Chapter 137 – Fire Seed (6)
◎ The first S7 level ◎
Since its establishment, the Northern Base had opened a green channel for talent introduction, attracting elites to settle with various preferential policies. After nearly half a century of accumulation, it had already gathered countless industry giants and leading figures.
Zhuang Qingyan’s request was reasonable. Ye Zimei quickly agreed, but out of curiosity, she still asked:
“Since you’re acquainted, why didn’t you contact them yourself?”
Zhuang Qingyan’s expression turned solemn. “Mr. Ming Gang’s only son, Ming Zhi, was my close friend. He mentioned several times before his passing that he wanted to introduce me to his parents. Although I had a long-standing friendship with both seniors, due to the nature of my work, it was delayed. Who would have thought that Ming Zhi would depart so suddenly…”
Recalling the sad past, his eyes lowered, exuding an air of melancholy and loneliness. “Things change unpredictably. Mr. Ming Gang and his wife are now white-haired, and how could I dare to disturb them recklessly…”
Ye Zimei hurriedly waved her hands. “Uh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know about the situation…”
Zhuang Qingyan earnestly said, “Luckily, our captain understands righteousness deeply and doesn’t mind that I’m a useless person. She’s willing to bring me to the Northern Base. With this opportunity, I want to fulfill my friend’s last wish and visit the two seniors for him.”
“Understanding righteousness,” Song Ke muttered to herself. She was already accustomed to his ability to talk nonsense.
Lin Youyou, however, wasn’t quite used to it. She glanced nervously at Lin Xiu, relieved to see the screen was in sleep mode; Lin Xiu, engrossed in a drama, probably hadn’t heard their conversation.
“Understood, I’ll arrange this matter as soon as possible.”
The lustrous pearl earrings emitted a sparkling light. With the vast population of the Northern Base, Ye Zimei couldn’t possibly know everyone, but as the terminal operated timely, knowledge within her reach flooded in. Information related to Mr. Ming Gang and his wife instantly appeared in Ye Zimei’s mind: the couple had moved to the Northern Base about thirty years ago, had a son named Ming Zhi, who later joined the confidential project at the Qinglan Research Institute, aligning with what Zhuang Qingyan had said.
As Ye Zimei spoke, Lu Xiaoyu’s gaze paused for a second on her earring.
In District B’s terminal, compared to six years ago when he was exiled, it seemed… their permissions had further deepened.
After Ye Zimei left, they rested for half a day until Jia Yi came to inform them that the genetic testing had been arranged.
As the most important VIP, Song Ke was naturally placed in the highest priority exclusive channel, while the others had to wait, but in any case, they would all get it done today.
An unmanned floating car departed from the hotel, steadily flying towards the pure white building at the heart of Qianzhan City—the Awakener Detection Station.
It was Song Ke’s first time in such a luxurious extended version of a floating car.
“Wow~” She couldn’t help but emit a small exclamation of awe at the luxurious interior.
She explored it, shifting from one position to another, sometimes reclining fully and then suddenly sitting upright, inadvertently meeting the gaze of the camera on the console, resulting in a silent standoff.
Song Ke: “…”
She gradually straightened up and, for the latter part of the journey, remained motionless as if she had been struck mute by poison.
Because the information she had provided described her as an S-level, inconsistent with her Awakener certification level, and given the high importance placed by the base’s awakener department, as soon as Song Ke landed, over a dozen staff in white robes were waiting at the entrance to receive her.
A woman in her thirties with short hair stood out among them. She wore understated silver-framed glasses and spoke with a rapid and crisp pace.
“Hello, Song Ke, I’m your awakener analyst, Grace.”
Song Ke’s ears perked up, hearing someone nearby softly calling her “Director” and attempting to transmit data to her via terminal. Grace’s lenses glowed, faintly transmitting data that swiftly passed by.
Grace nodded towards Song Ke. “I’ll be in charge of your genetic testing. Please follow me.”
The moment Song Ke entered the testing station, she was captivated by the towering, centrally placed, and precise equipment. It was massive, nearly integrated with the entire building, all white in color, with numerous fine silver wires connected at its ports.
“The R-Type Awakener Analyzer is currently the most advanced instrument in the Alliance. It can simultaneously accommodate data analysis for 500 people, maintaining an accuracy rate of over 97%,” Grace explained, noticing Song Ke’s gaze.
Song Ke glanced around the empty testing station, expressing confusion with her eyes: Where were the 500 people?
“To ensure your results are 100% accurate, we’ve cleared the area. All testing for awakeners has been suspended,” Grace said solemnly.
“Ah…” Song Ke’s initial reaction: There were probably more people waiting in line at the Immigration Center.
Following Grace, Song Ke continued forward. The design of the entire testing station was both sleek and futuristic. White lights mimicking daylight were omnipresent, illuminating the space vividly.
