Chapter 776: Shackles (Part 2)

As the number of papers read continued to accumulate, a brand-new world was unfolding before Little Wei Yuan.

Each protein molecule was like an unopened treasure chest; no one knew what would be inside once opened.

Little Wei Yuan had forgotten the passage of time, focusing only on the work at hand, laying down necessary cornerstones in the new world, leaving enough room for upgrades between them, and then mounting necessary functional fragments; a primitive virus with only the most basic functions was born.

Most importantly, it was alive.

Little Wei Yuan suddenly felt the entire space seem to vibrate, and exclamations arose in the research area; many people poked their heads out from their research cubicles, not knowing what had happened.

Fortunately, the vibration just now only lasted for an instant before calming down. Many people thought it was their own illusion, but seeing the armed security guards still looking nervous, they knew something must have happened. But the accident was only a matter of an instant, and then everything was normal, so the researchers returned to their posts and continued working.

Little Wei Yuan only lifted his head for a moment, then continued his work, testing all the indicators of this new virus according to the manual. A few minutes later, this virus suddenly had its own name and code!

Little Wei Yuan was stunned, then overjoyed. When he finished designing the virus and submitted it for testing, the automatic gene editing equipment in the laboratory would manufacture a batch of new viruses according to the design plan and then test them.

The virus Little Wei Yuan designed had a name and a unique code, which meant the test had passed, and from then on, a new virus had appeared in the world. This virus might be very weak now, but it was also a brand-new life. Looking at the virus under test, Little Wei Yuan actually felt as if he were looking at his own child.

With the success of the first step, Little Wei Yuan's confidence greatly increased, and he began to develop an advanced version, significantly improving the virus's capabilities in certain aspects.

The second step was much easier; many papers had long pointed out the direction. Little Wei Yuan similarly learned while designing.

The Umbrella Corporation's achievements in biotechnology were at the pinnacle; each protein functional fragment had been designed to be very perfect, and designers were often like playing with building blocks, just needing to take the necessary functional fragments and place them on the corresponding interface, and the remaining laboratory system would automatically complete it, manufacturing the corresponding physical virus or other biological micro-particles.

However, the gene fragments for this project Little Wei Yuan had taken over were unprecedented; many existing gene functional fragments simply didn't match, requiring manual redesign of the underlying interface. Little Wei Yuan also needed to learn from the most basic gene molecular level, which was just right for learning and applying.

Soon, Little Wei Yuan designed an advanced version of the new virus. The new virus significantly improved its own survival capabilities, allowing it to survive longer in dangerous environments and reproduce faster. Only such a virus could possibly survive.

Soon, the new virus also had a name and code, but it was classified under the primitive virus.

With the second design success, Little Wei Yuan's confidence had exploded.

He ambitiously began to design the third version of the advanced virus. This time, the virus would mainly spread through the air, using the respiratory system as a breakthrough point to enter the human body. This type of virus actually already had very mature functional units and had been sufficiently verified in tens of thousands of years of human history.

Little Wei Yuan even planned out subsequent versions. The first step was to expand the types of biological cells it could erode, first being most human somatic cells, and the second step being to increase the ability to infect plants.

If all these steps were completed, then he would obtain a micro-particle carrier, on which various gene weapons could be mounted, or it could become an efficient biochemical therapeutic agent, all depending on what kind of functional fragments were mounted later.

Naturally, even if Little Wei Yuan completed all versions, what he would obtain would still be a rough and simple carrier.

Inside the Umbrella Corporation, there must be countless truly high-precision biological micro-particle carriers that had been retained after cruel elimination; they would be more efficient than traditional viruses.

Little Wei Yuan worked tirelessly, finally experiencing the joy of work. While designing new virus carriers, he learned papers and continued to study the primitive mysterious gene fragments. The mysterious gene fragments were completely different from viruses; the current Little Wei Yuan did not yet have the ability to build a new virus based on them and had to solidify his virus design foundation before he could proceed to this step.

However, Little Wei Yuan, who was addicted to the microscopic world, did not notice that the sky above the entire base was already covered with leaden clouds, the sky was as dark as night, and thick lightning would fall from the clouds from time to time, with the huge current being led away by the lightning rods of the test base.

A gale began to howl, and in a season that should have been hot, there was an abnormal, bone-piercing chill. The tough soldiers standing guard at the base all hid in the guard booths, curling up their bodies and cursing the damn weather. Almost no one could be seen outdoors, the broken tree branches scraped against the ground, and several light vehicles were blown to sway in place.

At this time, a roar of engines came, and a triangular aircraft flew in close to the clouds, then landed on the base's tarmac. A strong wind hit during the landing, and this aircraft swayed violently, almost slapping onto the ground. Fortunately, it was exceptionally sturdy, so it didn't crash and kill everyone.

