34: The big enemy sent to your door

Chen Hao rubbed his fingers a few times, and the panoramic cabin’s display zoomed in, focusing on a spot on Blue Star. There, the lights of Titan Industrial City shone especially brightly at night, a stark contrast to the dim surrounding Myanmar landscape.

“Master, should we accelerate the transformation of the surrounding areas?”

“No need.” Chen Hao shook his head, tapped his finger, and brought up the population migration data around the Industrial City. “Let the contrast be even stronger, let people vote with their feet.”

Just then, the communicator glowed with a soft blue light. Bronya’s holographic image appeared elegantly beside the control panel: “Boss, Vladimir Kozlovsky, President of the Northern Steel Federation Clean Energy Group, requests an urgent meeting.” Her lips curved into a meaningful smile. “It seems the life-extension treatment we provided for the old lady has been quite effective.”

A hint of playfulness flashed in Chen Hao’s eyes: “You meet him personally. Also…” He turned and walked out of the observation cabin, heading towards the office door, the lights in the cabin gradually dimming. “Prepare a ‘special gift.’ I think Mr. Kozlovsky will need some evidence to persuade his colleagues back home.”

“We need a suitable ‘scapegoat’ to cooperate with our feint.”

As the office door slid open, Chen Hao’s figure merged into the silver-white corridor of the space station. Outside the windows beside him, some summoned employees in the lower level of Pierpoint were maintaining the space station’s operation, with hovercars constantly shuttling between the tall buildings.

Bronya’s projection remained in place, tapping her finger to send an encrypted instruction to Bronya’s personal terminal: [Authorize use of the Industrial City’s ‘Violet’ level confidential area. Note: Remember to initiate the dismantling procedure after use.]

One hour ago, Mandala Palace Hotel, Presidential Suite

Vladimir Kozlovsky stood at the suite door, his finger hovering above the doorbell, a rare moment of hesitation.

Three days ago, when he received the news that his mother had a sudden heart attack in Myanmar, he had already prepared for the worst. The 78-year-old lady suffered from severe coronary heart disease, and doctors in Five Ports City had long hinted that it could happen at any time…

However, his mother loved to travel when she was young, and it was no different in her old age. As a son, all he could do was arrange for discreet escorts.

The door suddenly opened from the inside.

“Vladimir!” A familiar yet strange voice sounded.

Kozlovsky’s pupils suddenly contracted. Standing before him was an elegant woman who looked to be in her early fifties, with firm skin and bright eyes, walking towards him with the sprightly gait his mother only had thirty years ago. Even more terrifying was the flexible curve of the old lady’s spine as she bent down to pick up slippers, and the unhindered swing of her joints as she reached out to pat his shoulder—this was not the mother who relied on a wheelchair!

“Mom… Mother?” His voice was so dry it didn’t sound like his own.

“Come in, dear.” The old lady smiled, pulling him inside. “I know you have a head full of questions.”

In the suite’s living room, Kozlovsky mechanically accepted the vodka handed to him by a servant, his gaze fixed on his mother’s left clavicle. There should have been a scar from an operation over a decade ago, but now there was only smooth skin.

“Did they give you stem cell treatment? Gene editing? Or…”

“A cup of tea.” The old lady winked mysteriously. “To be precise, three cups. The first cup for awakening, the second for recovery, and the third for…” She caressed her no longer sagging cheeks. “They call it ‘Second Youth.’”

The glass slipped from Kozlovsky’s hand, vodka mixed with glass shards splashing onto the Persian rug.

One hour later, Titan Industrial City, “Violet” Level Confidential Area

Bronya stood in front of the observation window of the biological laboratory, tapping her finger on a tablet. The holographic projection displayed the old lady’s vital signs after treatment: bone density equivalent to a 40-year-old woman, telomere length 37% longer than her peers, and most astonishingly, myocardial cell activity almost at an athlete’s level.

“He’s here.” Aventurine suddenly appeared behind her, toying with a gold coin engraved with a star. “Just passed the security gate, heart rate 120, blood pressure a bit adorable.”

At the end of the corridor, Kozlovsky approached, ‘escorted’ by two security guards. The energy magnate’s face was flushed, and his expensive custom suit was wrinkled, clearly having undergone intense psychological struggle.

