick glance.
The longer she spent with Chen Mo, the more vivid and real he felt to her—not some untouchable legend, but a person of flesh and blood.
She was his guide today, and she felt genuinely happy. Since returning to China, she had rarely taken time off or gone sightseeing, burying herself in research. But spending the day with Chen Mo had been unexpectedly relaxing.
Chen Mo simply returned her comment with a grin.
A sudden breeze swept by. Wu Bing instinctively rubbed her arms and shivered from the chill, sneaking a glance at Chen Mo as if waiting for a reaction.
"It's getting cold. Let's head down," Chen Mo said with a smile.
"You really don't have a girlfriend, do you?" Wu Bing blurted out in frustration. Was this guy emotionally tone-deaf? She'd been dropping hints all day, and he still hadn't picked up on any of them.
Chen Mo chuckled. "You've got me. I really don't."
But I do have a wife, he silently added in his mind.
"You—"
Wu Bing flushed with embarrassment and annoyance. Was he really that oblivious? Or was he just pretending not to notice? If he genuinely didn't understand, then maybe she still had a chance. But if he was deliberately ignoring her signals, then she could only give up.
This was the fifth time she'd hinted at something today, and every time, he just smiled back like nothing happened. It made her want to scream.
"Forget it. It's getting close to dinner anyway. I'll take you to get some roast duck," she said, brushing it off.
"Sounds good."
Chen Mo smiled again.
He wasn't blind—he could feel Wu Bing's growing fondness for him. But he kept his distance on purpose.
Things like this couldn't be taken lightly.
He already had Xiaoyu. That was enough. There was no need to stir up unnecessary emotional entanglements.
Back when Xu Xinxin had approached him several times after that party, he had politely refused her each time. Eventually, she gave up. Now, with Wu Bing showing signs of interest, he planned to respond the same way—firm, but gentle.
After a full day of sightseeing around the capital and sampling the local cuisine, Chen Mo got up early the next morning, ate breakfast, got dressed, and left the small apartment with his personal belongings.
Waiting outside were two security guards sent by Li Chengzhi. One of them was already in the driver's seat when Chen Mo stepped out.
"Let's go," Chen Mo said.
The two men nodded and drove straight to the institute.
Wu Bing was already waiting at the institute entrance. When she saw Chen Mo arrive, she gave him a polite nod and led the way.
After spending a whole day with him yesterday, she'd come to accept that Chen Mo was an enigma—brilliant, sometimes aloof, and hard to read. But today, personal emotions would have to be set aside. They were back to work, and the development of the potential drug came first.
"The first batch of volunteers has arrived. The doctors are currently running full medical exams and collecting their data. Once everything is ready, they'll be transferred to our team," Wu Bing explained as they walked into the institute.
"How many volunteers?" Chen Mo asked.
"Ten in the first batch. That's sufficient for now," Wu Bing replied.
Inside one of the medical rooms, a man in a white hospital gown was seated calmly, surrounded by a team of doctors in lab coats.
Acura sat silently as the doctors examined him. He felt like they were checking every single part of his body—probably even counting the hairs on his head.
Blood work, X-rays, internal and external medical exams, reflex tests—he'd gone through so many procedures that he had lost track.
When Zou Kai had first mentioned this project, he hesitated. But after some thought, he decided to go through with it. He was an orphan with no attachments, so he wasn't afraid of any potential consequences.
He knew this might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Miss it, and there might never be another.
After signing the confidentiality agreement, he learned the project's name: Huaxia Captain.
It sounded familiar.
He'd seen Captain America before. That was a sci-fi film. But this? This was real. A super-soldier project. And now, he was part of it.
With so many thorough checks, he figured they wanted to make sure everything about him was documented. He was one of the test subjects now.
No wonder the brigade commander had warned him about the risks—possibility of injury, disability, even death. Nobody could predict what might happen during such a cutting-edge medical trial.
Now, all he could do was hope for the best.
"Next, IQ test," Dr. Bai said, handing him a tablet. "Answer the ten sets of questions as you see fit."
Acura blinked. IQ test?
With a wry smile, he took the tablet and began working through the questions. Ten sets—wasn't that a bit excessive? He'd never even answered this many questions in school.
Thankfully, they were all multiple choice. After two long hours, he finally completed the last set.
"What's next?" he asked, a little drained.
"Memory test."
Acura groaned, but obediently followed instructions. After that came a psychological evaluation. By the time everything was over, he was completely exhausted. Under the staff's guidance, he returned to his room to rest and await the results.
Elsewhere, Wu Bing was busy reviewing documents.
These were the technical materials Chen Mo had provided to Li Chengzhi. They had now been entered into the database, and only she—as the project's principal investigator—had the clearance to access them.
As she studied the data, Wu Bing couldn't help but glance occasionally at Chen Mo beside her, eyes full of awe.
Just how many things does this man keep in his head? she thought. His creativity is… terrifying.
"The results from the volunteers' medical exams just came in," a researcher said, handing over the analysis.
Wu Bing and Chen Mo both took a copy and reviewed the data together.
As expected, all the volunteers showed excellent physical condition—well above average.
After all, they were selected from special forces. Their bodies were already at peak performance.
"They're all cleared. Everything looks good," Wu Bing said, standing up. "Let's go. It's time to begin."
Chen Mo nodded and silently followed her.