According to tradition, a mature US community could not have a supermarket, but a bookstore that once existed as a social center for all kinds of people in the community was indispensable.
However, in today's era of online reading and e-commerce, this tradition had gradually disappeared. Most of the small bookstores with their own characteristics in the community had already closed down.
The only ones that survived were the monotonous modern and gorgeous decorations that looked more like a hotel lobby than a bookstore. A large book supermarket chain that provided air-conditioning, drinks, CD trials, and book trials.
However, Zhang Lisheng had never visited such a book supermarket before. Relying on the navigation on his mobile phone, he finally found the right place.
When he pushed the door open and entered the brightly lit DuPont Books that was closest to his home, a gush of pleasant cold air enveloped the young man, making his body that was running in a hurry feel refreshed.
Standing by the door, he looked around at the people who were walking leisurely on the first floor of the book supermarket. Several young men in sweatshirts were listening to music while wearing headphones in the CD sales area.
Seven to eight families that looked like parents with young children, wanting to cultivate their children's interest in reading, were walking slowly in the children's book area. From time to time, they would pick up children's books with exaggerated animal patterns on the cover, making the children chuckle softly.
At the counter that sold cold drinks and snacks, pairs of young people were queuing up while enjoying their sweet time. This kind of 'model' dating method was becoming more and more popular among young people in New York.
Zhang Lisheng shook his head and walked quickly to the stairs when he felt that nobody was acting strangely.
However, just as he was about to go upstairs, a young man who was listening to music suddenly took off his headset and looked straight at him before striding over.
Zhang Lisheng, who had a keen intuition, immediately noticed the young man's unusual behavior. As the young man approached, a familiar feeling grew stronger in his heart.
After carefully distinguishing the faintly familiar facial features, a horrified expression appeared on the young man's face. Walking up to him, he asked in a whisper, "Professor, is that you?"
"I just tried to make a phone call. I didn't expect that you'd really come back and even recognize me." The young man admitted Zhang Lisheng's speculation with a wry smile in an old tone that was filled with youthfulness. Then, he asked in a joking manner, "What do you think, Lisheng? Am I a handsome man when I was 25 years old?"
"Not only is he handsome, but he also has a sense of humor." Zhang Lisheng replied with a smile and could not help but add, "What the hell, Professor? You actually managed to push out a mature stabilizer? Looking at your elegant demeanor, Professor Effiny must have recovered as well, right?"
"Yes, Effiny has recovered, and she has also become younger, at the cost of hundreds of patients and doctors' lives in the New York Medical Research Association Affiliated Hospital." Stephen lowered his head and remained silent for a while with a gloomy expression. Suddenly, he raised his head and stared at the student's face as he replied gloomily.
To his surprise, Zhang Lisheng, who was a hundred times more ruthless than him, did not show any strange expression on his face at all. Calmly, he said, "Professor, from a biological point of view, the monkeys that we usually use for experiments are no more than 30% different from humans, and orangutans are even less than 10% different.
This accident is actually no different from a failed experimental accident. You're being too cautious now. I have insider information that all the surveillance videos of the New York Medical Research Association Affiliated Hospital on the day of the accident have been destroyed. According to the surveillance videos of the previous few weeks, you were not in the hospital at all.
For this reason, you did not appear on the death list nor the list of missing people. The only trouble now is that you can't explain why you appeared in the university or the laboratory like this.
However, those skilled makeup artists in Hollywood should be able to help you. I recently went to the Film Capital of the World and was amazed by the amazing craftsmanship of the special effects makeup artists there. "
"Oh, I see. I thought that I was not on the list because I was suspected by the police. That's right! That's right! The truth should be as you said.
Sigh, now I finally understand the true meaning of the word 'guilty'. "Stephen was stunned for a while before letting out a long sigh of relief.
After that, when he recalled how Zhang Lisheng mentioned the 100 casualties just now, it was as though he was mentioning that he had dissected a frog by mistake in the laboratory. Instead, his expression became visibly relaxed as he said, "Child, even though I guessed that you might have already guessed that the accident at the New York Medical Research Association Affiliated Hospital was caused by me, I've already guessed that I was the one who caused the accident at the New York Medical Research Association Affiliated Hospital.
But when you heard me admit it, your reaction was much calmer than I expected. This kind of attitude towards life is actually not desirable …
Of course, I don't have the qualifications to say this, but I really didn't expect such a big accident to happen that day … "
"Professor, it's not convenient to talk about these things at the top of the stairs," Zhang Lisheng interrupted his supervisor's words when he saw his supervisor's painful expression. "I'll go buy some drinks and snacks. Let's go to the resting place and talk slowly."
