Chapter 18: Attract Attention
Yu Yan blinked, suddenly taken aback by the unexpected impact. He looked at 012 and genuinely praised, “Yao’er, your chirp is really cute.”
He raised his terminal and tapped it to record the sound. A “cheep” echoed through the room.
“Luckily, I was quick with my hand; I recorded it.”
Although he had intended to secretly record 012 calling him ‘Third Brother,’ capturing the chirp was a nice bonus.
When the terminal repeated the third “cheep,” 012 turned and flew away, landing on a distant tree.
Throughout the day, Yu Yan’s work was constantly interrupted by a small bat-bird that had never been very noticeable before.
“The O-series virus has the highest infectivity. It appeared three years ago and was named…” Yu Yan was deep in thought when suddenly he heard a “Third Brother” from not far away, abruptly breaking his concentration.
Yu Yan turned in surprise to see 012 standing at the nearest glass edge, mouth open as if calling him.
Yu Yan got up obediently and walked over to communicate with him.
“What’s wrong? Now that you know me better, you’re willing to call me Third Brother?”
As soon as he approached, 012 backed away, retreating behind the nest.
Yu Yan: ?
What does this mean? I come close, and you run away?
He returned to his work, but shortly after, two more “cheep cheep” sounds came from 012’s feeding area.
Yu Yan looked up to see 012 standing by the glass, gazing at him as if hoping he would come over. The longing in those silver eyes seemed on the verge of breaking through the coldness.
Yu Yan finished reading the last two lines of his document slowly and set it aside to walk over.
As soon as he approached, 012, who had been calling him with chirps, moved away again, keeping a distance.
“You little rascal, learned to tease me, have you?”
Yu Yan was both amused and exasperated. He pointed a finger at 012 and then turned back to his work.
“Third Brother.”
Yu Yan kept fiddling with the pen in his hand, not looking up.
“Cheep, cheep.”
Yu Yan spun his pen and drew two horizontal lines on the paper.
“Brother.”
“…”
“Cheep, cheep, cheep cheep.” The noisy, childish chirping was accompanied by the sounds of rapid wing flapping and the thud of flying into the glass.
Desperately trying to attract attention.
Yu Yan looked up, put down his pen, and leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed.
He exchanged glances with 012, who had flown back to the edge of the glass.
Yu Yan wondered why 012, who had always been silent and aloof, was now frequently calling out to him, trying to catch his attention, and then moving away whenever he got close.
Something seemed off about 012.
Noting that it was around the time 012 usually fed, Yu Yan put on his protective suit and entered the feeding area.
In addition to the blood plasma bag he carried, Yu Yan had hidden syringes, ready to find a chance to give 012 a couple of shots to sedate him. He wanted to check if there was a physical issue or if 012 was just bored and wanted to play.
However, 012 did not give him that opportunity.
While Yu Yan ignored him, 012 made various noises to catch his attention. When Yu Yan finally entered the feeding area, 012 avoided him, flying erratically above the space.
This was the first time 012 had shown such uncooperative behavior.
Yu Yan chased him around for a while, hearing the repeated thuds of 012 crashing into the surrounding glass, which made his teeth ache.
It felt very much like dealing with a stressed-out bird.
“Alright, alright, I’m not chasing you anymore. Stop flying around and settle down,” Yu Yan said, putting down the food and leaving.
Since 012 kept distancing himself whenever Yu Yan approached, Yu Yan couldn’t even get a clear view of his status bar.
Back in the office, Yu Yan called Su He, the expert on mutants, for advice.
“…So, junior, what do you think might be wrong with him?” Yu Yan briefly described 012’s current state.
The background noise on Su He’s end was loud, and her voice carried noticeable fatigue.
“The data we previously obtained didn’t show any such abnormal state. Is he still eating?”
Yu Yan glanced back. “Eating normally, and he’s been consuming more than before these past two days.”
Su He asked, “Are there any bruises or blood spots on his body?”
Yu Yan replied, “None.”
The background noise on Su He’s end suddenly increased, and her response quickened.
“Alright, observe him closely for any other abnormalities today. I’ll try to find time to visit tomorrow so we can conduct a detailed examination together.”
Yu Yan said, “Alright, thank you for your hard work, junior.”
He had initially planned to force a check-up on 012 soon, but since Su He suggested postponing, he decided to wait until the next day.
Given how energetic 012 seemed and his strong vitality, a day without intervention shouldn’t cause any major issues.
However, he thought he should get a gift for Su He someday to appreciate her efforts.
After ending the call with Su He, Yu Yan dragged a chair to the outside of the feeding area’s glass and planned to sit there in the afternoon to observe 012.
Under his constant watch, 012, though not approaching, had stopped flying erratically and had become much quieter, only flying low near the flower-adorned nest.
Yu Yan noticed another abnormality in 012.
The wings behind him, which usually rested against his body and only spread out during flight, were now constantly extended, slightly fluttering even without wind.
Yu Yan recalled that 012’s wings had a layer of silvery-gray down that reflected light during flight. Today, however, they seemed to shimmer with a radiant silver-blue hue.
