The Creatures That We Are-Chapter 1157: Contingencies

“Tell me about it,” Dr. Jia said, his interest piqued.

Gao Yang smiled in lieu of a response. Dr. Jia’s gaze shifted from him to Nine Frost and realized that Nine Frost was looking at Gao Yang as well. He slapped his thigh and laughed.

“It’ll work.”

“As expected of the Genius,” Gao Yang praised; it was flattery, but he also meant it.

Dr. Jia rubbed his chubby chin and broke it down: “Greed cannot pry into your or Dragon’s fate. In theory, I’ll be able to create medicine with one of your blood and vital energy, which will help one defend against the occupation over their fate once injected. However, blood and energy don’t embody fate itself, but simply colored by its ripples. The medicine won’t last long, offering at most a few seconds of immunity.”

“A few seconds will be enough,” Nine Frost said. “We want the surprise factor.”

Dr. Jia considered it, brows furrowing. “The medicine won’t be a problem. The injecting of it is the tricky part.”

Gao Yang spoke up, “So I want you to create a tool that’ll automatically inject the medicine once a member of Team Nine Frost has their fate encroached by Greed, allowing them to shake off the control temporarily.”

“It’ll be difficult,” Dr. Jia said.

“How so?” Nine Frost asked.

“Difficult to determine it. I can’t create a device with such intelligence yet.”

Gao Yang and Nine Frost knew what he meant.

Still, Dr. Jia explained, “For example, I’ve developed the tracking bracelets for the Qilin Guild. As soon as an awakener uses their Talents, the bracelet will sense it. It does that by monitoring a lifeform’s vitals.”

“We can measure one’s injury, emotional responses, heart rate increases, temperature changes, energy pathway’s disturbance, and more.”

“But conceptual and rule-based damage is difficult to measure,” Gao Yang said.

“Yes.” Dr. Jia nodded. “Think about it. If Greed is occupying Nine Frost’s fate, the only sign will be his inaction. My device can’t tell if Nine Frost is losing his fate to Greed and if the medicine should be injected.”

Nine Frost mused, “So your device can’t make the judgment. Only we can.”

“Yes, but when you notice it, you won’t be able to move or inject the medicine.”

“Easy enough to solve,” Nine Frost said. “We’ll make the judgment, and the device will do the injecting.”

Dr. Jia slapped his balding forehead. “Oh, right. I was overthinking.”

Nine Frost continued, “Dr. Jia, please make a ring to contain the medicine. The trigger will be simple: once the finger stops moving for ten seconds, automatically inject.”

“With the ring on, I’ll move my finger every few seconds all throughout. Once Greed occupies my fate, I will be unable to move. Ten seconds later, the medicine will be injected to help me turn things around.”

“It’s so simple I can make it right now.” Dr. Jia eyed Nine Frost. “But are you sure you won’t make a mistake?”

“I won’t,” Nine Frost said confidently. “I often train myself to do similar things. I always have more than two sets of feints, and I can do two or even three things at the same time. I’ll count the seconds in my mind while I have the ring on, not stopping until the battle is over.”

“Alright,” Dr. Jia said. “Come get it in an hour. I’ll make a ring for you.”

“Make it two,” Gao Yang said.

“Why?” Dr. Jia detested such mindless work.

Gao Yang addressed the air, “Stop hiding. Come on out.”

Two seconds later, a white light flashed out of the glass surface of a petri dish. Harvest Song emerged, dressed in stealth clothes.

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Nine Frost frowned. “Why are you here?”

“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop,” Harvest Song explained with a poker face. “I’m in charge of discreetly patrolling the base.”

“I know,” Nine Frost said with a hint of disapproval. “But we’re discussing an important matter. You should have walked away.”

Harvest Song fell silent.

Gao Yang could understand her feelings. “She couldn’t just walk away when we were talking about Greed.”

Harvest Song looked up at Gao Yang with heated eyes. “Captain, I want a ring, too. It’s not that I don’t trust Team Leader Nine Frost, but I want to ensure our revenge. I can multitask like he does.”

Gao Yang turned to Nine Frost, who nodded after deliberation.

“Then we’ll prepare another ring for Harvest Song.”

“What am I, a wholesaler?” Dr. Jia grumbled. “Might as well ask for a ring for every member of your team.”

“That won’t be necessary,” Nine Frost said seriously. “Someone who hasn’t been trained in that can’t do it. And giving everyone the medicine will increase the risk of exposure.”

“Fine, fine.” Dr. Jia pushed himself up to begin the work.

“Wait, Dr. Jia,” Nine Frost called out.

“What is it again?” Dr. Jia snapped. “Can’t you finish telling me your requests in one go, boss men?”

NIne Frost gave Harvest Song a look. “We have other matters to talk about.”

“Understood.” Harvest Song nodded, striding out of the laboratory.

Nine Frost glanced at Gao Yang. “Clear?”

Gao Yang nodded. There was no one else inside and outside the laboratory. Still concerned, Nine Frost took a jammer out and activated it.

Finally, he said, “Two contingency plans aren’t enough, Captain. I want another one.”

Gao Yang looked at him silently.

“Hold up!” Dr. Jia raised his voice. “Can you not? Are you trying to overwork me? I haven’t slept for two days!”

“Don’t worry, it’s a simple request,” Nine Frost promised.

“Fine!” Dr. Jia sat back down on the couch and hugged a pillow to his chest. “Just tell me.”

Nine Frost leveled Gao Yang with a solemn stare.

He briefly explained his plan.

“Please give me the permission, Captain.”

Gao Yang didn’t respond.

“Please give me the permission,” Nine Frost repeated.

Finally, Gao Yang nodded. “You may proceed.”

Nine Frost broke into a smile, his clenched fists relaxing. “Thank you.”

The strange atmosphere made Dr. Jia uneasy. He scratched his head and pushed his knees to stand up. “Alright, I’m gonna get on with it.”

He walked into the inner laboratory. The door slammed shut.

Nine Frost and Gao Yang stood up as well.

“There’s another request I’d like to make, Captain,” Nine Frost said. He smiled self-consciously. “I’m being a real hassle, am I not?”

“It’s okay.” Gao Yang returned a smile. “Tell me.”

“There’s something I’d like to tell Chen Ying.”

Gao Yang blinked in surprise for a moment. “And you need me to be there?”

Nine Frost nodded.

“Won’t it be awkward?” Gao Yang snorted.

Nine Frost admitted, “Not for me, but maybe so for Chen Ying—if she knows.”

“I understand,” Gao Yang said with a sigh. “I’ll be an invisible witness.”

The door of the laboratory opened immediately after that. Chen Ying walked in with a dry towel hanging on her neck, dressed in soft, fitted gray running clothes with her hair tied into a high ponytail.

“Frost, I’ve been looking for you. Here you are.” Chen Ying was surprised to find Nine Frost alone. “Are you done with work? Come running with me?”

Chen Ying was used to going on a run first thing in the morning, and Nine Frost was used to doing that at night. After they became a couple, they decided to make a compromise and run every evening instead.

In a month, they came to fall in love with their evening runs, accompanied by the beautiful sunset, shimmering river, and night wind, the serene time followed by an enjoyable dinner made even more sumptuous by the warm sky, physical exertions, and each other’s company.

Nine Frost turned around and gave her a small smile, his eyes soft.

“Good timing. I have something to say to you, Chen Ying.”