“Age ten: During a comprehensive physical examination, the school unexpectedly discovered that Lin Ran’s body control and will level had reached the standard required to break through the first Gene Lock. Most people, even as adults, fail these two crucial indicators for breakthroughs, let alone Lin Ran at around ten years old.”
“Upon hearing this news, Uncle Lin’s family was ecstatic. Lin Ran’s mother personally prepared a first-tier Gene Medicine for Lin Ran, helping her successfully break through the first Gene Lock.”
“News of Lin Ran breaking through the first Gene Lock spread quickly. For a time, praises flooded in. Some called her a once-in-a-century genius, while others said she would be a new generation pioneer on the Disaster Battlefield. Meanwhile, you were greatly disheartened. No matter how hard you trained, you couldn't compare to those naturally gifted individuals. But you were stubborn; you didn't want to lose to Lin Ran. Not only did you practice martial arts more diligently, but you also began to study frantically.”
“Lin Ran seemed to notice your change. Girls, when young, always mature faster than boys, both psychologically and physically. She thought perhaps this was just a man’s need to show off, as if only boys would act this way when trying to get someone’s attention. After all, that’s how romance novels are written.”
“So, one afternoon after class…”
The noisy classroom during break was filled with sounds of playing and roughhousing, yet only Zhang Jie quietly sat at his desk, engrossed in a book.
Lin Ran’s seat was by the window in the back row, across an aisle from Zhang Jie. She rested her head on her elbow, also engrossed in watching Zhang Jie.
The autumn wind blew in from outside, brushing across Lin Ran’s small face. A hint of jasmine fragrance, carried by the cool breeze, wafted into Zhang Jie’s nostrils, prompting him to turn his head.
What met his eyes was the girl’s slightly smiling face, and that tiny, yet prominent, tear mole.
Zhang Jie quickly turned his head back, pretending to be diligently reading his book.
“Hey~ Zhang Jie.”
The girl poked Zhang Jie’s arm with her small hand.
“Want to go buy snacks?”
“No, I don’t.”
“Then accompany me downstairs to play?”
“I don’t want to.”
She made several suggestions in a row, all rejected by the stubborn Zhang Jie, but she didn’t get angry at all. Instead, she leaned on the desk opposite Zhang Jie, a mischievous look on her face.
“What do you want to do?”
“Zhang Jie~ Do you like me?”
Zhang Jie felt as if the surrounding air had quieted for a few seconds. Then, he nonchalantly propped the book up between them.
“No, I don’t.”
In the last moment before the book was fully propped up, Lin Ran’s peripheral vision clearly caught a faint blush on the boy’s cheek. She teased him playfully.
“Ah? How could you say that~”
“I thought you liked me~”
Zhang Jie could only bury his head in the book, like an ostrich.
“A blush in youth surpasses all confessions. After this incident, you could clearly feel that your relationship with Lin Ran was better than before; she became even closer to you.”
“Age eleven: This year seemed very peaceful, but you discovered that your true talent was not in martial arts, but in biology. Interest is the best teacher, and you absorbed biological knowledge like a sponge. Your understanding of the Gene Lock became more comprehensive.”
“Age twelve: The Disaster Frontline was once again in distress. A large number of Gene Warriors who had already retired were recalled to the front. Among them, your father and Uncle Lin were both conscripted. Before your father left, he comforted you and your mother, telling you not to worry about him. He was a Fifth-level Gene Warrior, not so easily in trouble. He promised that when he returned, the family would go on a trip. Then, he and Uncle Lin embarked for the Disaster Frontline.”
“You couldn't stop your father, but you always felt that things weren't that simple. The Mind Control Guardian at the Disaster Frontline was the Ninth-level Gene Warrior, known as the strongest human. He alone had stabilized the Disaster Frontline for nearly twenty years. Why was it suddenly in distress now?”
“Age thirteen: You and Lin Ran started junior high. Your father often sent messages home to assure your family of his safety, and so did Uncle Lin. However, Lin Ran often felt worried, because for the past decade or so, the Disaster Frontline had always been advancing. Yet, in just two short years, the Disaster Frontline had been pushed back a full two kilometers. Coupled with the continuous rise in Gene Medicine prices, it always made people feel that something big was about to happen.”
“Even so, you continued to study diligently. You gained a deeper understanding of gene sequences and began to self-study knowledge related to gene programming. You found that those obscure and difficult concepts of gene programming and gene compatibility were incredibly simple for you. You finally experienced what it was like to be a genius and became even more obsessed with genes.”
“Age fourteen: Your father and Uncle Lin hadn't sent any messages home assuring their safety for almost a month. Everything was spiraling out of control; even basic public order in Rong Country could no longer be guaranteed.”
“You could feel a suppressive atmosphere pervading every street and alley. Uniformed individuals frequently patrolled the streets, seemingly searching for something. Some people had already packed their luggage, preparing to leave the city. A large number of Gene Warriors of the third level and above were forcibly sent to the front. The vast majority of ordinary people were left in Rong Country. Media coverage of the Disaster Frontline gradually ceased, giving a sense of impending turmoil.”
“Finally, on an ordinary night, news of the complete collapse of the Disaster Frontline swept in like a tide. Caesar Life, Rong Country’s largest Gene Medicine company, seized the opportunity to incite a riot. Overnight, a large number of pharmacists were purged, including your mother and Lin Ran’s mother.”
“There was no time for grief. Caesar Life’s people were very interested in Lin Ran, the genius girl, intending to take her away to research new Gene Medicine. Your mother desperately sent you a message, telling you to take Lin Ran and leave, to go to another city where your father had acquaintances. Thus, in this chaotic city, you and Lin Ran began to flee.”
“However, you and Lin Ran hadn’t run far before you were found by several ordinary people armed with gene weapons. In the chaos, Lin Ran was hit by a dart gun containing a disorienting agent, losing all her strength and unable to move. You could only watch helplessly as she was captured. You struggled desperately, but there was nothing you could do.”
“At this moment, you thought of your family: your father, who had gone to the battlefield, and your mother, who had been purged by the company.”
“‘I only have her left,’ you thought, and something seemed to be about to break free, a strange sensation bursting forth from the depths of your mind.”
“Life Trait – Gene Hacker – Activated”
“‘I won’t allow you to take her!’ you shouted, blue light flickering in your eyes. The life codes of these people were exposed before you. You simply flicked your fingers, and those orderly codes instantly became chaotic. Accompanied by screams, the bodies of those people melted like wax figures until they became a puddle of unknown liquid.”
“You hurriedly carried the limp Lin Ran on your back. With Gene Hacker, your perception was sharper than ever. You could clearly sense several stronger life codes rapidly approaching. You dared not delay, and quickly fled with Lin Ran on your back.”