Chapter 16: Weaving Nest
That night, Gao Nianze had a restless sleep and was jolted awake by a nightmare just as dawn was breaking.
He sat on the edge of the low bed, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead and clasping his damp hands together.
In that quiet moment, the old air purifier in the room emitted a steady dripping sound.
His heartbeat raced and pounded, even louder than the dripping.
He recalled two days earlier, sitting in that café and receiving the vial of medication from the person across from him.
He thought about how he had successfully placed one of the vials into 012’s atomizer the night before, and suddenly felt a wave of overwhelming panic and dread.
He knew that if this were discovered, the consequences would be dire.
But, he couldn’t avoid doing it. The other party was from the Central District Research Institute, and a single word from them could revoke his researcher status.
He had worked tirelessly to earn this position, enduring endless challenges to stay in the Fifth District laboratory and learn more. He had toiled like a mule for Kang Shi, smiling through the reprimands.
A few days ago, his sole hope was that his superior, Kang Shi, would not revert to his previous cruel self. It was best if he could be promoted from assistant researcher to a junior researcher, with a higher salary.
When Dr. Kang asked him to keep 012’s situation confidential and promised a promotion to junior researcher with the opportunity to continue conducting experiments with him, he was overjoyed!
But in the blink of an eye, someone from the Central District Research Institute contacted him.
They said that if he succeeded, he could be transferred to their institute as a researcher and would also receive a residence in the Central District.
Gao Nianze stared blankly at his old, dilapidated apartment, which he had lived in for decades.
The walls were yellowed and peeling, and the smell from the bathroom always seeped back because of the low ceiling and dense surrounding buildings, which kept the place dim and devoid of light year-round.
The distance from the research institute was far, and he spent a lot of time commuting each day.
He had dreamed of a better life, of living in a nicer house, and of a brighter future.
Ordinary people like him would never have the chance to live in the Central District, but now, the opportunity was right in front of him.
Like a wandering soul, Gao Nianze stood by the door, his stiff fingers prying another vial from the box.
It’s okay, don’t be afraid. No one will find out. By the time someone does, I’ll already be in the Central District.
He told himself this.
He hurried out the door, navigating the cramped hallway and avoiding the piles of trash that hadn’t been cleared for ages. His mind drifted back to Kang Shi.
Kang Shi was now a likable superior—easygoing and untroubled, not ordering him around or getting angry. Occasionally, he had a dry sense of humor, making interactions quite relaxed.
But Gao Nianze tried to push the image of this amiable superior out of his mind, recalling Kang Shi’s previous temper.
He had been quick to reprimand assistant researchers and had subjected him to countless verbal insults. There were many times he had cried alone when he got home.
Such a person, even if they had changed now, deserved whatever consequences came their way.
As Gao Nianze walked into the research institute in the morning light, he had completely convinced himself. He entered the laboratory, his back no longer damp with sweat and his fingers steady.
He was still the first to arrive, heading to the small control room to clean the atomizer that had residual medication, leaving no trace behind.
Then, as usual, he organized the laboratory, checked the medication storage, retrieved the food needed for the experimental subjects from the warehouse, and operated the machinery to perform basic cleaning and disinfection in the feeding area.
After finishing all this, the laboratory door opened, and a casually dressed man with his uniform open walked in.
“Good morning, Xiao Gao. Why are you here so early again?” Yu Yan greeted the busy assistant. “Young people can sleep a bit longer. Even if you come in late, it won’t affect your salary.”
Xiao Gao smiled. “I’m used to it.”
He didn’t dare make eye contact with his superior, his gaze a bit evasive. Fortunately, the superior didn’t notice his slight unease. He was instead distracted by the dragon snapping turtle repeatedly banging its head against the glass.
“My turtle, you’re really stubborn. Starting to bang again, huh?” Yu Yan put on gloves, held down the agitated turtle, and moved it to the hot sand pit with its stone turtle companion.
The day passed quietly. Yu Yan had only granted access to Su He and Xiao Gao, making the lab much quieter compared to the hustle and bustle of other labs.
Besides being a caretaker every day, Yu Yan absorbed knowledge from the original owner’s memories, from Su He, and then attempted to conduct experiments based on this knowledge.
Su He would discuss things with him and generously offer guidance, but today she had to leave shortly after arriving due to an urgent issue with her experimental subject.
In the following days, Su He was overwhelmed.
“Xiao Ye has been inexplicably agitated lately, with increased aggression and muscle pain,” Su He said, her eyes filled with worry.
Yu Yan recalled that in the original plot, Su He was constantly researching the evolution of mutated subjects. Her A-grade silver wolf, Xiao Ye, had started its evolution around this stage.
