Max Level Return—I'll Protect That Fragile One

The Corpse Centipede is an evolvable bioweapon, and its most formidable trait is this ’evolvable’ feature.

Without the Star-Yun Worm, the Corpse Centipede cannot mutate and cannot evolve. Therefore, the Star-Yun Worm is the most essential gene among the many fierce genes of the Corpse Centipede.

However, the Star-Yun Worm does not exist in this world; Xu Xingguang has never seen any medical book that records anything related to it. Whether in modern medical books, ancient ones, or online literature, there is nothing.

Yet, Huo Wen’an’s great-grandfather has a photograph of the Star-Yun Worm.

Whether Huo Wen’an’s great-grandfather has seen the Star-Yun Worm or not, at least this proves that the Star-Yun Worm exists in this world.

Could it be that in this world, the Star-Yun Worm is known by another name?

Intuition told Xu Xingguang that she had inadvertently touched upon the tip of the iceberg of the ’Corpse Centipede’ conspiracy.

”Uncle Xia, please help me with some light; I want to take a photo.”

”Sure thing.”

Uncle Xia shone the light on the photo, and Xu Xingguang took out her phone to capture the Star-Yun Worm. ”Done.”

She continued walking forward for a while until she stopped in front of a group photo, its image mottled with age. The photo showed a group of people standing together at a horse track, both old and young, male and female.

But because of the passage of time, many faces were already blurred, and the colors of their clothes had turned into dirty patches of colors.

Uncle Xia stared at the slightly blurred photo and told Xu Xingguang, ”I’ve seen a photo of the Old Helmsman, and if I’m not mistaken, the third person from the left in the second row should be the Old Helmsman.”

Xu Xingguang then fixed her gaze on the third person from the left in the second row.

The Old Helmsman’s features were no longer clear, yet his upright and noble posture indicated that he must have been a handsome and elegant gentleman during his time.

Xu Xingguang casually glanced at the other people in the group photo, and this glance revealed something unusual.

She unexpectedly saw a familiar figure in the photo.

It was a middle-aged man dressed in a black casual suit, holding a pipe in his hand. He looked to be in his fifties, standing right next to the Old Helmsman.

The second person from the left in the second row was him.

The man’s features were relatively clear, his brow slightly furrowed at the camera with an annoyed expression, showing impatience.

Xu Xingguang suddenly stepped back, a shocked voice screaming in her mind: Grandpa!

How is this possible!

Her grandfather should be a few years younger than Huo Wen’an’s great-grandfather.

The Old Helmsman in the photo looked at most around thirty, while the man resembling her grandfather appeared to be in his fifties.

If he really was her grandfather, the ages wouldn’t match.

Yet, the pipe in the man’s hand was identical to the one her grandfather always used!

Having regained consciousness for over half a year, Xu Xingguang had nearly recovered her memories of her teenage years.

She remembered when she was thirteen and went to her grandfather’s house to play, her grandfather would complain that she only knew how to eat and not work, always tapping her shoulder with that pipe. He’d tap her and say, ”Your mom is useless, and you’re even more useless than her, what are we going to do!”

After complaining, he’d go make dinner with a pipe in his mouth.

She had a vivid memory of that pipe that had tapped her shoulder countless times.

Seeing Xu Xingguang staring blankly at the photo, Uncle Xia, a bit puzzled, asked, ”Miss Xu, is there something off about this photo?” It was just a normal group photo, what was strange about it?

Shaking her head, Xu Xingguang said, ”I just thought that the great-grandfather was quite handsome when he was young. It’s such a pity that such a fine-looking person passed away so early.”

”It is indeed a pity. I’ve heard from my older brother that the Old Helmsman didn’t really look like his father. The Old Helmsman’s eldest son, however, greatly resembles that Old Helmsman.”

This refers to Huo Yunsheng.

”That’s precisely why Mr. Yunsheng was so dearly loved by the great-old lady. But a child shouldn’t be spoiled; spoiling doesn’t lead to success.”

Huo Wen’an’s great-grandfather died young, and Huo Wen’an’s great-grandmother, seeing that her eldest grandson resembled her deceased husband so closely, naturally treated him like a precious treasure.

This led to Huo Yunsheng being spoiled into uselessness.

”Uncle Xia, do you know what era this photo was taken in?”

”I really don’t know that,” Uncle Xia said. ”The Old Helmsman passed away early, and the Pilot was only two years old at that time. If Miss Xu wants to know, you might need to ask the Old Helmsman.”

But thinking about how the Old Helmsman was intimidating, ruthless, and not particularly talkative, not the kind of kind and friendly old man who likes to chat with younger generations, Uncle Xia added, ”However, he’s not exactly easy to get along with.”