Inside the Engineering Institute's medical wing, nine people had gathered. Among them were seven core project leaders, including Chen Mo, Wu Bing, and Ding Jianwen—the primary overseer of the research—along with four other academicians and two research assistants, one male and one female.
Standing quietly nearby were Li Chengzhi and a dark-skinned man in military attire. Behind them, five fully armed special security officers stood on guard. All were military personnel assigned to protect the integrity of this high-level project.
None of them interrupted the researchers. They stood back calmly, observing in silence.
Among the group, Wu Bing and Chen Mo were the youngest. Yet their presence carried the most weight.
Chen Mo was the developer of the potential-enhancement drug. Wu Bing, though the newest member of the research team, had quickly become one of its most crucial figures due to her deep understanding of biomedical science.
All eyes were now fixed on a clinical trial volunteer secured to a specialized hospital bed.
The trial had officially begun.
This wasn't an ordinary pharmaceutical test. For safety, the volunteer had to be restrained until the effects of the drug could be properly assessed. Any potential reactions, positive or negative, needed to be strictly controlled.
Although ten volunteers had been recruited, the first trial could only proceed with one. It was their first time testing the drug on a human subject, and there was no telling how it might behave in the body. With zero margin for error, the protocol required an extremely cautious approach.
"Chongxin, Liwen, let's begin," Ding Jianwen instructed the two assistants.
As his words fell, a subtle tension rippled through the room. Everyone held their breath, anticipation and anxiety thick in the air.
"Understood."
The male and female assistants nodded in sync and swiftly began preparations.
Their coordination was seamless—the female assistant, Li Wen, located the volunteer's vein and disinfected the area, while the male assistant, Shen Chongxin, took charge of the injection.
The syringe was small, about the width of a pinky finger and the length of a thumb. It was filled with a vivid orange liquid that shimmered faintly under the lights.
Shen Chongxin carefully expelled the air bubbles from the syringe, his eyes hidden behind black-rimmed glasses flickering with a strange gleam. He stared briefly at the drug inside the syringe, lost in thought.
A medical PhD, Shen Chongxin was highly accomplished in the eyes of the general public. But within this room, his credentials weren't anything exceptional.
His gaze briefly flicked toward Wu Bing with a trace of softness—then shifted to Chen Mo, standing beside her. A flash of unease and resentment passed through his eyes.
No one noticed the expression.
He bent down and approached the volunteer.
Luo Yong, the man strapped to the hospital bed, wore nothing but tight-fitting shorts. His muscular frame was connected to an array of medical equipment: electrocardiogram, blood pressure monitor, thermometers—each recording his vitals in real time.
Despite being used to life-and-death missions, Luo Yong felt strangely on edge.
He'd been fully briefed and prepared for anything. Still, lying here, strapped to a bed and surrounded by dozens of top scientists, he couldn't help the rising anxiety. What if this was like one of those sci-fi films where people turned into mutant monsters?
The moment the needle pierced his vein, Luo Yong's pupils contracted. His body twitched slightly, and his heartbeat spiked on the monitor.
The sudden change made everyone in the room tense up.
The first human test—and already a reaction?
"What's going on? Why is his heart rate spiking?" the dark-skinned officer asked anxiously, his voice breaking the tense silence.
Wu Bing glanced at him, gesturing for calm, then turned to Luo Yong. "How are you feeling? Can you describe it? Why do you think your heartbeat increased?"
Though she appeared composed, Wu Bing was far from calm. This was the most critical step in the entire project. If anything went wrong now, it could derail months of work. But there was no turning back. All they could do was wait and monitor.
"No discomfort. Just… a little nervous," Luo Yong admitted.
The anxiety of the unknown had gotten to him. After all, something foreign had just entered his bloodstream. Who wouldn't feel unsettled?
"Nervous?" the dark-skinned man muttered under his breath. The explanation made him speechless—but oddly relieved.
A ripple of laughter nearly escaped the group. The tension visibly eased.
"You can relax," Wu Bing said gently. "This medicine has undergone multiple animal trials, and so far, no side effects have been observed. If you feel anything unusual, tell us immediately."
She glanced at Li Wen, signaling her to start recording Luo Yong's physical and emotional responses. Every piece of feedback mattered—it would all be used to optimize the drug in the future.
Luo Yong took a deep breath and tried to calm himself, focusing on every sensation in his body.
Soon, his eyelids began to droop. A heavy fatigue swept over him like a tidal wave, draining all his energy.
"I feel… extremely tired. Is something wrong?" Luo Yong's voice was sluggish, barely above a whisper.
The exhaustion was overwhelming—worse than any grueling training session he'd endured. His limbs felt like lead, and even his thoughts slowed. He feared something might be wrong. What if he ended up in a coma… or worse?
He swallowed hard, the fear growing.
"This is expected," Chen Mo finally spoke, wearing a medical mask. "Fatigue is a normal side effect. It means your body is entering a state of deep adjustment."
He could see the fear in Luo Yong's eyes, and knew it needed to be addressed before it affected the test. Psychological stress could influence physiological data.
"Oh… alright then."
Luo Yong exhaled in relief, chuckling softly at himself.
Back in the field, he had faced storms of bullets without flinching. But here, on a hospital bed, a single injection had shaken him.
"You can rest now. Don't resist the sleep. Once you wake up, everything should be fine," Chen Mo reassured him.
No one challenged Chen Mo's authority—after all, he was the one who developed the drug. No one understood it better.
Wu Bing gave Chen Mo a meaningful look but said nothing.
"Okay."
With that, Luo Yong closed his eyes. Within moments, he was snoring lightly, completely asleep from the exhaustion.
Everyone's attention turned to the medical monitors.
The data began to shift—body fat percentage, bone density, even height showed subtle increases. These were changes that would be unheard of even during adolescence.
The drug was clearly taking effect.
"Heart rate: normal."
"Blood pressure: normal."
"Brainwave activity: stable."
"He's entered deep sleep," another assistant confirmed.
One by one, the medical reports rolled in. With no anomalies detected, everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.
"He'll probably sleep for a while," Chen Mo said, stepping back. "No point standing around. We'll come back once he wakes up."
"Alright," Wu Bing nodded.
The others silently agreed. The trial had officially entered the next phase. Their job now was to monitor, analyze, and prepare for what came next.
As the team filed out of the room, Luo Yong slept peacefully—his body already beginning to transform.