Even 012’s skin appeared to have a layer of dazzling color, making him look as though he was surrounded by a soft glow.
Yu Yan took several photos to document the changes and studied them for a while.
“It’s like he has a built-in filter. No need for editing.”
Due to the pale skin, any marks from his wounds stood out more sharply. Some of the wounds were stitched up by Yu Yan himself, neatly closed and healing well.
Yu Yan compared the photos, easily noticing the striking changes in 012. The once-silver-gray down on his wings had turned silver-blue, and his gray eyes now had a hint of blue.
Yu Yan pondered the reason for 012’s color change. Could it be due to some special toxin accumulation?
Was it to adapt to the environment?
Surely it couldn’t be for courtship.
Yu Yan shook his head with a smile and reviewed the experimental information from Zhou Sheqing about 012, hoping to find any similar reactions. Unfortunately, he found nothing.
In the past, 012 had never shown such abnormalities.
Because of the association with male birds courting, Yu Yan had even reviewed the records from Zhou Xiangcheng’s laboratory, where 012 had been induced into a reproductive state by medication.
Yu Yan reviewed the data, noting the increase in anxiety and appetite, but there was no heightened aggression or destructive tendencies towards objects and the isolation room. There was no self-harm or damage to his wings and feathers, and the color change in his eyes and wings had never been recorded before.
He pulled away from the documents and rubbed his aching forehead.
As the lighting in the feeding area dimmed, the silver-blue hue on 012 became more pronounced, almost glowing in the dark.
“Come here,” Yu Yan called to the glowing figure, “Tell me, is anything bothering you?”
012 responded with a mechanical, emotionless “Brother.”
Yu Yan said, “Don’t be evasive about your condition, alright?”
Again, 012 repeated “Brother,” like a broken record, unable to communicate.
Yu Yan decided he would stay in the office tonight to keep an eye on him and avoid any sudden issues.
Just before the end of the workday, Xiao Gao arrived. Yu Yan stopped him, “Xiao Gao, can you work overtime tonight to help me monitor 012’s condition? Of course, triple pay for overtime.”
It was a chance for both of them to change shifts.
Xiao Gao looked uncomfortable. He coughed and said in a hoarse voice, “Dr. Kang, I… I’m not feeling well and would like to go home early to rest.”
Seeing Xiao Gao’s weak appearance and recalling his recent poor condition, Yu Yan decided to let it go.
“Then go and rest well. I’ll give you sick leave, so you can take a few more days off and come back when you’re better,” Yu Yan said, patting his assistant on the shoulder.
Xiao Gao smiled gratefully. “Thank you, Dr. Kang.”
As he left the laboratory, he glanced at his superior’s back, clutching his bag tightly. For a moment, he hesitated and felt reluctant, but ultimately said nothing and quickly left the suffocating lab.
Yu Yan considered whether to find someone else to help with the shift but decided against it. It was only one night; he could manage on his own.
He sat at his desk, flipping through documents while occasionally glancing up to check on 012’s location. Each time he looked up, he met 012’s gaze.
As the night deepened, the lights in the feeding area gradually dimmed, leaving only a hazy nightlight that simulated moonlight. Everything in the forest was shadowy and indistinct, with 012’s silver-blue glow fading from view.
“Did he perhaps go to sleep in the nest?” Yu Yan wondered.
Feeling a wave of drowsiness, he got up to splash cold water on his face. After returning to his desk and poring over documents for another two hours, his concentration was interrupted by a strange sound.
The breathing grew louder.
“Ha… ha…”
There were also short, low sounds of swallowing.
“Gu.”
And an urgent, peculiar noise.
“Uh…”
When Yu Yan worked as a resident doctor, he often encountered patients experiencing sudden discomfort and life-threatening symptoms during night shifts.
Yu Yan reacted swiftly, realizing that the strange noises were coming from 012 inside the nest. He immediately got up, went to the decontamination room to change into protective gear, and headed to check on 012.
As he approached the oval-shaped nest, the bizarre noises became clearer.
He moved closer quickly.
Peering inside the dim nest, he saw a dark, shifting shape. The faint blue light that moved was coming from 012’s wings. When the wings moved aside, 012’s blue, bulb-like eyes were revealed.
Not wanting to provoke him, Yu Yan turned on the softest light and gently shook the nest.
“Are you okay?” Yu Yan asked in a soothing voice.
The dim light illuminated the inside of the nest, and Yu Yan saw 012’s current emotional state.
Desire, struggle, and pain—all negative terms.
Looking at the status bar, it was marked: Consciousness Unclear (Danger)
The word “Danger” was highlighted in glaring red.
Even more shocking than the “Danger” label was the special status below.
The three words indicated that 012 was in a phase of intense reproductive drive.
Yu Yan: …
Who would have thought that the first possibility he ruled out was actually the correct answer?
Feeling no personal threat, Yu Yan’s first instinct was to coax 012 out and administer the injection.
“012? Come out here,” he called at the entrance of the nest.
His voice seemed to awaken 012.
A special, snow-white hand with a pearlescent sheen suddenly reached out from the nest and grasped Yu Yan’s hand holding the lamp.
