“Bai Yu!” Zhou Wang couldn’t help shouting out, not wanting Bai Yu to clash head-on with these people.
Bai Yu merely swept his gaze across the crowd, then slowly said, “Dong Xun, forty-five years old, entered the research center three years ago, formerly served at Dayuan Biotechnology, and his ex-wife is a senior executive at Dayuan. Dayuan is an industry top in gene repair technology. With Professor Dong on the team, there is no guarantee he won’t leak classified secrets, Professor Zhou. Shouldn’t you and the project leader properly weigh whether this person should be kept? It would be bad if an undercover spy turned out to be among us.”
These words instantly detonated like a bomb among the crowd.
The other researchers widened their eyes in shock, inwardly astounded that Bai Yu dared to speak so bluntly and surprisingly possessed such detailed knowledge about Dong Xun.
Wasn’t he so sick that the Grim Reaper was about to snatch him away?
Dong Xun stared with eyes wide in utter shock, while Zhou Wang wore a look of utter terror, completely unprepared for things to develop to this point. Bai Yu was puncturing the balance of power right to its face.
Yet Dong Xun’s reaction also helped Zhou Wang figure out a few things, confirming Dayuan’s actual motives.
Dayuan was one of the new, unofficial investors in this research project, though gene repair actually conflicted with the project’s interests. Dayuan’s move could be described as farsighted, or it could be seen as spending money to fish for information. After all, even though this research was common knowledge, not many people genuinely believed it could solve humanity’s predicament.
Dong Xun’s words and actions now seemed to corroborate this point.
Originally, when Bai Yu and his team were in charge of the project, the research remained confidential, belonging directly to a core research center project.
Once the new team took over, they began external recruitment, bringing in both official government investments and unofficial corporate investments. The head of the research center had pulled off a massive gamble.
As a result, Bai Yu was unexpectedly kicked out of the core, and following that, the research plunged into a bottleneck. The head of the research center even shrank back to avoid the tough issues, dumping all the pressure onto the new team as various conflicts and contradictions swarmed in.
Thinking of this, Zhou Wang felt far beyond regret.
For a moment, he couldn’t find any words to halt this dispute either.
After snapping back to his senses, Dong Xun burst into fury, pointing a finger straight at Bai Yu: “You fucking sow discord!”
Bai Yu merely offered a profound smile, saying nothing as he quietly instructed the doctor to continue pushing the wheelchair.
His gaze swept over the stunned Zhou Wang, his smile growing increasingly ambiguous.
His actions were indeed sowing discord, but they were also a demonstration of authority, letting everyone know that even while ill, he was not someone to be casually manipulated, and he was still fully capable of controlling the overall situation.
Witnessing Bai Yu act with such effortless poise, the crowd was shocked all over again.
Yet the same thought echoed in everyone’s minds simultaneously: at this moment, Bai Yu was like a cat toying with its prey, seemingly harmless, yet its paws were filled with savage cruelty.
They had underestimated Bai Yu from start to finish, assuming he was merely a twenty-three-year-old youth, no matter how many milestone research achievements he possessed.
Moreover, he was currently sick.
Facts proved, however, that they had crashed their cars; everyone had crashed.
Bai Yu possessed far more than just super-high intelligence; he also had a scheme and a depth of city strategy that no one anticipated. He simply disdained engaging in power struggles.
Watching Bai Yu’s figure vanish behind the doors of the transition airlock, the group of researchers remained utterly speechless, their dazed gazes fixed toward the direction of the special isolation ward.
Seeing Bai Yu stir up trouble and then make a graceful exit, Dong Xun gritted his teeth in bitter hatred, his fists clenched tightly as hot, angry pants puffed from his nostrils, resembling a maddened bull driven to frenzy.
Just as he was about to open his mouth to rebuke Bai Yu, Zhou Wang turned his gaze toward him. A pair of slightly puffy, bloodshot eyes stared heavily at him, dark with emotion and carrying an unquestionable, oppressive dominance.
Noticing this, Dong Xun froze instantly, his goosebumps rising in sudden terror. Scared out of his wits, he involuntarily took a step back, only to realize his lack of composure a second later. Feeling instantly humiliated and furious, he hurried to explain: “Professor Zhou, don’t listen to Bai Yu’s nonsense! How could I possibly be an undercover spy!”
Hearing this defense, a trace of a smile suddenly surfaced on Zhou Wang’s heavy face, making him look rather amiable. Yet Dong Xun felt a chill shoot straight up from his tailbone; with Professor Zhou giving that kind of attitude, he clearly didn’t believe him at all.
“No, no! How could I be a spy! What about my future?!” Dong Xun raised his voice, the tail end of his words turning shrill. “I just can’t stand Bai Yu! Clearly, he could accelerate the experimental progress; clearly, he only needs to endure a bit of physical pain, yet he sits back and lets us fly around blindly like headless flies with no direction. Fine, I admit I don’t have his research talent, but he is simply sitting back and watching us make fools of ourselves!”
Upon hearing this, many researchers instantly changed expression. Some resented Dong Xun for speaking that way, while others quietly nodded in agreement.
For a moment, the conflict seemed to shift back onto Bai Yu.
Indeed, during the times when Bai Yu was physically weak and constantly falling asleep, while the team grew increasingly anxious day by day due to a lack of project progress, they had indeed harbored silent grievances against Bai Yu in the depths of their hearts.
