114: Chapter 114 Omega Virus Transmission

Dawn in Magic City was pierced by the lights of the laboratory that had been burning all night.

Chen Fan stood in the center of the Rock Laboratory, before him a 3D virus structure model unfolded by holographic projection—it was a precision simulation of the omega virus standard strain, where every protein capsid and every RNA sequence rotated slowly in the faint blue light and shadow.

Su Qingyue stood by his side, holding the latest infected tissue samples rushed from the Northwest, her eyes full of fatigue and concern. Lin Hao was at the console on the other side, debugging the newly assembled high-throughput gene sequencer.

"Fan Zi, all equipment is ready," Lin Hao reported. "Research on a virus of this level should, by regulation, be conducted in a P4 laboratory and requires at least three months of safety approval..."

"We don't have three months," Chen Fan's voice was calm but carried an indisputable decisiveness. "The virus is evolving. Every day we delay, the window for vaccine development closes a bit more. Qingyue, give me the samples."

Su Qingyue bit her lip and finally handed over the sealed sample box. The surface of the box was labeled with a striking biohazard symbol, and through the observation window, twenty neatly arranged cryopreservation tubes could be seen, containing dark green infected tissue homogenate.

Chen Fan took the sample box but didn't open it immediately. He closed his eyes, and his Mental Power extended like invisible tentacles, penetrating the box and enveloping every sample tube.

Deep in Chen Fan's pupils, a dark golden light suddenly brightened. In his "eyes," those frozen sample tubes were no longer simple containers but had become transparent structures—he could see the morphology of every virus particle, every amino acid residue on the protein capsid, and every base sequence on the RNA chain.

Even more miraculously, he could "see" the process of the virus interacting with host cells: how the capsid protein bound to cell membrane receptors, how the RNA was injected into the cytoplasm, and how it hijacked the cell's ribosomes for self-replication... This was an observational ability that surpassed any electron microscope or gene sequencer. This was the ability to directly "read" the essence of life.

"Record," Chen Fan said softly.

Xiao Zhi responded immediately. The water droplet hovered to his shoulder, the light patterns on its surface flowing rapidly as it began to record all the information Chen Fan perceived. The virus model on the holographic projection was quickly updated, with every detail being completed, corrected, and optimized.

He walked to the console and tapped quickly on the virtual keyboard. On the holographic projection, the virus model began to dismantle and reorganize, and a new protein structure was constructed—a vaccine antigen protein designed based on newly discovered epitopes.

He pulled up the design software and began rapid modeling. On the holographic projection, a brand-new vaccine molecular structure gradually took shape—it was like a precision nanomachine, displaying multiple epitopes on its surface, containing mRNA instructions and inhibitor prodrugs inside, and having an intelligent sustained-release coating on the outer layer.

The entire design process took only forty-seven minutes.

As the final 3D model rotated slowly in the projection, the laboratory fell silent. Lin Hao's mouth was agape, while Su Qingyue covered hers, her eyes reddening—not with sadness, but with the excitement of seeing hope.

"Can this... can this really be achieved?" Lin Hao murmured.

"Design is only the first step." Chen Fan saved all the data. "Next is synthesis, testing, and optimization."

Through consciousness anchoring Amplification, Chen Fan produced a vaccine according to the design blueprint.

He pulled up another piece of encrypted intelligence he had just received. It was sent by Lei Zhen through military channels—satellite monitoring showed that in the past forty-eight hours, abnormal omega virus infection reports had appeared in seven different locations worldwide: the New York Subway, the City of London, Shibuya in Tokyo, Marina Bay in Singapore... all densely populated international metropolises.

Even more eerie was that these infection events occurred almost simultaneously, and all were the "omega-Magic City" variant.

"Someone is intentionally spreading the virus," Chen Fan's voice turned cold. "It's a globally synchronized biochemical attack."

"Or the power behind him." Chen Fan thought of Alpha Capital behind the Long Corporation; Long Zaitian had mutated after being injected with the omega virus.

"Alpha Capital..." Lin Hao frowned. "I've heard of them. They're one of the world's largest biotech venture capital firms, having invested in hundreds of startups in gene editing, synthetic biology, and neuroscience. But why would they..."

"Why would they be involved in a biochemical attack?" Chen Fan took over. "Because Alpha Capital is not just an investment firm. According to intelligence investigated by Xiao Zhi, it has the backing of intelligence agencies and militaries from several countries. On the surface, it invests in cutting-edge technology, but in reality, it scours, controls, and even steals top-tier biotechnology globally."

He zoomed in on Long Zaiyu's photo: "Long Zaifei's 'Deep Source' laboratory in the Gobi Desert received its early funding from Alpha Capital. But later, Long Zaifei went out of control, and his experiments exceeded the investors' control."

"Then why is Long Zaiyu restarting the virus attack now?" Su Qingyue asked, puzzled.

"Two possibilities." Chen Fan held up two fingers. "First, revenge. Long Zaiyu wants to avenge his brother by using the virus his brother created against me. Second... testing."

His gaze became sharp. "Alpha Capital needs field data. They want to know the transmission efficiency, mutation speed, and social paralysis capability of the omega virus in a modern urban environment. Magic City, and those other international metropolises, are their 'testing grounds.' And we..."

Chen Fan looked at the vaccine model that had just been designed on the holographic projection.

"We are the 'control group' in their experiment—a city with advanced biotechnology and the ability to respond quickly. How will we deal with this biochemical crisis? Our response strategies, technical routes, and social mobilization capabilities will all become important references for them to evaluate the virus's power and formulate their next plans."

A heavy silence fell over the laboratory. This was not a simple battle of virus prevention and control, but a complex war mixed with revenge, conspiracy, and technological competition.

"So we have to be even faster," Lin Hao suddenly spoke, his voice carrying a rare ruthlessness.

Chen Fan glanced at him and nodded.

"Well said. Now, let's divide the tasks: Qingyue, handle the vaccine's launch and distribution; Lin Hao, start full-scale production of the Guardian robots—we need to be prepared, and get the raw materials for disinfectant ready; and I..."

He pulled up another document; it was the preliminary design for the "Star Vault Project."

An overseas laboratory. On the other end of the phone came an electronically processed voice: "Don't underestimate him. Long Zaifei is a cautionary tale."

"My brother was a madman; I am not." The man pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, the gaze behind the lenses chillingly calm.

"Within a month, we need to get a full assessment of the omega virus's ability to paralyze a modern metropolis. The funds are in place, and if necessary... we can initiate phase two of the release. That way, our vaccines and biopharmaceuticals will sell like crazy." The man hung up the phone and turned to look behind him.

There stood a row of giant incubation tanks. Inside the tanks, soaking in nutrient solution, were no longer animal embryos, but... humans.

On their foreheads, there were faint triangular marks.

The man walked to the console and pressed a button.

The liquid in the incubation tanks began to surge, and those "people" opened their eyes.

Blood-red eyes.

In the laboratory, a low and steady sound of breathing echoed.