“Mr. Kozlovsky.” Bronya smiled, stepping forward to greet him. “Welcome to Titan’s core R&D area.”

The magnate skipped the pleasantries directly: “Name your price.”

“Oh?”

“Don’t play dumb.” Kozlovsky lowered his voice, his eyes flickering with greed and fear. “That medicine… or technology, what are the terms?”

Bronya’s red lips curved into a dangerous arc: “How about we first look at our… demonstration?”

She lightly touched the wall, and a hidden door slid open, revealing a circular exhibition hall. In the center were twelve bio-cultivation tanks filled with pale green liquid, each containing a human body of a different age, from 20 to 80, all in a state of deep sleep.

“This is…”

“The Time Capsule Project.” Bronya guided him to the rightmost cultivation tank, which contained a white-haired old man. “D-12, 86 years old. He signed the agreement during his last conscious moments before entering the ICU, then entered the tank.” She clicked the control panel, and blue liquid suddenly injected into the tank. “Observe his skin.”

Kozlovsky watched with his own eyes as the age spots on the old man’s face faded at a visible speed, and wrinkles were smoothed away as if by an invisible hand. Ten minutes later, the monitoring screen showed his physiological age had regressed to 58.

“It has some effect, but it cannot fundamentally solve the problem.”

Bronya walked to the second cultivation tank, and Kozlovsky quickly followed. Inside was also a white-haired old man, looking even older than the previous one. Clicking the control panel, yellow liquid was injected into the tank. “D-17, 92 years old. Signed the agreement on his birthday, then entered the tank. This liquid is the same one your mother took. Of course, it’s been upgraded a bit.”

Kozlovsky quickly widened his eyes, carefully observing the old man’s changes. This time it was faster and more intense than the last: wrinkles disappeared, and his hair turned black, thicker, and longer. What shocked him even more was that this old man—no, he should be called a middle-aged man now—his entire body’s muscle definition began to become apparent, and his muscles grew a size larger.

Looking at the data on the monitoring screen, all basic physical data were no different from a healthy 50-year-old.

“This is still just the general version.” Bronya’s voice was like a devil’s whisper. “We also have more personalized custom services.”

The magnate’s Adam’s apple bobbed: “The cost?”

“Your mother enjoyed the A-class package.” Bronya brought up a list. “It includes: 1. Whole-body organ rejuvenation; 2. Telomere repair; 3. Neural synapse regeneration. The market price…” She paused deliberately. “Is approximately equal to the value of one month’s output from all the oil and gas fields under your name.”

Kozlovsky’s face turned pale.

“Of course,” Bronya suddenly changed her tone, “for partners, we have special settlement methods.”

Industrial City Core Area, Central Tower Top Floor Conference Room

Chen Hao’s holographic image appeared in the main seat, watching the real-time footage transmitted by Bronya. Kozlovsky was signing an agreement to transfer the “maintenance rights” of three key oil pipelines in the Northern Steel Federation’s Far East to a shell company under Titan.

“He will renege.” Bronya’s projection analyzed from the side. “According to psychological model calculations, he will attempt to steal the technology within 36 hours.”

“Perfect.” Chen Hao chuckled. “Have the Web Weaver prepare the ‘gift.’ Oh, and remember to use Russian.”

The holographic screen switched, displaying two forged research files: “Research on the Characteristics of Special Minerals in Caves within Mount Sheng National Forest Park” and “Reverse-Aging Factor Extraction Technology from Biomineral in Mount Sheng National Forest Park (1986-1991 Top Secret Experiment Records).”

“Since technology relies on archaeology, it’s perfectly reasonable for the deceased Big Brother to have a strange research project in some obscure corner, right?”

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

Xiao Jixiang and Chen Hao’s little theater interlude: “Wow, Host, you’re really cunning. If those guys get these two files, it’ll be impossible for them not to draw guns.”

“So what? They were already at odds anyway, they’d fight sooner or later. I originally thought these two buddies on the Ancestral Star were already at odds enough, but I didn’t expect this world to be even more exciting. Three hundred years of fighting, the hatred of capturing each other’s Capital once! I’m not even lighting a fire, at most I’m fanning the flames.”

