This Villain Ch.4

Chapter 4: Do lab specimens need to wear clothes?

“How pitiful.” Li Shang sighed hypocritically, and asked mysteriously, “Guess why he is in the hospital?”

Is there any need to guess?

Yu Yan played along, showing a bit of fear. “Could it be that he contracted the virus from the experimental subject?”

Li Shang, pleased with Yu Yan’s reaction, generously shared his information. “You’re right. It was indeed the virus from the experimental subject. Can you guess how he got infected?”

Li Shang’s expression was a mix of disdain and morbid curiosity.

Yu Yan pretended to be clueless. “It must have been an accident during an experiment?”

Even with the best isolation measures in the lab, there’s never a 100% guarantee against leaks, especially during dangerous experiments. Every year, some researchers die from accidental infections due to improper handling.

“You’re still too young. Dr. Zhou Xiangcheng didn’t get infected due to an accident. He…”

Li Shang lowered his voice, revealing that Dr. Zhou Xiangcheng had been deceived by the experimental subject’s appearance and had fallen in love with it.

“During 012’s time in Zhou Xiangcheng’s lab, it was said that Dr. Zhou was very indulgent and caring towards him, not even wanting to keep him confined in the lab. He personally taught 012 human knowledge.”

“He treated the mutant like a human, but at the end of the day, mutants are just animals. They can’t be tamed. Not long ago, 012 suddenly became aggressive and attacked him. If the Zhou family hadn’t spent a fortune to get help, Zhou Xiangcheng would have died that day. But even though he survived, he’s now just lingering on the brink of death.”

Zhou Xiangcheng was on his deathbed, the Zhou family lost a genius, and 012, being the culprit, was naturally punished and tortured until he was barely alive. No one in the central research institute wanted him, which was how he ended up with Kang Shi.

Yu Yan understood now why Kang Shi, despite his terrible reputation in the research circle, was able to get 012. The Zhou family wanted to use Kang Shi to further torment 012.

“Disgusting,” Lu Qiufeng muttered, eyes full of revulsion. He couldn’t even eat the beef on his plate. “Liking mutants is no different from liking animals. I don’t understand what they’re thinking.”

Li Shang laughed. “Oh, come on, Xiao Lu, don’t be so extreme. Those mutants above S-class look like humans and are quite beautiful.”

Li Shang was indifferent to his attitude. In the elite circles researching high-level mutants, many had experienced the allure of high-level mutants. There were also many wealthy people in the central districts who liked to keep high-level mutants.

For those with some experience, it was nothing unusual. Li Shang found Zhou Xiangcheng’s feelings for an experimental subject, akin to a pet, laughable and his death foolish.

With the Zhou family’s power, he could have easily found a beautiful mutant. Instead, he chose to get close to one carrying a deadly virus, something he couldn’t even touch without risking his life.

Of course, Lu Qiufeng’s avoidance made him laugh. Men understand each other; in their circle, weren’t there those who swore they couldn’t stand it? And later? They frequented clubs to play with mutants more than anyone else.

“How about it, Xiao Lu? Have time to join me?” Li Shang asked on purpose.

“No, I’m not going,” Lu Qiufeng’s whole demeanor screamed refusal.

Yu Yan sat to the side, his expression calm, as he finished more than half of his food.

Li Shang turned to him and asked, “What about you, Xiao Kang? You must be interested, right?”

Yu Yan smiled, “Not for me either. I already have one.”

Li Shang laughed heartily, probably thinking Yu Yan was a kindred spirit.

Throughout the meal, the most tortured person was Lu Qiufeng. After eagerly parting ways with Li Shang, Lu Qiufeng looked at Yu Yan with a new perspective.

“I used to think you were like me. I didn’t expect you to have such interests.”

Yu Yan, seen as a beast by Lu Qiufeng’s disgusted eyes: …

Alright, his reputation took another hit.

…

On the way back to the lab alone, Yu Yan pondered Lu Qiufeng’s changed attitude and found it familiar.

Reaching the lab door, he remembered. He had a h*mophobic senior who reacted the same way when he mistakenly thought Yu Yan was gay.

Entering the lab, Yu Yan didn’t even glance at the experimental subjects in the breeding area. Instead, he dug out Kang Shi’s previous experimental reports to read.

He had done everything he needed to. Surely, a villain with such tenacity, capable of causing mass extinction and countless human deaths in the world line, wouldn’t die so easily.

Moreover, he felt that 012 wouldn’t want his attention either.

At the end of the day, Yu Yan glanced at 012 in the breeding area. He was still lying there, but his life value had slowly risen to 20.

…

The next morning, Yu Yan, suffering from lack of sleep, walked into the lab, rubbing his sore neck, and unexpectedly found it quite lively inside.

All three of his assistant researchers were there.

They feared Kang Shi and would arrive early every day to set up the lab with the equipment and dr*gs he needed, check the various apparatuses, sometimes clean up his experimental remnants, and tidy his office before leaving before he started work.

This was Kang Shi’s past requirement.

During the days Yu Yan had been there, they continued to do a good job, but today, they seemed to have been delayed and hadn’t finished cleaning up before it was time to leave.

“He’s so beautiful, are all high-level mutants like this?”