“Don’t worry too much. It might actually be a good thing,” Yu Yan reassured her with a hint of speculation.
Su He didn’t take his words to heart and remained anxious.
Just at this moment, she had just started to make headway with the two highly infectious mutated viruses on 012 and needed to focus on breaking through.
“Senior Kang, I’m sorry, but you’ll have to handle the research alone for now. I’ll come back once Xiao Ye’s situation improves,” Su He said.
Yu Yan waved his hand. “No need to apologize. Go ahead, I don’t expect any issues here for the time being.”
There were indeed some issues, though—just a minor one.
After changing into protective gear to deliver food to 012 in the feeding area, Yu Yan called out, “Yao’er? It’s time to eat.”
The large leaves in the corner rustled, revealing 012’s body.
For some reason over the past few days, 012 had started hiding again and refused to be observed.
Yu Yan had speculated that it might be due to the accidental injury he caused that day, but it seemed excessive to stay angry for so long.
“You’ve been hiding there since yesterday. Still not coming out for some fresh air today?” Yu Yan approached, his voice carrying a teasing tone.
“If you keep staying there all the time, you’ll end up using up all the oxygen in that corner.”
Yu Yan joked, but before he could get within three meters of 012, the mutant peeked out from behind the large green leaves.
“Don’t come closer,” 012 said.
Yu Yan glanced at 012’s head and saw that its health status hadn’t decreased, but its current emotion had changed to “irritable.”
Could the aura of Xiao Ye’s upgrade be affecting him? Otherwise, what else could explain this unusual emotion?
Yu Yan squatted down in place, adopting a heart-to-heart approach.
“Has something been bothering you lately? Tell me about it.”
“Are you tired of the scenery and want something new? Or do you want to try different food to change things up? Does the feeding area feel too cold and uncomfortable?”
He guessed at various possibilities.
The response he received from 012 was one he couldn’t accept.
“The smell on you makes me uncomfortable,” 012 said, keeping a fixed gaze on him and digging its sharp fingers into the thick green leaves.
“Don’t slander me. I shower every day; I don’t have any smell.”
Yu Yan quickly stood up and went outside to tell Xiao Gao, “012 is fed up with the plants and trees in its area. Add some more greenery—specifically those large willow trees. Put in several.”
The large willow trees were known for their long, flexible leaves that resembled long ribbons and were widely distributed around Xiluolan Island.
In addition to the dominant white bat genes, 012’s genes also included a mutated silk ribbon bird that fed on various toxic fruits and thrived in low temperatures. It mostly lived on Xiluolan Island and liked to nest in the large willow trees.
Yu Yan thought 012 might also enjoy these trees.
“Oh, and also replace the air in 012’s feeding area and give it a thorough cleaning.” Yu Yan was adamant that he didn’t have any unpleasant smell and suspected that the issue might be with 012’s feeding area.
Receiving the request for a thorough cleaning made Xiao Gao’s heart race, and he nearly feared he had been discovered.
“Alright, I’ll take care of it right away.”
Xiao Gao reassured himself that he wouldn’t be found out. He came in late at night to administer the medication and returned early in the morning to remove any evidence, ensuring 012 absorbed the stimulating agent at night. He was meticulous and confident that nothing would go wrong.
After several days, only two vials of the medication remained, and he couldn’t afford to fail!
The Life Group’s biological collection facility was very efficient, and the large willow trees were delivered the next day.
Other laboratories needed these trees for experiments, but Yu Yan requested them as indoor greenery.
They did look quite nice.
And 012 seemed to like them.
During a break, Yu Yan rested with his hand on his neck and saw 012 come out from behind the large green leaves. It observed the new willow trees for quite a while.
After resuming work for a while, Yu Yan checked again and found 012 sitting among the willow trees, playing with the long branches.
Yu Yan was pleased, realizing that 012 must have been feeling bored and irritable from over-eating and having nothing to do.
012 spent the whole day “playing” with the branches, and even when Yu Yan finished work, it was still busy with its “play.”
The next day at work, Yu Yan was astonished to find that 012 had woven the branches of two adjacent willow trees together.
It looked like a large green birdcage.
Yu Yan recalled seeing weaving birds before, which used fibers to make nests, but 012’s creation was even more impressive.
“Wow! Not bad at all, Yao’er. Are you making a nest for yourself? It’s coming along quickly and nicely. It must be quite comfortable to sleep in,” Yu Yan praised 012 sincerely.
He actually considered lying down to test it out, curious about the weight-bearing capacity of the ribbon leaves.
