Chapter 244 | The Apocalypse Landlady

Chen Shijie’s gaze lingered on Su Wan’s face for a moment.

“He didn't really say much; we haven't been able to get anything useful out of him yet.”

Su Wan’s brow twitched slightly.

Chen Shijie seemed to sense her question and waved a hand, his tone casual.

“Don't misunderstand; it’s not that I didn't want to ask, but his body couldn't handle it anymore.”

“The useless fools in charge of the interrogation were too heavy-handed and left him in terrible condition! Blood pressure, heart rate, temperature... not a single vital was normal!”

“I had him sent to the medical room for emergency treatment, using the best medicine and equipment.”

“He’s my most valuable test subject; I can't let him die!”

Su Wan’s fingers curled slightly, but her face remained expressionless.

Chen Shijie paused suddenly, an unnatural look flickering across his face.

He looked at Su Wan, then lowered his head, his eyes shifting behind his gold-rimmed glasses.

“As for that Scarface...”

He hesitated, seemingly choosing his words carefully.

Su Wan’s gaze grew colder.

Chen Shijie felt the chill, a shiver running down his spine. He gritted his teeth and finally spoke.

“His experimental value isn't as high as the Level 3 hunter’s... so we used Truth Serum...”

“That Truth Serum is a specialized drug developed independently by our research institute. It can make the subject lose consciousness in a very short time and answer all questions uncontrollably.”

“But the side effects of this drug are extremely severe... it irreversibly damages the brain’s nervous system...”

Chen Shijie’s voice grew lower and lower.

“He now... has some mental issues. His mind is clouded, he can't communicate normally, and he can no longer take care of himself. He can only be used for some live experiments...”

He looked at Su Wan, his voice rising with a hint of excitement.

“They are your people. I can help you get them out of the research institute, but you have to lend me that bracelet so I can study it...”

In that instant, Su Wan’s eyes turned completely cold.

Without warning, she reached out and grabbed Chen Shijie by the collar.

Chen Shijie was yanked forward, his toes nearly leaving the ground. His gold-rimmed glasses slid off the bridge of his nose, hanging precariously from one ear.

His face turned deathly pale instantly, his lips quivered, and a rattling sound escaped his throat.

Su Wan’s face was inches away, her eyes as calm as a stagnant pool, yet Chen Shijie could clearly feel the strength gripping his throat, ready to tighten at any moment.

“You dare negotiate with me?”

Su Wan’s voice wasn't loud, but every word stabbed into Chen Shijie’s heart like an ice pick.

She exerted a little force with her wrist, and Chen Shijie’s toes left the ground entirely. He was lifted into the air by one hand.

His face turned a deep red, and his hands clawed at Su Wan’s wrist, trying to pry away the iron-like grip, but her hand didn't budge an inch.

His legs kicked uselessly in the air, gravel and rubble rolling under his feet with faint clicking sounds.

Su Wan’s voice remained soft, but the chill in it was enough to freeze the blood in Chen Shijie’s veins.

“What do you think you are?”

Chen Shijie’s pupils contracted sharply as he finally realized the magnitude of his mistake.

This wasn't one of the test subjects in the lab he could toy with at will, nor was it a commoner from the Outer City he could trample upon, or a vagrant from the Ruin Zone he could capture.

This was a Level 4 powerhouse who could render Level 3 Ability Users powerless in an instant.

This was a woman who could cause Subject 5’s genes to collapse with a flick of her hand.

And he, an ordinary man without the strength to truss a chicken, actually dared to set conditions before her.

He was seeking death.

“No... it’s not...” Chen Shijie’s voice was so hoarse it was barely audible. He shook his head desperately. His gold-rimmed glasses fell off completely, hanging around his neck by the frames caught on his collar, swaying back and forth.

“I misspoke... I misspoke...”

“I... I’ll have the research institute release them immediately...”

“Both of them... both...”

Su Wan stared at him for a few seconds before letting go.

Chen Shijie’s feet hit the ground, and his legs gave out, sending him kneeling directly onto the dirt.

He clutched his throat, coughing several times as he gasped for air. His face was as pale as paper, and cold sweat poured down his forehead.

He looked up at Su Wan, his lips trembling, wanting to say something but not daring to.

Su Wan looked down at him from above, saying nothing.

Kneeling on the ground, Chen Shijie’s mind was a mess.

Logic told him that the best thing to do now was to rush back to the research institute, release those two, and get as far away from this woman as possible.

Yet, his gaze involuntarily drifted back to the silver-grey bracelet on Su Wan’s right wrist.

In those eyes, fear and fanaticism flickered in turns.

He gritted his teeth, and drawing from some unknown source of courage, he spoke again.

“That... that bracelet... could you...”

He swallowed hard, his voice trembling.

“Could you let me see it?”

“I won't take it. Right here, with you watching me...”

Su Wan looked down at the kneeling Chen Shijie, momentarily at a loss for words.

This man, even after nearly being strangled to death, hadn't given up on the idea of her bracelet.

The stifled feeling in Su Wan’s heart intensified.

She finally realized that the man before her could not be judged by common sense.

He was a complete and utter scientific madman.

Su Wan took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to strangle him. “Aren't you afraid I’ll kill you?”

Chen Shijie froze for a moment, then laughed.

“If you were going to kill me, I’d be dead already.”

He paused, adjusted his glasses from his collar and put them back on. His voice regained that rapid, non-stop cadence.

“But since you didn't kill me immediately, it means I’m still useful to you, doesn't it?”

Su Wan’s brow arched slightly.

Chen Shijie didn't notice the change in her expression and continued talking to himself.

“I am the Chief Researcher of Deep Blue Research Institute, the top scientist in the biochemical field of Panshi City, and a Senior Researcher certified by the Dawn Federation Bio-Research Institute.”

“I have a hand in every research project at Deep Blue, from gene modification to drug development, from test subject cultivation to technical application. I’m the lead on several of them.”