“I don’t know what kind of genetic mutant he is. He has wings, so is he bird-like?”

“I see shiny scales on his hair and skin. Could he be a butterfly?”

“No way, I heard he’s a virus carrier. Maybe he’s a mutated bat.”

Hearing the three of them chatting animatedly, with two girls staring brightly at 012 curled up on the ground, Yu Yan quietly walked up behind them.

“There are indeed mutated bat genes,” Yu Yan said.

“See, I told you…” Xiao Gao stopped mid-sentence, realizing who the voice belonged to, and looked terrified.

The two girls, Xiao Ai and Xiao Pan, were also frightened, looking at Yu Yan as if they had seen a ghost.

“Ah, I’m sorry, we were delayed today. We’ll handle it right away!” Xiao Pan said, pale-faced.

Yu Yan waved his hand, “No problem, carry on.”

Then he entered the office.

Without the expected scolding, the three of them relaxed and quickly resumed their work, not daring to linger observing the experimental subject.

Through the large glass window of the breeding area, they could see the tall, refined man inside making tea, casually sitting in a chair and rubbing his forehead.

Today, his hair wasn’t neatly combed, falling cleanly over his forehead. His brows were relaxed, no longer furrowed all day.

“Sigh, do you guys feel like Dr. Kang seems to have changed?” Xiao Ai quietly asked her companions.

“Yes!” Xiao Pan immediately responded, “He hasn’t called us in for a scolding in days, nor has he asked about our experiment progress!”

Both of them looked at Xiao Gao.

Xiao Gao, who had interacted with Yu Yan more, also nodded emphatically.

“He has changed a lot. Although we don’t know what happened, I hope Dr. Kang stays this way!”

“Since Dr. Kang’s temper has improved, do you think we have a chance to move to this lab?” Xiao Ai asked hopefully.

All the other assistant researchers could work in their teachers’ labs, except for their unlucky group, who had followed Dr. Kang and been relegated to a small lab.

If they could work in this big lab, they wouldn’t even need guidance from Dr. Kang; just the various advanced equipment here was enviable. Not to mention, the new high-level experimental subject was really good-looking!

Such an attractive experimental subject, they wished they could look at him a bit more every day.

Encouraged by the other two, Xiao Gao gritted his teeth and, with a flattering smile, knocked on Yu Yan’s office door to make their request.

Hearing their tentative request, Yu Yan was silent for a moment.

He had been working overtime at night to digest Kang Shi’s professional knowledge, but he hadn’t fully grasped it yet. With these assistants around every day, they would definitely notice if something was off.

“Let’s not make any changes for now. Stick to the previous arrangement, and we can revisit this later,” Yu Yan replied.

Although they didn’t get the permission they hoped for, they weren’t scolded either. Xiao Gao left gratefully, going back to pat the shoulders of his two junior colleagues, saying, “Our future is bright!”

The two junior colleagues said, “Then let’s come to Dr. Kang’s lab early every day to check the equipment.”

Xiao Gao replied, “You’re just using this as an excuse to see the experimental subject!”

The junior colleagues giggled, “We can’t help it, he’s too good-looking. We really want to see what he looks like when he opens his eyes.”

After being injected by Yu Yan with a life-stimulant, a sedative, and a healing agent, 012 fell into a coma and had not woken up.

…

By the afternoon, Yu Yan woke from a nap in his office and turned his head to look at the “rainforest tank” outside. To his surprise, he saw a figure standing there and instantly became alert.

The “rainforest tank” was foggy and maintained at a low temperature suitable for the survival of the mutated white bat. Inside were hardy plants and flowers, with large clusters of purple-blue winter bells hanging down, the ground covered with moss, dead wood, and fine, soft black soil.

012 was standing amid the green leaves and purple flowers, facing the office glass.

Since Yu Yan’s office was not in privacy mode, 012 could also see the sleeping Yu Yan through the glass window.

Yu Yan didn’t know how long 012 had been standing there, but he found it quite eye-catching.

The person was indeed attractive, like a forest sprite, but he was naked.

Yu Yan got up and found a pair of pants in the lounge, using a mechanical arm to deliver them to 012 in the breeding area.

“Here, put these pants on.”

012 looked down at the pants but didn’t move.

Yu Yan figured he might not know how to wear them. With nothing else to do, he grabbed another pair of pants to demonstrate.

“Like this, put your legs in, pull them up, zip them, and button them. Can you do it?”

012 watched his demonstration, then shifted his gaze to Yu Yan’s eyes and spoke, “I am a lab specimen. Do lab specimens need to wear clothes?”

His voice was pleasant but somewhat strange, and his pronunciation was unusual.

The two stood at similar heights, separated by the glass, in two different spaces.

Yu Yan had no intention of being his life coach and pointed at the pants, “Put them on.”

Suddenly, 012 pressed his hand against the glass.

His hand was larger than an average person’s, with notably longer fingers. If it weren’t for the numerous unhealed wounds on it, it might have been more attractive.

Then, his delicate, snow-white face pressed against the glass, his eyes softly emitting a moon-like glow.

Yu Yan clearly saw a new number appear above 012’s head.

[Disgust Value Towards Host: 10/100]

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