233: Chapter 233 Who Lowered the Temperature?

After leaving Civilization Science City, Lin Fang went directly to the Black Watch Base on Titan.

Upon entering, he took the elevator directly to the BSL-5 biosafety laboratory located on sub-level three. This classification level was unique to Third-Party Technology, as the highest level elsewhere was only BSL-4.

According to Third-Party Technology's laboratory usage specifications, BSL-5 level laboratories were capable of handling various extremely dangerous viruses and organisms, ensuring safety even with beings like alien predators.

After completing the decontamination procedures, Lin Fang prepared to enter this laboratory.

Hmm...

Why did it feel like he was becoming more and more proficient at this? Wasn't he an information technology major in university?

Once inside, Lin Fang saw many people busy within the laboratory. In a prominent isolation chamber sat the face-like strange stone excavated from beneath the strata of Andi Star.

At that moment, several figures stood before this large stone.

Among them, the one who appeared obese was the overall mission leader, Mitte Wester. He was among the group who had followed Lin Fang the longest.

It was a proven fact that even with Metabolix Diet Pills, they were powerless against some individuals. To actually develop resistance to that capsule... Lin Fang felt a wave of helpless exasperation.

The biological isolation membrane covering the face-like strange stone on the floor had been torn open. The large white face on it remained just as it was initially.

However, the closer he got, Lin Fang's footsteps began to slow. Looking at the stone, his brow unconsciously furrowed. He felt something was off.

Upon careful reflection, this feeling had actually been present since he entered the laboratory. It was like stepping from a noisy, bustling market into an absolutely silent forest. In the first few seconds, you would feel a physiological discomfort and alertness due to the sudden disappearance of sound.

Lin Fang's current sensation was similar. He perceived that there seemed to be some latent danger here.

Warning of danger was something everyone experienced, but most people relied on senses like sight or hearing—for example, a knife-wielding assailant or an out-of-control vehicle. Ordinary people would certainly feel fear upon seeing or hearing such things.

However, people in certain special professions possessed an acuity for such dangers that differed from the norm, like top-tier mercenaries or assassins lurking in the shadows. Their spirit and will had long been tempered and elevated by various dangers, enabling them to detect threats in advance based on their surroundings.

They could even detect prying eyes from behind. Merely a hostile gaze from someone could be sensed by these individuals. This ability was often broadly categorized as a sixth sense.

After several rounds of genetic optimization, Lin Fang's sixth sense was countless times stronger than that of such individuals. Precisely because of this, he felt the laboratory was enveloped in a chilling aura.

Lin Fang's heart sank. Whatever could trigger his danger premonition naturally wouldn't be these people involved in the experiment—his own employees. That left only this stone...

"BOSS, you're here,"

Upon seeing Lin Fang's arrival, Mitte, along with another middle-aged man, walked out of the isolation chamber and greeted Lin Fang with a smile.

Lin Fang wasn't very familiar with the latter. According to the information, his name was Chick Obi, a B4-level materials scientist at the base.

"BOSS, it's an honor to meet you," Seeing Lin Fang look his way, Chick promptly introduced himself, "I am Chick Obi, responsible for conducting physical and chemical analysis on the sample."

Lin Fang gave a slight nod in acknowledgment, then said, "Tell me about your findings."

Chick produced a report. "BOSS, since you didn't require the sample's integrity to be preserved, we performed a certain degree of destructive testing and sampling analysis. We found that the stone's material is primarily composed of calcium and silicate. Its biggest difference from Earth's rocks is the presence of another unknown substance.

This crystal has a very high radiation value, somewhat similar to gamma rays, yet also different. If converted in terms of energy, the radiation dose rate at 1mm from its surface is as high as 240 Gy/h."

Lin Fang was astonished. 240 Gy/h. At this value, an ordinary person exposed to such a dose for 5 minutes would exhibit symptoms of acute radiation sickness, with organ failure beginning within 10 minutes.

"BOSS, this is its molecular morphology,"

Then, Chick opened the report, flipped through a few pages, and pointed it out to Lin Fang. "It can cause significant mutations in plants. Dr. Mitte and I agree that this radiation is what led to the emergence of the blue bacteriophage."

Lin Fang looked over. It was an unseen lattice structure, like a spider's web.

Chick continued, "Moreover, we discovered a startling phenomenon. Roughly two months ago, this crystal's molecular structure underwent a drastic mutation. The radiation dose rate was only 0.001 Gy/h before, meaning the radiation intensity skyrocketed by 240,000 times!"

This timing roughly coincided with when the disaster began.

But right now, that wasn't what concerned Lin Fang. He needed to identify the source that made him sense danger.

"What about that white human face?"

Faced with Lin Fang's question, it was the portly Mitte who answered next, his tone becoming somewhat awkward.

"BOSS, that's the part we haven't yet understood. We excised a portion and found this facial tissue extends two centimeters deep into the stone, intertwined with it. But it's entirely composed of a mass of proteins and lacks any activity. I still can't figure out why it grew to resemble a human face..."

Lin Fang looked towards the face on the stone. A large chunk had been dug out from its forehead and cheek, revealing the stony structure beneath.

Apart from its bizarre shape, this human face showed no other abnormalities. Could it not be the source?

"Crush the sample. Melt it all down."

After a moment's thought, Lin Fang issued this command. Although it held some research value, it wasn't crucial. It was better to dispose of this unclear entity as soon as possible.

Lin Fang's word was the highest authority in the laboratory. Immediately, someone stepped forward to operate the mechanical arm to begin processing the stone.

Beside them, Chick opened his mouth, wanting to say this material might be very precious and it would be best to preserve at least a little.

But before he could speak, Chick suddenly felt a chilling aura envelop him, raising goosebumps all over his body. It wasn't just him; all the researchers present felt the same sensation.

"What's going on? Who lowered the air conditioning temperature? Turn it off, quick!"

"No, the displayed temperature is normal."

"That's strange... It's way too cold..."

Lin Fang's gaze sharpened. The Force Field that originally surrounded him immediately expanded to cover the entire laboratory. Puzzlingly, he didn't perceive any anomalies.

When Lin Fang's gaze fell back upon that human face, his heart jolted in sudden alarm.

The white face, devoid of eyebrows, had its eyes open at some unknown time, revealing a void of empty darkness...