"Buy some drinks and snacks. Let's talk slowly. Oh, I'm starting to admire you now, Lisheng. You're always so calm and collected." Stephen was stunned for a moment before replying with a wry smile. However, he did not stop the student from running to the counter selling drinks and snacks to buy coffee, Coke and cakes of various flavors.
After buying the snacks and drinks, the two of them walked to the rest area on the second floor of the bookstore. Sitting on the sofa around a small coffee table, Stephen began to continue his story in a daze. "Let's start from the beginning.
Lisheng, when we met for the last time more than a month ago, after you left Shrimp B1 Island, it was as though I've been blessed by God. My mind suddenly became enlightened and wonderful inspirations and good ideas emerged one after another, almost bursting my head.
Just like this, in less than ten days, I've optimized more than 20 equations and formulated a stabilizer that can prevent the gene failure of the mice's cells from mutating.
The first monster mouse almost appeared alive in my hands. If I hadn't disconnected the connection between it and the Gold Core fragment in time, that monster would have broken free from the restraint of the test bench and eaten me.
After that experiment, the success of the small mammalian stabilizer made me even more confident.
The new experimental monkeys were sent to the island. With enough materials, I began to formulate a stabilizer for primates. Occasionally, there would be obstacles, but they were soon overcome. I don't remember how many days had passed, but in short, when the third batch of monkeys in the lab was sent, I've successfully derived a stabilizer suitable for primates.
That was a bigger risk, but I still succeeded in killing the monkey monster that had become like a chimpanzee. Without the Gold Core as an energy source, it soon turned into ashes.
After this experiment was successful, there were still two Gold Core fragments left that had not decayed into lime. I originally wanted to immediately select a fragment with a more plump particle and transplant it to Effiny, but in the end, I suddenly remembered that according to the experiments of the mice and monkeys, I would definitely die regardless of whether the Gold Core fragment transplant would be successful or not.
In this case, I might as well take a small risk and carry out a human transplant experiment to give myself one first. In the end, I didn't expect that I'd actually obtain an unexpected magical ability and become a monster … "
As Stephen was speaking, a crazy smile crept upon the corner of his mouth. Reaching out his left index finger, he tapped on the coke can that Zhang Lisheng had emptied. In an instant, his hand turned red with a faint flame surrounding it. Soon, a big hole was burned on the iron can. "Actually, I didn't know that I'd obtained such a magical ability in the beginning either.
This is because after I had transplanted the Gold Core fragment into myself, other than my body recovering immediately, there was no other abnormality at that time.
It was only when I had transplanted the last fragment into the dying Effiny that she didn't regain her sanity right away because she had lost consciousness for too long. Instead, she became very violent and transformed into a magma giant to attack me. That's how she induced me to have the same ability as her. In the end, the two of us caused a terrible disaster at the New York Medical Research Association Affiliated Hospital.
Right now, Effiny has already woken up, but she feels that she has sinned so much that she can't forgive herself. She almost had a mental breakdown. "
"In that case, you still need to slowly ease Professor Effiny's emotions first." The story told by his supervisor was similar to Zhang Lisheng's guess. He grabbed the iron can that had a hole burned on the table and looked at it. Then, he casually crushed it into a piece of scrap iron and threw it into the trash can beside the table. "She's different from you, Professor. Even if her emotions have returned to normal, it's impossible for her to appear with her previous identity anymore."
"That's right. No one can reasonably explain how a dying and comatose patient with multiple organ failure could miraculously recover after escaping from a fire." Stephen nodded.
"It doesn't matter. My legal officer is very resourceful. He should be able to help Professor Effiny forge a new identity …"
"That's great! However, the most important thing now is to ease her emotions. This matter is too secret, so I can't ask a professional psychiatrist to do it. I can only do it slowly. I've already found the hiding place, but the credit card on me has already turned into ashes, so I can't get a new one now …"
"This is simple, Professor. I'll withdraw tens of thousands of dollars in cash for you right away." Zhang Lisheng understood the purpose of his supervisor coming to look for him. After putting the last piece of cake into his mouth, he brought Stephen, who was slightly uneasy, out of the bookstore and found a self-service bank nearby to withdraw all the cash in the ATM. "70,000 dollars should be enough for you guys for a while."
"Thank you, child.
When Effiny's condition has improved, I'll look for you right away. " After putting the stack of large bills into the CD bag, Stephen looked around to make sure that nobody was paying attention to him. After bidding farewell to Zhang Lisheng, he entered an alley by the roadside and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
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