“But there aren’t any biomineral there? What are you going to do about that? You can’t expect them to start a large-scale operation without even seeing a mineral sample, can you?”

“Isn’t that what the Codename Team is for?”

“Oh right, wait, Host, you don’t have any biomineral either?”

“It’s just the most basic cell tissue regenerant. At high concentrations, it has a reverse-aging effect, but the side effects are a bit significant. At low concentrations, the effect is also obvious on small animals, but humans are another matter.”

“Just find a hidden cave in Mount Sheng National Forest Park and sprinkle a dozen tons in there. Won’t the marinated stones become biomineral?”

“Heh, Host, you live up to your reputation. Remember to call me when the show starts, this is much more exciting than a palace drama.”

“Hehe, no problem.”

“By the way, what about those bio-simulants you’re making in those tanks? This is kind of crossing your scientific ethics red line, isn’t it?”

“Oh, it’s just that I wanted to try out the egg-person technology from EVE when I was bored, and they’re failed products anyway. Since they’re going to be disposed of, might as well let them contribute their remaining value.”

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

Mandala Palace Hotel, Presidential Suite.

Kozlovsky stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, the ice in his whiskey glass already melted. Outside, the lights of Titan Industrial City shimmered like stars in the night, but his gaze was fixed on a photo of himself from his youth.

“Boss, target confirmed.” Ivan, his confidant,’s low voice came through the communicator. “The target is named Vijaya, a pharmacist involved in the old lady’s treatment team.” He paused, bringing up surveillance footage. “Every Wednesday he goes to the ‘Blues’ bar, and from observation… he’s especially attentive to blonde women.”

The magnate’s lips curled into a sneer: “Prepare two plans. Plan A: Enticement; Plan B…” He touched the pistol in his inner suit pocket. “Let him understand the power of the Steel Federation…”

New City District “Blues” Bar

Vijaya pushed open the bar’s heavy glass door and adjusted his cuffs.

The bar was dimly lit, and blues music flowed lazily. Vijaya walked directly to the bar and ordered a vodka.

“Is this seat taken?” A female voice with a heavy Slavic accent sounded beside his ear.

Vijaya turned and saw a blonde, blue-eyed beauty, her long fingers carelessly stirring a martini in her glass…

Neon lights swept across her porcelain-white face, and her waist-length blonde hair curled into waves at her lower back. She wore a tight red dress with a deep V-neck and a black slit that went up to her thigh. As she leaned over to grab a drink, a diamond pendant hung perfectly into her alluring cleavage.

“Of course not, beautiful lady.” Vijaya showed a flirtatious smile. “Please, sit.”

“My name is Anna.” The woman extended a hand painted with scarlet nail polish, a snake-shaped ring on her little finger. “You smell like medical alcohol, sir.”

“Perhaps it’s because I work at a hospital.” He took her hand, feeling her little finger lightly hook his palm. “Vijaya.”

After three vodkas, Anna’s high heel tips began to brush against his calf. After the fourth shot of liquor, Anna’s hand was already on Vijaya’s thigh. Her fingertips drew vague circles: “I hear you have some… special medicines here?”

Vijaya was already a bit tipsy: “Hmm? What medicines?”

Anna suddenly leaned in, her red lips almost touching his ear: “Like… the kind that can make people young again?” Her other hand quietly slid into his suit pocket. “My uncle is very ill…”

Vijaya suddenly grabbed her restless wrist, a flicker of alarm in his eyes: “What are you talking about?”

Anna’s smile instantly turned dangerous. She pulled a photo from her cleavage—it was Vijaya’s girlfriend at Jinta Port. “Your girlfriend teaches at Jinta University, right? So cute…”

However, Vijaya already had other ideas now.

“Remember now, dear Vijaya?” Her nail dug into his wrist. “Either cooperate, or…”

Vijaya’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and fear and a hint of desire showed in his eyes. He looked left and right, then lowered his voice: “I… I’m just a dispenser. But I have a friend…”

That hint of desire was caught by Anna, and her hand immediately softened. She withdrew the nail that had dug into Vijaya’s wrist, and instead used her fingertips to brush his reddened earlobe, then caressed his cheek: “That’s a good boy.”