The major in charge of the airport immediately braved the gale and rushed over with his men. To rush over in such weather, there must be something important. Moreover, this aircraft was painted with the mark of the Security Headquarters, which only high-level officials of the headquarters were qualified to use.

The Umbrella Corporation Security Department didn't sound like much, but in reality, its bases were spread all over the world, controlling over one hundred thousand armed personnel of various types, with complete sea, land, air, and space branches, and this didn't even count the corresponding military research personnel.

In terms of military force alone, the Security Department had already surpassed the vast majority of medium-sized countries. In fact, the Security Department often secretly interfered in small-country wars, and even directly overthrew national regimes, which they had done plenty of times. Therefore, the CEO of the Security Headquarters had a rank equivalent to the Vice CEO of the parent company, even higher than the business group. In terms of actual power, security, intelligence, and R&D stood in a tripod, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.

The aircraft landed steadily, and the rear cabin door dropped, completely a transport plane design. A team of fully armed soldiers rushed out from inside, each tall and sturdy, with muscles bursting, more than a circle thicker than normal people, and every neck was thicker than their heads. After getting off the plane, they stood in two rows, looking straight ahead.

A pair of black leather boots appeared before the major's eyes. Seeing that unique python pattern, the major immediately knew that the boss of the entire Security Headquarters had arrived, and immediately leaned his body forward, his attitude extremely respectful. Suddenly, a gale blew by, blowing off his military cap, revealing a shiny bald head, but he didn't bother to pick it up.

Those boots stopped in front of the major and said, "Head up, stand straight."

The major immediately went "pa," stood at attention, puffed out his chest, and lifted his head, the muscles on his forehead exerting force.

Before him was a woman in military uniform, her hair tied up, huge sunglasses covering half her face, and the lips exposed were painted with lipstick like blazing flames.

She had an excellent figure, but was also quite tall, even half a head taller than the surrounding soldiers with overly developed muscles.

"Go to Experimental Warehouse No. 4."

"Yes! Sir!" The major roared with all his might, then trotted back, and in the blink of an eye, drove over an open-top off-road vehicle and stopped in front of the woman. The woman boarded the vehicle, and the accompanying soldiers boarded the subsequent vehicles, the convoy roaring all the way toward Experimental Building No. 4.

Seeing they were at the gate of Building No. 4, the woman suddenly said, "Go to the main building of the base!"

The major turned the steering wheel, the tires of the off-road vehicle rubbing against the ground, rushing toward the massive main building of the base.

Halfway there, a terrifying lightning bolt suddenly appeared in the sky, the electric light as thick as a building falling directly on the base, instantly destroying multiple lightning rods! The base was instantly plunged into darkness, and then the lights lit up one after another.

Heavy rain—no, it shouldn't be called rain, but water pouring directly from the sky—washed over everything on the ground. Everyone was instantly soaked, and the accumulated water on the ground submerged the tires in the blink of an eye.

But a faint light radiated from the woman, and she wasn't wet at all. All the rainwater would be automatically repelled when it reached her surroundings.

She tapped her boots lightly on the floor of the vehicle, staring at the main building, not knowing what she was thinking. A moment later, she suddenly said, "Return to Experimental Building No. 4."

The major didn't understand, nor did he want to ask, just buried his head and executed the order, driving the vehicle back to Experimental Building No. 4.

The gate of the experimental building opened, and a gale mixed with rainwater splashed in, soaking everyone inside the door. Several off-road vehicles all drove into the building, and the gate slowly closed.

Everyone stood like statues, not even daring to breathe loudly.

Among the three giants of the Umbrella Corporation, the boss of the R&D department was a technical maniac who didn't care about the life or death of any unrelated person. The giant of the Intelligence Department was a poisonous snake, and no one knew how many people disappeared in her hands every year. But the one before them was always the most domineering one, the pinnacle of individual combat power.

When capturing that super-powered individual, many people secretly said that if it weren't for her being on a business trip in the Arctic, they wouldn't have needed to die so many people; she could have taken down that super-powered individual one-on-one.

At this moment, she was acting contrary to her usual self, not giving orders immediately, but looking in the direction of the main building.

In the main building, inside a top-level laboratory, the power had not been connected for a long time. At this moment, it was pitch black inside, with only the dim red light of emergency lights vaguely illuminating everything around.

A researcher suddenly kicked something under his feet, stumbled, and fell heavily to the ground. The transparent box he was holding in his hand fell to the ground, and the test tube placed absolutely vertically in the center of the box tilted to one side. The liquid in the test tube suddenly boiled, the tube wall melted rapidly, then the box also melted, and then that mass of dark blue liquid evaporated and disappeared at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"No!!" The researcher let out a scream of extreme terror, climbed up, and rushed toward the exit. But the gate remained motionless, and the switch didn't respond at all.

Once an accident occurred at the base, all exits of this laboratory would be sealed immediately, and then three meters of concrete would be poured on the outside, thoroughly sealing the laboratory.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 777 =====