Homo Sapiens

However, compared to projects like the Gu Insect - Malaria Parasite Type 1, Li Qingye valued another biological creation far more.

「Area A3 of the research base.」

Inside a tank filled with a special nutrient solution, a coral was being cultivated.

Coral isn’t a plant, but an animal. From a biological taxonomy perspective, corals and jellyfish are actually close relatives.

He took out a section of the coral crystal and used a microtome to slice off some thin sections, only 200 nanometers thick.

Under the microscope, the surfaces of these coral crystal slices were densely covered with various crystal lattices. These lattices were very orderly, arranged in a specific pattern.

This was not a naturally formed coral crystal. Through genetic recombination technology, Li Qingye had inserted several gene sequences. These included the sequence for silicon crystal generation from the Hexactinellid Sponge, as well as the sequences for pigment sensory cell generation and skeletal cell generation from the Snake-tailed Sea Star.

The silicon crystals of the Hexactinellid Sponge possess a silicon crystal structure called ’Ah’s Tomb.’ Its light transmission is extremely precise, even superior to fiber optics.

The two gene sequences from the Snake-tailed Sea Star also have tremendous applications and advantages in light sensing and transmission.

Finally, he inserted a gene from an abalone, allowing the coral to generate a ”thousand-layer composite nanostructure.”

Although it was still imperfect, the first-generation Photon Coral could already produce a large number of chip-like structures. Unlike the electrical signal conduction of electronic computers, the Photon Coral was a hybrid type, combining photonic conduction with electronic signals.

The current problems with this technology were the structural precision of the chip, the external support equipment, and things like software, all of which Li Qingye needed to solve one by one.

The advantages of the Photon Coral were its three-dimensional stacking and photonic conduction. It also possessed self-repair capabilities, had an extremely strong resistance to environmental interference, consumed very little power, and had good biocompatibility.

However, as a first-generation experimental product, it was not yet ready for mass production.

He wasn’t researching this for its computing power, but to implant it into test subjects for easier control.

After examining the nanostructure of the coral slices, he recorded some information about its defects to serve as a reference for improving the next generation of Photon Coral.

Li Qingye put down his ballpoint pen and rubbed his temples, thinking to himself, ’I have to improve our internal surveillance methods as soon as possible. Otherwise, enemies will infiltrate sooner or later.

In the face of profit, human greed is endless.

It’s not just company employees; even fathers and sons, or brothers, will turn on each other for personal gain.

Never trust human nature.

And never test it.

The Gu Insect plan is imperative, but relying on the Malaria Parasite alone is clearly insufficient. It has flaws and loopholes that could easily backfire.’

Li Qingye was very clear on this point. Given the current situation, he needed a group of truly die-hard loyalists.

’So, what kind of person would be a die-hard loyalist to me?

Even subordinates raised from childhood can betray you. As long as a person has desires, it’s difficult to ensure their absolute loyalty.

Incomplete loyalty is complete disloyalty.’

But following this line of thought, Li Qingye recalled a discarded medical technique from the last century—the prefrontal lobotomy.

After the prefrontal lobe is removed, a person loses their emotions and desires, becoming a ”semi-vegetative” person who can only breathe.

’A man is invincible when he is without desire.

A person without emotions and desires naturally cannot be tempted. As long as the control problem is solved, this is undoubtedly a great technique for mass-producing die-hard loyalists.

I don’t even need to perform surgery. I just need to use a combination of CRISPR sequences and the Jianmu Factor to turn the gene sequence for the prefrontal lobe into a pseudogene. That would completely transform a person into a ”living weapon.”

As for how to control these Soldiers...’ His gaze fell upon the Photon Coral. ’This Photon Biological Chip, with its excellent biocompatibility, could be inserted directly into the brain.

Many of a living being’s activities are, in essence, driven by emotions and desires. These then trigger hormones and pheromones in the body, which in turn drive physical action.

Furthermore, emotions and desires, and hormones and pheromones, all mutually influence each other.

For example, sex hormones cause creatures to feel emotions like impulse and affection.

A Soldier who has lost their prefrontal lobe is left with only memories and biological instincts. In this state, they would be even easier to control using hormones and pheromones.

For instance, if I make a Soldier’s body rapidly produce dopamine whenever they see me, they will crave the sight of me.

The creation of this pathway dependency would mean the Soldier will obey my commands without question.’

Li Qingye’s eyes narrowed in thought. ’The feasibility of this plan is very high, but where do I get the first batch of test subjects for these Soldiers?

Ordinary people are out of the question.’

For one, Li Qingye still had a few scruples.

On the other hand, ordinary people have friends and family. Any abnormalities would be too easily exposed.

After thinking it over, he quickly thought of a place.

After lunch, he stopped Chen Jianxiong, who was about to head out on patrol.

”Jianxiong, I need you to work a little harder for a bit. A relative of mine went missing here in Luzon some time ago. His family came to me for help, and my hands are tied.”

Chen Jianxiong asked, puzzled, ”Boss, do you want me to send people to search for him?”

Li Qingye set down his teacup. ”No. His parents told me the kid joined a local gang. You know what the situation in Luzon has been like these past two years.”

”A gang?” Chen Jianxiong’s brow furrowed even deeper. Luzon had been cracking down hard on drugs for the past two years. If this involved that kind of business, the Homo Sapiens Company’s security team of twenty-some men was clearly not up to the task.

”I’m not asking you to go looking for him directly. For now, you just need to gather information on the gangs all over Luzon. The more detailed, the better. Leave the rest to me.”

Hearing this request, Chen Jianxiong breathed a sigh of relief. ”No problem. I’ll investigate as soon as possible.”

Li Qingye continued, ”Have Old Fang give you five hundred thousand US Dollars. Try to be discreet. I don’t want to provoke those gangs.”

”Understood. I’ll be careful.” Chen Jianxiong also had no desire to provoke the local gangs.

Chen Jianxiong left in a hurry and began arranging for his men to inquire about the gangs throughout Luzon. As for Li Qingye’s so-called relative, all he had was a name and a photograph.

Obviously, Chen Jianxiong had no idea that this person was actually a fabrication of Li Qingye’s, with even the photo being a digital composite.

Li Qingye didn’t need him to find anything. He just needed information on the local gangs in Luzon to facilitate his next move.

Returning to his small villa.

He opened his computer and began gathering intelligence on local Luzon gangs through online channels. With his eidetic memory, Li Qingye quickly absorbed a significant amount of information.

Perhaps the gang members wouldn’t expose themselves online, but the problem for them was that modern web technology allowed for big data screening and facial recognition.

He leveraged the servers of several private companies to collect data on 36,000 suspected gang members, as well as information on 263 gangs of various sizes.

Li Qingye even created a mind map-style relationship web for all of them.

Now, he just had to wait for Chen Jianxiong’s intelligence. By combining the two sources, he could get a comprehensive picture of the gang situation in Luzon.

At the same time, he needed to make other preparations. He had no intention of fighting an unprepared battle. Every possible contingency had to be considered to ensure a flawless operation.