Chapter 8: The Truth?
"By Federal standards, you should be at C-level. But Yang Bo, don't worry too much about the grade—equipment plays a huge role."
"Brother Wu, if you're C-level, why are you still wearing a watch?"
"Yang Bo, don't buy into their nonsense. Biotech chips are absolutely safe. Here's another fact: 90% of those big shots you see online have never had a biotech chip implanted."
"As for the remaining 10%, it's because their inherent abilities are too poor—or they're just puppets."
Yang Bo's mouth dropped open. Although he'd long suspected something along these lines, hearing it spoken aloud by Wu Bing was still shocking.
"Of course, for ordinary people, having a biotech chip implanted isn't harmful at all—in fact, it can be beneficial."
"Why?"
"Because as an ordinary person, there's nothing about you that would attract attention. Ever since the early days of the Internet, personal secrets have ceased to exist. Every word you say, your health, your family, your savings—everything becomes accessible to those who want to know."
"Are you listening to my advice?" Wu Bing continued.
"Brother Wu, please, go on."
"First, buy a house of your own. Second, if you feel physically fine, try to avoid medical checkups. I only had a few in my youth. Third, change your watch." Wu Bing finished his list, awaiting Yang Bo's reaction.
Yang Bo thought for a moment, "I don't have that many credit points."
"I can lend you what you need, but you must promise not to disclose today's events. In our line of work, the impact of such information is enormous." Wu Bing mused inwardly. If this kid buys a house, he'll have a mortgage—forcing him to work. Once he starts tasting freedom, he'll have to work even harder.
Wu Bing didn't press further on how Yang Bo discovered the genetic evolution bio-agent.
"Brother Wu, I need to think about this carefully," Yang Bo admitted. In truth, he was eager to learn more about genetics.
"Alright, give me your answer by tomorrow. Now, let's go…"
"This isn't even finished yet."
"It is finished. Today's task was simply to inspect the area and neutralize any potential hazards. The remaining work will be assigned to other lower-level cleaners. In other words, when you're handling tasks on your own in the future, you must be extra cautious." Wu Bing shook his head.
Yang Bo understood. His mind buzzed with questions, but he wasn't a naive youth—having lived decades in his previous life, he'd seen plenty of people who appeared friendly in public but were like ghosts behind the scenes.
Wu Bing led Yang Bo back along the same route. Along the way, the two said little. Wu Bing handed over the bag to the staff, and after they retrieved their watches, they boarded a vehicle and returned.
Back at the company, after submitting the task report, the afternoon passed uneventfully.
Later, Yang Bo sat on a park bench, watching the lake. Most of the people here were single—couples were exceedingly rare. To Yang Bo, the crowd seemed almost soulless; everyone's expression was similar—some lazy, some indifferent—and even their gait was uniform.
Only occasionally would a couple's face break into a genuine smile, showing a hint of extra emotion.
Yang Bo's mind raced with thoughts, yet he dared not search online for too much; delving too deep might attract unwanted attention. This technology is far more advanced than in the Internet era of his past—back then, if you wanted to buy something, you'd open a shopping app and get recommendations. Now, it's entirely different.
"Today, I gained the 'Disguise' ability. But what does this Disguise +4 mean? Previously, it was always +1…" Yang Bo mused about his ability. He was eager to understand what genetic evolution truly entailed—what abilities it offered and how they initially manifested.
"Hey?" Just then, as Yang Bo was deep in thought, a middle-aged man passed by and happened to glance at him. Instantly, Yang Bo sensed something was amiss.
"That person seems to be watching me deliberately," he thought. It felt as though this man was intentionally keeping an eye on him.
Upon closer observation, Yang Bo noticed that while others who walked by—even those who turned their heads—did not give him that same unsettling feeling.
"Could this be the effect of Disguise +4?" Yang Bo murmured to himself.
"Who is watching me? The company? Or someone else? Or is it related to my former self's death?" Though his face remained impassive, his mind churned with questions.
At the company, Wu Bing and Liu Zhijie were still in the office.
"Tsk, tsk—this kid seems to have something special," Liu Zhijie remarked with interest after listening to Wu Bing's detailed explanation.
"Indeed," Wu Bing nodded. "Yang Bo might possess a hidden ability. If it weren't for that shovel being thrown into the fishpond, I wouldn't have discovered it. But I still don't know which company's genetic agent he was injected with—maybe it was some experimental drug?"
Liu Zhijie rubbed his forehead. "That's hard to trace. If the other party finds out, it will be problematic."
"What I suspect now is that someone might be watching Yang Bo. If he really is a test subject, it's impossible for him to go unnoticed," Wu Bing confided.
Liu Zhijie chuckled. "Isn't that even better? Typically, experimental genetic agents are derived from rare or newly discovered materials. Once someone comes into our company, they become one of us."
"I just worry that Yang Bo might not want to join our company, given that his status is still that of a temporary worker."
"Don't worry. A person like Yang Bo, once he starts working, will undoubtedly have ambition—and he won't go back to being a happy little pig. I'll have someone investigate which company's genetic agent was injected into him back then." Liu Zhijie said.
"Should we bring him in again tomorrow morning? If not, I'll plan accordingly."
"Tomorrow morning, ask him what he thinks, then leave it at that. These past few days have delayed you too much."
"Who are we kidding?"
"No, I must talk to him again tomorrow."
"Alright."
With a heavy heart, Yang Bo trudged back to what he called home. He felt as though he were living in a movie like The Truman Show, with countless unknown eyes watching him. He kept reminding himself that he was just an ordinary person—nothing more.
"Master, may I suggest you schedule an appointment with your family doctor for a check-up?" The intelligent speaker in his room chimed as soon as he stepped in.
…
Meanwhile, in an unknown location within an office, someone was watching Yang Bo as he entered. When the intelligent speaker activated, a voice spoke up: "Supervisor, the target's reaction is abnormal. Based on our historical big data records, after the intelligent system's prompt, the target has an 80% chance of immediately issuing a booking command, a 12% chance of simply replying 'okay,' and an 8% chance of not responding at all. Additionally, the target's signal has been lost for over twenty hours."
"Have you found anything?" a bald, middle-aged white man asked, watching the virtual feed as Yang Bo entered the restroom.
(End of Chapter)