Early the next morning, the atmosphere inside the Institute of Life Sciences was heavy. Every researcher wore a solemn expression as they closely examined the medical reports—especially the one belonging to Volunteer No. 2.
In yesterday's trial, while two volunteers had shown positive results, one had displayed no change at all. Despite the partial success, the experiment was ultimately deemed a failure due to this anomaly.
The strange outcome weighed on everyone. Many had barely slept last night.
When they arrived at the lab early in the morning, they were informed that the third phase of testing would be postponed until further notice. Yesterday had only been discussion. Today, they needed to turn theory into action.
Whether it was due to physiological anomalies or resistance to the drug, any technical issue with the formula had now become the team's highest priority.
"Alright, that's it for this meeting," said Ding Jianwen, the group's leader. "You all know what to do. Investigate your hypotheses, test everything, and if you find anything unusual, report it immediately."
He had every reason to be worried. As the leader of the program, Ding Jianwen had decided to delay the third trial in favor of monitoring the current volunteers. Their safety was paramount. These weren't ordinary test subjects—they were high-value individuals. The risk had to be minimized.
Once the meeting dispersed, Chen Mo and Wu Bing walked out together.
"You've been awfully quiet," Wu Bing finally said, breaking the silence.
Since morning, Chen Mo had barely spoken. Even during the group discussion, he hadn't contributed. It was out of character.
"Let's go retrieve the test supplies and syringes from yesterday," Chen Mo said suddenly.
"What for?" Wu Bing asked, frowning.
Chen Mo didn't answer—he just smiled faintly. Sensing he had a reason, Wu Bing didn't press further. She simply followed him out of the lab, deciding she'd wait until he explained.
Just as they stepped into the hallway, they ran into someone—Shen Chongxin.
He looked different. His posture was upright, eyes sharp, and his energy vibrant. His hair was neatly combed, his forehead uncreased, and he radiated confidence. Compared to the man from yesterday, he was like a whole new person.
Wu Bing gave him a puzzled look. The transformation was striking—too striking.
"Haven't seen you in a day, and you've turned handsome," Chen Mo said with a light chuckle, eyes glinting with curiosity.
"Thanks," Shen Chongxin replied politely.
"Out and about this early—need something?" Wu Bing asked.
"Nothing urgent," Shen Chongxin said. "I just wanted to ask if you're free this weekend. Maybe we could grab dinner?"
He glanced briefly at Chen Mo, then fixed his gaze back on Wu Bing.
"This is work time," Wu Bing replied with a soft smile. "Let's talk about it after hours, okay? Right now we need to prep for another experiment. If there's nothing else, we'll be on our way."
As the two entered a nearby room, Shen Chongxin stood still, deep in thought. Moments later, his expression changed and he quietly followed—stopping just short of the lab, crouching in a nearby corner to keep an eye on the door.
Inside, Wu Bing was still confused. "What do you want with these old test materials?" she asked as Chen Mo laid out the supplies from yesterday.
"I listened to everyone's discussion, both yesterday afternoon and this morning," Chen Mo said, his voice calm. "And I realized… all the theories are still stuck within the same frame."
"What do you mean?" Wu Bing asked, brows furrowed.
"You're all focused on the volunteer's physical condition, resistance to the drug, or flaws in the formula. But nobody's considered the possibility that the drug itself may not have been what it should've been."
Wu Bing froze, thinking back over the conversations. He was right.
Everything they'd discussed had remained within those bounds. They hadn't once questioned the drug administration process.
"But what do disposable supplies have to do with that?" she asked.
Chen Mo turned to face her.
"I didn't bring this up earlier because I hadn't confirmed anything. But I'm the developer—I know this drug better than anyone. Out of four volunteers, three reacted as expected. That rules out a technical flaw."
"But one didn't show any change," Wu Bing pointed out. "That's a failed trial."
"True. But failure doesn't always stem from technical error," Chen Mo said. "Have you considered that maybe the injection itself wasn't the real drug?"
Wu Bing blinked in surprise. "A mix-up? Impossible. All three doses were drawn at the same time. If something went wrong, all three would've failed."
"We checked the backups too," she added. "The leftover solutions were labeled and matched. No discrepancies."
"The backups aren't what went into the volunteers' bodies," Chen Mo said quietly. "Only the residue in the syringes can confirm what was actually injected."
Wu Bing paused. Her instincts told her the pharmacy had followed standard procedure. But Chen Mo's words unsettled her.
Then it hit her. Her eyes widened in alarm.
"Wait… you're saying someone switched the drug? That the original dose was swapped out mid-process?"
The idea startled her, and the implications were terrifying. If it were true, it meant someone inside the team was working against them.
No wonder Chen Mo had said their perspective was too narrow. None of them had even entertained the idea of foul play.
"This is the possibility I came up with last night," Chen Mo said. "I haven't verified it yet—but we'll know soon enough."
He picked up the syringe used on Volunteer No. 2 and narrowed his eyes. Taking a sterile cotton swab, he carefully began extracting a residue sample.
"I'll help," Wu Bing said, her expression turning grim.
Chen Mo's theory wasn't just plausible—it was now deeply unsettling. If the dose had been switched, the consequences would be serious.
Twenty minutes later, the results were in.
Chen Mo's expression darkened, and Wu Bing turned pale.
He was right.
The substance found in the No. 2 syringe was not the potential-enhancing agent. It was saline—saltwater with added coloring to match the appearance of the real drug.
No wonder it had no effect.
The drug had been switched.
Wu Bing trembled with anger. Holding the report tightly, she followed Chen Mo out of the lab.
Moments later, Shen Chongxin entered.
His eyes scanned the analysis machine. The test tube. The data.
His expression changed instantly. His body tensed, trembling slightly.
The worst-case scenario was unfolding.
He didn't wait another second. Turning on his heel, he rushed out of the building.
Meanwhile, Chen Mo and Wu Bing went straight to find Ding Jianwen. They placed the report in front of him.
"There's a traitor in our team," Wu Bing said, her voice ice cold. "Yesterday's drug was switched. If this person turns out to be a foreign agent… the consequences would be catastrophic."
"What…?" Ding Jianwen's face went pale. He staggered into his chair, nearly fainting. It took him a moment to steady himself and process the information.
"We need to call a team-wide emergency meeting. And alert Instructor Li immediately," he said, gripping the report with trembling hands.