As Song Ke walked, she gradually placed a hand over her chest, feeling slightly uncomfortable—a combination of intense light and confined space seemed to unsettle her.
Grace: “Let’s start with the routine checks—blood draw, collection of bodily fluids, and some biological information to conduct chromosome and DNA analysis.”
After entering the room, Song Ke saw numerous unnamed instruments and mechanical arms emitting a cold light.
Similar examinations had been conducted in Ferrara, and Grace patiently guided her step by step. Before long, she smoothly completed the process.
Then, Grace led her to a laboratory-like room with a circular machine and a single bed positioned at a gap in the equipment.
“This is the Radiomagnetic Resonance Spectrometer linked to the R-Type. It can comprehensively analyze your awakened abilities,” explained Grace.
Song Ke obediently lay on the single bed. A virtual light screen appeared before her eyes. It was many times more advanced than the black box Wu Juemin had used at the Fools Wharf, inundating her vision with various lines and data, leaving her momentarily dazzled.
Grace and her assistant entered the observation room. Once the instrument started, an intricate buzzing noise echoed around Song Ke. She distinctly felt a slight fluctuation in her awakened energy, as if stagnant water was slowly starting to flow.
On the panel in the observation room, Song Ke’s various data skyrocketed, instantly surpassing the threshold of S-level.
Her awakened energy, explosiveness, reaction speed, and muscle core strength increased at a nearly terrifying rate.
An assistant exclaimed excitedly, “It’s rising so rapidly, it might even reach S5.”
“It’s my first time seeing a living S-level,” another person who had recently arrived at the testing station marveled at Song Ke’s data.
“You’re lucky. You get to see two at once. Later, Mr. Ken Oda will be here.”
“Ken Oda’s results won’t be surprising. He’s a well-known S2, and how can you compare engineering-type and strong attack-type…”
Everyone was excited; it had been a long time since a fresh S-level had joined the Northern Base.
Suddenly, Grace made a puzzled sound, furrowing her brows slightly.
“Director, what’s wrong?” the assistant beside her asked nervously.
“There are impurities showing in the spectrum,” Grace said in a grave tone. It was an unprecedented situation.
“Could it be a machine malfunction?” Even the speaker didn’t believe it; the R-Type Analyzer had self-repair programs. How could it possibly malfunction?
Grace’s expression turned serious as she focused on the imaging panel. The impurities increased, spontaneously gathering around Song Ke, gradually forming a large shadow enveloping her entire being.
“This is… radiation?”
Grace, usually composed, displayed an expression of extreme astonishment.
Twenty minutes passed, and Song Ke lay inside the machine, yawning out of boredom. She mused hazily, wondering why this whatever-it-was instrument took so long. It didn’t seem that advanced either.
Another ten minutes went by before the annoying noise gradually ceased. The single bed rolled out slowly, and Grace stood in front of Song Ke, smiling. “Although the specific report isn’t ready yet, I’d like to congratulate you in advance. You are indeed an S-level awakener.”
Grace paused for a moment. “Moreover, you’re the most powerful awakener I’ve ever seen.”
“Oh, it’s nothing,” Song Ke modestly waved her hand.
“After the analysis report is ready, Commander He will personally meet with you,” Grace added finally.
…
“Commander, the genetic test results for Song Ke are in,” Ye Zimei’s voice sounded from the private channel.
Commander He Qiuhong gestured, signaling the ongoing conversation to stop. Ministers quietly exited the room, and she stood up, quickly entering a concealed compartment. As she moved, the terminal gradually lit up, initiating a holographic conference call, with several high-ranking officials from the awakener department eagerly waiting.
Song Ke’s awakener report was transmitted, a whopping 34 pages. He Qiuhong skipped through the complex charts and professional data analysis, swiftly reviewing the final results.
Equally anxious high-ranking officials flipped through to the end. One of them exclaimed in shock, “The level is… S7! If I’m not mistaken, she’s the first S7 officially announced by the Alliance since the disclosure of awakeners? And she’s a strong attack type!”
Even among awakeners of the same level, there were finer distinctions, only detectable by the R-Type Analyzer. Each awakener level was divided into grades 1 through 9. Currently, the highest publicly disclosed S-level registered by the Central Court was only S6. Yet, out of nowhere, Song Ke, this individual, emerged as an S7 awakener!
The expressions of the high-ranking officials from the awakener department were incredulous. How could such a monster exist in a region they habitually overlooked?
He Qiuhong’s usually serious face showed a rare smile. It was she who proposed recruiting from the lower-tier districts, and Song Ke’s arrival, a self-made S7 strong attack-type awakener without any background, was undoubtedly a godsend for the Northern Base at this moment.
Amidst the murmurs, Grace’s calm voice interrupted, “Sorry to interrupt, but there’s something I must bring to your attention. Please take a look at page 17 of the report.”
“According to the Radiomagnetic Spectrum Analysis, the radiation level within Song Ke’s body… is twenty times that of a normal awakener.”
