Chapter 85: Microscopic Powers of Observation

“Seventy to ninety percent?” When it came to his own life, Liu Chang couldn't afford to be careless. “How did you arrive at that figure? And what makes you so certain there won't be any aftereffects?”

“It’s an extrapolation,” Li Qingshui replied, raising her forearm and rolling up her sleeve to reveal a fresh sutured scar. “Because you’re not my first test subject.”

“You operated on yourself?” Liu Chang stared at the ugly stitched wound on Li Qingshui’s arm.

“Yes, I experimented on myself first,” Li Qingshui said, lowering her sleeve. “The results were decent. So far, no aftereffects. Of course, that's only for now.”

“What about in the future?”

“Based on how my body feels, the chance of complications later is quite small. This bluish liquid repairs genes well, keeping the gene chain intact after surgery, without damage or deformity.”

“So you want me to be your second test subject. Are you in some kind of trouble?” Liu Chang looked at Li Qingshui. “Unless you were in dire straits, I doubt you’d put me and yourself through this experiment.”

“Yes, it’s serious. I need your help.”

“But you shouldn’t gamble with my life.” Hearing Li Qingshui’s words, the little girl who had been standing beside Liu Chang suddenly stepped in front of him, shouting, “Why not use someone else for the experiment? Even me! I’m already a brain-domain mutant; I’d accept your genes more easily. No matter what, I won’t let you operate on my brother!”

“Don’t be silly. Li Qingshui can’t trust anyone else, and you’re too young for such an experiment. Don’t talk nonsense!” Liu Chang scolded her.

But for the first time, the little girl defied his words, stubbornly gazing at Li Qingshui, a hint of hostility in her eyes. “You weren’t like this before. You’ve changed. You used to hate these radical methods—why now do you want to experiment?”

“Peace is good for development; radicalism is good for struggle,” Li Qingshui sighed. “In human conflicts, radicals tend to have more competitiveness—especially in the short term.”

“So you’re going to hurt those closest to you?” the girl pressed. “What makes you any different from that Zhao Zhuo?”

Li Qingshui was stunned by her question. His expression darkened and he was silent for a long time before murmuring, “Perhaps, there’s no difference between us.”

“I still say, the biggest difference between Li Qingshui and Zhao Zhuo is kindness,” Liu Chang rubbed the girl’s hair, hugging her. “We’ve survived together; if Li Qingshui weren’t in danger, he’d never ask me to do this.”

“But…” the girl wanted to protest.

“It’s settled. I’ll do the experiment, as long as I don’t turn into a monster,” Liu Chang smiled at Li Qingshui. “Will you use anesthesia?”

“Yes. The procedure is delicate. I don’t want you moving,” Li Qingshui replied, looking at Liu Chang. “Are you sure? I’ve told you all the consequences and risks.”

“I’m sure. Without you, I’d be dead already. Likewise, I don’t want to see you die while I’m still here.” Liu Chang lay down on the lab table and rolled up his sleeve. “I want to help you.”

“Thank you.” Li Qingshui looked at Liu Chang’s resolve and let out a long sigh, releasing all her emotions before regaining composure. She took up the anesthetic needle and, under the girl's tearful gaze, approached Liu Chang.

“Can I say a few last words?” Seeing the needle near his arm, Liu Chang felt a little afraid.

“Yes.”

“If I die, please take care of Xiaojing for me. My father’s name is Liu Hui and my mother’s name is Wu Hua. If you ever come across them someday, please look after them too,” Liu Chang said, looking at Xiaojing. “And you, stop crying, you look like you’re grieving. With a seventy to ninety percent success rate, I might not die.”

“But…” The girl tried hard to hold back her tears, sniffling loudly before yelling, “But… I still don’t want you to have this operation.”

“Haha, it’s fine. It’s just a minor procedure. If it succeeds, next time I open my eyes, I’ll be as smart as Li Qingshui!” Liu Chang tried to comfort her.

“But then you won’t be the Liu Chang I used to know!” Her next words left Liu Chang speechless.

Unsure how to respond, he simply closed his eyes.

“Let’s begin.” He stopped worrying about whether he would remain himself after the surgery, and lay quietly on the lab table. He felt the powerful anesthetic injected in a large dose, and his consciousness gradually faded, ushering in the operation he would never see.

The time spent unconscious always passes in an instant.

When Liu Chang opened his eyes again, aside from some dizziness, it felt little different from waking up after sleep.

“You’re awake?” Li Qingshui looked at the post-surgery Liu Chang, who rubbed his eyes and looked back.

“Yeah, I’m alive?” Liu Chang’s voice brimmed with joy.

“Yes, you’re alive!” Li Qingshui’s gaze reflected the same happiness.

