Homo Sapiens

Li Qingye shrugged. ”Uncle Wu, the show’s about to begin. This is a special performance just for you, so you simply must watch!”

Then, ignoring Wu Heguang’s resignation, he turned and instructed with a smile, ”Jasmine, inform Dean Lin that he can begin.”

Sangjibada Laiyal nodded, then gave Wu Xinlan a look brimming with malice.

A moment later, two attendants forced Wu Xinlan into a wheelchair and wheeled her straight out of the room.

Meanwhile, Sangjibada Laiyal pressed a button on a remote. A curtain on one side of the room slowly drew back, revealing a glass wall.

On the other side of the glass wall, Lin Dongliang, dressed in surgical scrubs, and several Soldier orderlies had already prepared the surgical instruments and materials.

Seeing this, Wu Heguang’s expression grew grim as he wondered what Li Qingye was planning.

Soon, after being disinfected, having her skin prepped for surgery, and a urinary catheter inserted, Wu Xinlan was wheeled into the operating room.

”What are you going to do to Xinlan?”

”Weren’t you curious how I plan to take control of Donghua Group? Just keep your eyes open, and you’ll see.”

The anesthetized Wu Xinlan lay on the cold operating table as Lin Dongliang injected her with a special contrast agent, then began examining the vascular structure of her brain.

Next, under Lin Dongliang’s careful calibration, a syringe mounted in a fixture slowly pierced the edge of Wu Xinlan’s eye socket, its needle advancing until it reached the surface of her cerebral cortex.

He activated the automated injection system, and the solution of bio-chip cells in the syringe began to seep into her cerebral cortex.

At the same time, a special cocktail of nutrients, pheromones, and hormones, administered intravenously, began to spread throughout Wu Xinlan’s body.

The seconds ticked by.

Wu Heguang’s eyes were wide with fury as he stared at the scene, demanding through clenched teeth:

”You animal! I’m the one responsible for your father’s death! Whatever you have planned, do it to me! Why are you hurting Xinlan? She never did anything to wrong you! Li Qingye, are you even human?!”

”Lashing out in shame? You can’t even handle a small appetizer like this? That’s not in character for you. Where’s that famous unflappability? Don’t make me lose my respect for you, my dear Uncle Wu,” Li Qingye said without turning his head, as if commenting on something utterly trivial.

Wu Heguang finally snapped. He roared as he tried to struggle to his feet. ”You animal! I’ll kill you if it’s the last thing I do!”

But Li Qingye didn’t react at all, treating him as if he were nothing but air as he continued to appreciate the surgical process.

But just as Wu Heguang managed to prop himself up, he felt his body go rigid. ’What’s happening? Why can’t I move? Move, damn it, move!’

”Don’t waste your strength, old man.” Sangjibada Laiyal’s voice rang out, so cold it seemed to drop the temperature in the room by several degrees.

”Li Qingye! What have you done to me? Why can’t I move?” Wu Heguang screamed in a rage.

Li Qingye didn’t deign to answer.

Having calmed down slightly, Wu Heguang finally felt true fear. The ability to paralyze him so silently, without any warning, was far beyond anything he could have imagined.

’How are they doing this? Is it some kind of biotechnology? What are the limits of this control? Don’t tell me they can control my brain, too.’

Seeing Wu Heguang’s mind race with panicked thoughts, Sangjibada Laiyal gave him a wicked grin. ”Old man, are you wondering just how much control we have over you?”

Wu Heguang froze. ’What?’

Sangjibada Laiyal then pressed a finger to her temple. Instantly, the palm of her other hand began to release an imperceptible stream of pheromones.

The pheromones quickly traveled into Wu Heguang’s ear canal, where they were picked up by a specially implanted sensor.

Before Wu Heguang could even process what was happening, he watched in horror as his body began to move—not by his own will, but on its own accord.

”A pleasure to see you, Miss Jasmine!”

”Good afternoon to you, sir,” Sangjibada Laiyal replied with a smile, lifting the hem of her skirt in a delicate curtsy.

’Damn it!’ Wu Heguang felt like a ghost trapped in his own flesh, forced to watch his body act on its own, completely powerless to stop it.

Sangjibada Laiyal’s eyes narrowed. ”Do you understand now? This body is company property. You should count yourself lucky. At least you haven’t been turned into an emotionless Soldier.”

”Oh, but...” Sangjibada Laiyal’s smile suddenly vanished, her face twisting into a vicious, pathological snarl.

”Trash like you isn’t even worthy of being turned into a Soldier. It’s scum like you that has polluted this world! It’s because of your disgusting desires that the Master had to stain his wings black and become Lucifer, bearing the weight of all sin!”

Then, Sangjibada Laiyal spun around to face Li Qingye, her cheeks flushed, her eyes filled with adoration and fanaticism.

”Master, even if you have become Lucifer, I will forever be your most loyal Jasmine, even if it means following you into the depths of hell!”

”That’s enough, Jasmine. Stop tormenting him. We don’t want him broken.”

Sangjibada Laiyal immediately wiped the pathological look from her face, her expression becoming gentle and sweet. She bowed slightly. ”As you command, Master.”

Once again in control of his own head, Wu Heguang stared at Li Qingye’s back with utter horror, a deep, crawling unease spreading through him.

Meanwhile, in the operating room, the bio-chip injection was complete. Wu Xinlan’s procedure had now entered the bio-chip cohesion and integration phase.

There wasn’t a trace of emotion in Li Qingye’s eyes.

Even though she was his childhood sweetheart, even though she had almost become his wife, his heart was now as hard as steel.

Wu Heguang, however, was plunged into absolute terror. Moments ago, he had been plotting escape and revenge; now, he had lost all hope.

「More than two hours later.」

Wu Xinlan woke from the anesthesia feeling dizzy and disoriented. Then she saw her uncle, Wu Heguang, his face a mask of despair, and beside him, the man she dreaded.

Li Qingye set down his teacup. ”Jasmine, go and calibrate our new creation.”

”As you command, Master.” A smile touched Sangjibada Laiyal’s lips.

Wu Xinlan quickly realized something was wrong. She couldn’t control her own body; it was moving on its own.

She screamed in terror, ”What did you do to me? Damn it! Stop! Stop moving...”

”Li Qingye, I’m begging you, let me go...”

”Sob... sob...”

Wu Xinlan finally broke down completely and began to wail. She might have been a scheming bitch, but even she couldn’t remain calm when faced with something so far beyond comprehension.

”Shut up, you bitch!” Sangjibada Laiyal unceremoniously issued a pheromone command, stripping Wu Xinlan of control over her own head.

The room fell silent.

Witnessing this, Wu Heguang felt the last of his hope die. His body trembled uncontrollably.

”I told you, you don’t have to worry about me killing you. It’s simply not necessary.”

”Then kill me! Put me out of my misery!” Wu Heguang begged, his face a mask of despair. He couldn’t begin to imagine the hopeless darkness that awaited him.

Li Qingye stood up and patted him on the shoulder. ”Uncle Wu, like I said, sometimes death is a mercy. You get to continue enjoying the pain of being alive.”

”You devil! I’ll cu—” Wu Heguang was abruptly silenced.

Li Qingye washed his hands, then dried them on a towel.

Meanwhile, indulging her wicked sense of humor, Sangjibada Laiyal was still controlling Wu Xinlan, forcing her body into a series of bizarre poses.

He called out, ”Jasmine, hand her over to the professional trainers.”

”Yes, Master.”

’Now, the next phase of the plan can begin.’