Sometimes they wondered why he had to fall ill at this exact time, and why, after getting sick, he lacked the active initiative or the selfless dedication to push forward even with a sickly body.
They admitted to envying Bai Yu’s talent, and envied it enough to be jealous, which was why they expected him to sacrifice more. Yet reality fell far short of their expectations, ultimately breeding a great deal of resentment.
Zhou Wang, however, was not led astray by Dong Xun’s emotionally charged words. Instead, he smiled and said, “Professor Dong, Bai Yu is a core pillar of the project, and we cannot simply ignore the demands he makes. Even if the project leader were here in person, they would likely prioritize Bai Yu. But rest assured, you are merely stepping down from research on this team; the research center still has a place for you. After all, you are also a rare talent.”
Dong Xun had acted far too impulsively today, and he hadn’t expected Bai Yu to launch such a decisive counterattack. They had assumed Bai Yu was already at the mercy of others, and Dong Xun had thought so too, but the reality had dealt everyone a stunning slap in the face.
Bai Yu’s actions also aligned with certain thoughts of his own. Taking advantage of the current momentum to handle a few things was for the best, and operating under Bai Yu’s name left no room for anyone else to object. Core researchers naturally commanded absolute obedience.
Dong Xun stared in sheer disbelief at the amiably smiling Zhou Wang, though not a shred of warmth existed in the other’s eyes, only calculated schemes and stratagems.
Kicking him out of the team under Bai Yu’s name allowed the project to retain Dayuan Biotechnology’s investment, while gathering all the team’s accumulated hatred onto Bai Yu alone.
With impure motives of his own, Dong Xun and company were by no means simple characters to deal with.
Shutting out the clamor of the laboratory, Bai Yu collapsed in total exhaustion into his wheelchair upon entering the special isolation ward, closing his eyes without any desire to move or speak.
Every time he went out to conduct experiments, returning left him feeling completely hollowed out.
The doctor pushed Bai Yu to the side of the hospital bed, bending down to help remove his protective suit.
“Professor Bai, are you alright?” the doctor asked with a hint of concern.
Only then did Bai Yu slowly open his eyes, lowering his gaze to watch the doctor’s actions as he unzipped the suit.
“Do you think I’ll get better?” he asked.
The doctor was slightly taken aback, but quickly replied, “Of course. Serving you is the top-tier medical team, and your own willpower is extremely resilient.”
Bai Yu, however, offered a mocking smile, fixing a profound gaze on the doctor as he spoke softly: “How do you know I am not merely an experimental subject?”
The doctor froze instantly, immediately grasping the implication behind Bai Yu’s words and looking at the frail young man with disbelief.
His complexion was extremely pale, his cheeks hollowed out and haggard from emaciation, yet those eyes, untouched by the torment of illness, remained bright and profound. The look he cast carried an unfathomable depth. Yet the moment one tried to probe his intentions, that sharp gaze would flatten into calm indifference, as if being pinned down by him just a moment ago had been nothing more than an illusion.
The doctor stared blankly at Bai Yu, left momentarily speechless, until he saw Bai Yu lower his eyelids again and let out a helpless sigh.
Only then did he snap back to reality, hastily speaking up: “How could Professor Bai possibly become an experimental subject? No one would dare make a joke of your life.”
Hearing this, Bai Yu maintained his indifferent expression without major fluctuation. The doctor, seeing this, grew somewhat nervous, terrified that Bai Yu wouldn’t believe him.
Yet right as he prepared to open his mouth and explain further, the words caught in his throat. Within this medical team, he wasn’t the only person; neither were all of them kind-hearted individuals familiar to him. This team, just like the research team for this project, was a mixed bag of good and bad.
One side sought desperately to prolong Bai Yu’s life, while the other sought the future dawn that might break for all of humanity.
The possibility Bai Yu mentioned, that he might be treated as an experimental subject by the medical team, was entirely plausible. He had merely projected his own mindset, oversimplifying the situation.
He gazed deeply at Bai Yu, suddenly feeling a profound sense of guilt.
Opening his mouth to say something to ease the atmosphere, the doctor noticed Bai Yu looking as though his eyelids were too heavy to lift, slowly drifting off to sleep as his head suddenly drooped forward, startling him instantly.
“Professor Bai?!” the doctor cried out in sudden alarm.
Yet Bai Yu showed no reaction at all, his expression calm and serene.
Even more startled, the doctor instinctively stretched his hand out toward Bai Yu’s nose. Feeling a weak, warm breath, his heart finally settled back into place.
At that moment, he had almost thought Bai Yu had suddenly died; his stillness was absolute.
Bai Yu felt his head sink heavily, followed by the loss of consciousness as he slipped into slumber.
He had no idea how long passed before he felt the urge to wake up, yet the overwhelming exhaustion radiating from his brain kept pulling him under, refusing to let him wake as his mind blurred.
Still, he forced himself to stay conscious. He had just gone through a battle with the research team; his internal crisis alert hadn’t been deactivated, and he worriedly anticipated what uncontrollable accidents might occur during this deep sleep.
His eyelashes trembled lightly, and Bai Yu finally opened his eyes slowly.
Before him lay a sky drifting with gray clouds, faintly revealing an eye-catching hint of blue, while overhead, slightly swaying branches cast mottled light and shadow filtering through the gaps, sparsely blanketing his body.