“What time is it?”

“Three forty-three. About three and a half hours have passed.” Li Qingshui continued to look at Liu Chang with concern and delight. “Do you notice any changes in the world?”

“Changes?” His blurry vision gradually cleared and the dizziness faded. Liu Chang slowly sat up from the operating table, looking at Li Qingshui and the little girl, whose eyes were swollen from crying.

“I feel like my sense of distance is incredibly precise,” Liu Chang said, gazing into the girl’s pupils. “The distance between my eyes and hers is 1,035.57 millimeters. These numbers pop up in my mind, crystal clear and accurate.”

Liu Chang slowly got off the operating table, touching the floor with his feet. “Every movement, I can pinpoint the most accurate part; every step lets me calculate the exact distance.”

“Yes, your brain’s micro-analysis ability has improved,” Li Qingshui spoke, looking at Liu Chang expectantly. “What else? Any other sensations?”

Liu Chang looked at his hands, carefully feeling for other changes.

After a moment, he answered, “No, nothing besides the exceptionally accurate sense of distance.”

“Nothing else? That shouldn’t be…” Li Qingshui frowned in confusion, then picked up a book from the table and rapidly flipped through dozens of pages in front of Liu Chang. “Did you retain any of the content?”

“No, not a word,” Liu Chang replied. “I didn’t even have time to see a single sentence clearly.”

“Your information gathering, reading, learning, and analytical abilities haven’t improved—only micro-calculation has. Nothing else,” Li Qingshui muttered. “That can’t be right. Is the brain truly an untouchable domain?”

“Did the experiment fail?” Liu Chang asked, seeing Li Qingshui’s expression, stepping off the table.

“Yeah, I suppose it failed,” Li Qingshui looked at Liu Chang, unharmed, feeling both relieved and regretful. “I can’t figure out why. The brain is still too mysterious; perhaps even in a lifetime, I’ll never fully unravel even a fraction.”

“I wanted to make you a true intelligence-type brain-domain mutant, so you could join this intense struggle and help me defeat Zhao Zhuo, secure a foothold. But it seems I’ve failed,” Li Qingshui sighed. “So, you can’t stay here anymore.”

“Why?” Liu Chang looked at Li Qingshui. “Is it really that serious?”

“Yes, extremely serious,” Li Qingshui replied. “Human society is about to undergo a major transformation. And transformation means cleansing and slaughter.”

“Why is there going to be a transformation, and what does it have to do with me?”

“There are many reasons for change, but power is the greatest force,” Li Qingshui gazed at the lab apparatus, speaking slowly. “Communication is still down and traffic between cities is completely cut off. Without central control for so long, human society is bound to change.”

“Restless armies, agitated administrations, and the research institutes that are independent of both yet closely connected to their leadership. The struggle among these three will dominate the future,” Li Qingshui said. “The fact that human society has developed peacefully until now is a miracle. Previously, people were too busy surviving to bother with internal conflict. Now that the food problem is solved, a new era is coming. With convenient transport and communication gone, cities are isolated for the long term, and the world’s system will revert to a city-state model!”

“City-state?” Liu Chang was puzzled.

“Yes, a new kind of city-state. Without central restraint, each city is like a country,” Li Qingshui looked at Liu Chang. “And the army, government, and research institutes all want to be the new king. That’s why Zhao Zhuo controls the primary food resources.”

“In the near future, the city’s leadership will engage in a struggle more ruthless and complex than any jungle food web. Power is intertwined and tangled, and I can’t guarantee I’ll survive this fight. That’s why I wanted your help. But the experiment failed; you didn’t get the intelligence mutation. So now, I want you to withdraw from this conflict.”

“Because this struggle will be extremely cruel. Without brain-domain mutation, you lack the value to draw alliances, but staying here makes you a valuable hostage to threaten me. You lack experience and high-level analytical skills; it’s easy to fall into traps. Since the experiment failed, I’d rather you lay low for now.”

Li Qingshui spoke, walking to another corner of the lab, and took a giant handgun from a drawer.

“Wait until the city’s transformation is over. If I survive, come find me!” Li Qingshui handed the gun to Liu Chang, then embraced both him and the little girl. “Remember to live well. Don’t let Zhao Zhuo’s people find you.”

“Okay.” After hugging Li Qingshui and accepting the massive handgun, Liu Chang earnestly said, “I hope you live well too. Can’t you come with us?”

“If I leave, none of us will make it out,” Li Qingshui smiled bitterly, and in her eyes Liu Chang saw, for the first time, a glint of cruel determination. “Besides, I truly want to stay and see, in Zhengzhou, who will ultimately have the final say!”