The holographic image was vivid, Grace saw it clearly, and everyone present gasped in disbelief. The radiation level of an average zombie is only about twice that of an awakener. Twenty times? How… how did she survive? And she hasn’t turned into a zombie yet?
This person is the future gold mine of the base; there absolutely cannot be any accidents!
He Qiuhong pulled out that page from the Radiomagnetic Resonance Imaging report. Song Ke’s torso and limbs appeared dirty, as if covered by the shadows of dark clouds.
“Excessive radiation, does it affect her awakened abilities?”
“This is the strangest part; it has no effect. She is no different from other S-levels,” sighed Grace.
“What if it’s a dual-type awakener?”
He Qiuhong, as expected, instantly considered another possibility.
However, Grace negated her speculation. “The R-Type didn’t find a second type of awakened ability in Song Ke. Dual-type awakeners are too rare, especially S-levels. Fortunately, we have Punk’s data on hand. By comparison, Punk’s radiation level matches that of an S-level single-type awakener. His distribution also differs significantly from Song Ke’s. So, that’s not the reason.”
As the Alliance’s first publicly known S-level dual-type awakener, Punk’s awakener report was undoubtedly classified information. He Qiuhong had utilized a significant number of resources and connections, ultimately obtaining it from the Central Court’s Park Jae Woo.
“Besides the radiation level… Song Ke has another serious issue,” Grace became increasingly troubled.
“Pages 22 to 27 are her genetic report.”
“Song Ke has chromosomal abnormalities and parts of the DNA sequence unknown. It’s currently uncertain if it’s hereditary or congenital. I’m not an expert in this field, but I’m concerned… she may have an invisible genetic defect.”
Grace’s concern was not unfounded; genetic defects could lead to various illnesses. If a powerful awakener lost their life due to a genetic disease, it would be a heartbreaking loss.
“Could she have participated in the genetic selection program?” A high-ranking individual speculated uncertainly. “In the early stages, many suffered from genetic diseases due to immature technology.”
He Qiuhong flipped back to the first page of the report. Song Ke’s original residence was in F177 District.
People from the District F wouldn’t have had any chance to participate in the genetic selection program.
She pondered for a moment and whispered, “Send this report to Dr. Ning. Dr. Ning is an expert in genetic engineering and genetics. He should be able to analyze the unusual reasons behind Song Ke’s condition.”
“Should we also have Song Ke go there for detailed examinations in collaboration with Dr. Ning?” Grace asked.
“No,” He Qiuhong intervened, “don’t inform her until we clarify the situation. Also, modify this report.”
*
At the same time, V587 was popping champagne to celebrate.
Lin Youyou and the others had also finished their genetic tests. Apart from Xu Xing, who had just broken through and landed at A1 level, the rest were exceeding expectations. Lin Youyou was A4, Fang Zhixu was A5, and surprisingly, Su Cha scored an A8!
This usually taciturn person couldn’t muster more than three sentences, but this time, he genuinely surprised everyone.
Su Cha, feeling awkwardly restrained, sat on the sofa. Song Ke excitedly patted his shoulder, while Lin Youyou affectionately ruffled his crew cut.
Her soft touch brushed against his short stubble, causing a slight itch that darted from his back to his head. Su Cha stiffened, gripping the canned beer tightly, producing a flattened “crack” as he squeezed it.
“Excuse me,” Jia Yi politely knocked on the door. “Miss Song, your awakener report is ready.”
Everyone gathered around eagerly as Jia Yi calmly passed the report back to Song Ke using the connector.
“Quick, quick! What’s the level? S what?”
“Wow! S7! Sister, you’re amazing!”
“Haha, I guessed it right; Old Fang owes me money!” Lin Youyou boasted proudly.
Fang Zhixu remained silent. Due to his blind trust in Song Ke, he obstinately bet on S9.
“S7 team captain, can you buy me some materials?” Lu Xiaoyu joined in.
“Buy, buy,” Song Ke chuckled foolishly.
Zhuang Qingyan extracted the terminal from Song Ke’s playful hands and meticulously went through the report page by page.
He took his time, reading meticulously. The professional data that He Qiuhong couldn’t understand posed no challenge for him.
The report consisted of 24 pages, and Zhuang Qingyan took his time, reading it thoroughly.
Then, he removed his glasses, pinched his prominent brow, and a hint of scornful smirk curved his thin lips.
Truly the arrogance of the District B, the awakener department personnel seemed to disregard them too much. Even for an S1-level awakener, a normal analysis report would span over 25 pages, let alone Song Ke, a rare S7.
Not willing to revise at all, they just deleted and glossed over it. It might have fooled the laymen, but trying to deceive him was merely wishful thinking.
Because that R-Type Analyzer capable of genetic analysis came from the Qinglan Research Institute.
Its original purpose was to be used for genetic fusion in the Fire Seed project.
No one understood its functions better than Zhuang Qingyan did.
