Chapter 3

At age ten: during a comprehensive physical fitness test, the school unexpectedly discovered that Lin Ran's bodily control and willpower levels had actually reached the standard needed to break through a first-stage gene lock—something that even ordinary people, even if they reach adulthood, fail to meet, let alone Lin Ran at around ten years old.

Upon hearing the news, Lin Shu's family was unusually excited; Lin Ran's mother personally prepared a first-stage gene medicine for Lin Ran, helping her successfully break through a first-stage gene lock.

The news of Lin Ran breaking through a first-stage gene lock spread like wildfire, and in an instant all kinds of praise poured in—some called her a genius once in a century, others said she would be a new-generation pioneer on the calamity battlefield, while you were heavily struck; even if you risked your life training, you could not match those Talented Type Athletes, but you are a stubborn sort, you don't want to lose to Lin Ran, so you not only study martial arts more seriously, you also frantically begin to learn.

Lin Ran seemed to notice your change; she thought that, as a girl, her mental and physical development always outpaced boys' when young, and perhaps this was just males' desire to show off—after all, only boys who want to attract someone's attention act this way, as romance novels always write.

So, one afternoon after class...

The noisy break between classes was filled with the sounds of horseplay and roughhousing, but Zhang Jie sat quietly at his seat, engrossed in flipping through a book.

Lin Ran's seat was by the window at the back, separated from Zhang Jie by an aisle; she rested her chin on her hand, likewise gazing intently at Zhang Jie.

An autumn breeze blew in through the window, brushing across Lin Ran's petite face; a hint of jasmine fragrance rode the cool air into Zhang Jie's nostrils, prompting him to turn his head involuntarily.

What met his eyes was the girl's faintly smiling visage, and that tiny yet conspicuous tear-shaped mole.

Zhang Jie hastily turned his head away, pretending to be earnestly reading his book.

Hey~ Zhang Jie.

The girl poked Zhang Jie's arm with her little hand.

Want to go buy snacks?

I don't want to.

Then how about accompanying me downstairs to play?

I don't want to.

She kept making several suggestions, all of which were vetoed by the stubborn Zhang Jie, yet she wasn't the slightest bit angry; instead, she leaned forward on the desk opposite Zhang Jie, wearing a mischievous expression.

What are you up to?

Zhang Jie~ Do you like me?

Zhang Jie only felt the surrounding air seem to fall silent for a few seconds, then he pretended nonchalance and propped the book up between them.

I don't like you.

At the very moment the book was set upright, Lin Ran caught a faint blush on the boy's cheek in her peripheral vision, and she began to tease him mockingly.

Huh? Why is it like that~

I thought you liked me~

Zhang Jie could only bury his head in the book, like an ostrich.

A blush in youth surpasses any confession; after this incident you can clearly feel that your relationship with Lin Ran has improved beyond before, and she grows ever closer to you.

Age eleven: this year seemed rather peaceful, but you discovered that what you truly excelled at was not martial arts but biology; interest is the best teacher, and you absorbed biological knowledge like a sponge, your understanding of gene locks becoming more comprehensive.

Age twelve: the calamity front again became urgent, large numbers of retired gene warriors were recalled to the front, including your father and Uncle Lin; before departing, your father comforted you and your mother, telling you not to worry—he is a fifth‑level gene warrior, not so easily harmed, and once he returns the family will go on a trip, after which he and Uncle Lin will together set out for the calamity front.

You cannot stop your father, but you feel things aren't that simple; the one holding the calamity front is said to be humanity's strongest, a ninth‑level gene warrior, who alone has kept the front stable for nearly twenty years—so why has it suddenly become urgent?

Age thirteen: you and Lin Ran entered middle school; your father often sent word that the family was safe, as did Uncle Lin, but Lin Ran frequently felt worried, because over the past decade or so the calamity front had steadily advanced, yet in just two years it had been pushed back a full two kilometers, and with gene medicine prices constantly rising, it gives the sense that something major is about to happen.

Even so, you continue to study earnestly; you have gained a deeper understanding of gene sequences and begun self‑studying gene programming knowledge—you find that the obscure, hard‑to‑grasp gene programming and gene compatibility are astonishingly simple for you, you finally feel what it's like to be a genius, and you become even more obsessed with genes.

Age fourteen: your father and Uncle Lin have not sent a safety report for nearly a month, everything is slipping out of control, and even basic public order in Yingdu can no longer be guaranteed.

You can feel that every street and alley is filled with an oppressive atmosphere; on the streets, many people in uniforms often patrol, as if searching for something, while some have already packed their bags, preparing to leave the city. Large numbers of gene warriors of rank three and above have been forcibly sent to the front lines, while the vast majority of ordinary people remain in Yingdu. Even the disaster front lines are gradually no longer reported by the media, giving a sense of rising turmoil.

Finally, on an ordinary night, the news of the disaster front's total collapse surged in like a tide. Yingguo's largest gene pharmaceutical company, Caesar Life, seized the opportunity to launch a riot. In just one night, large numbers of pharmacists were purged, including your mother and Lin Ran's mother.

No time to grieve, Caesar Life's people took great interest in Lin Ran, this genius girl, intending to take her away to research new gene drugs. Your mother, risking her life, sent you a message, telling you to take Lin Ran and leave here for another city where your father has an acquaintance. Thus, amidst this chaotic metropolis, you and Lin Ran began to flee.

However, you and Lin Ran hadn't gotten far before several ordinary people wielding gene weapons found you. In the chaos, Lin Ran was struck by a syringe gun loaded with a disruptive agent, losing all strength in her body and unable to move, while you could only watch helplessly as she was captured. You struggled desperately, but could do nothing.

At this moment, you thought of your family—your father heading to the battlefield, and your mother purged by the company.

"I only have her left," you thought, as if something were about to burst forth from the earth, a strange feeling welling up from deep within your mind.

Life Entry—Gene Hacker—Activated

"Don't you dare take her!" you shouted, azure light flashing in your eyes. The life codes of these people were laid bare before you; you merely flicked your finger, and their orderly codes instantly scrambled. Accompanied by screams, their bodies melted like wax, until they became a pool of unknown liquid.

You hurriedly hoisted the limp Lin Ran onto your back; as a Gene Hacker, your perception was sharper than before, and you could clearly sense several stronger life codes rapidly approaching. Not daring to delay, you fled quickly with Lin Ran on your back.