He Must Restrain This Impulse
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[Biotech Employee Loyalty Test Records]
Test Subject: Zhou Jiao
Employee Number: TSZ20492077
Loyalty Level: Red – Untrustworthy
[Test One]: Material Bribery – Soliciting Company Secrets from the Test Subject
During [Test One], the subject exhibited traits of calmness, rationality, and high intelligence. Biological monitoring data showed no significant fluctuations, and the subject even attempted to backtrack and trace the tester.
Conclusion: Trustworthy – Meets the qualifications of a core employee – Awaiting further testing
[Test Two]: Subconscious Conditioning – Instilling the Concept of “Company Supremacy”
During [Test Two], the subject continued to exhibit traits of calmness, rationality, and high intelligence. Biological monitoring data showed no significant fluctuations.
After 30 months of subconscious conditioning, the subject never accepted the concept of “Company Supremacy” and even developed a certain degree of resistance.
Conclusion: Untrustworthy – Does not meet the qualifications of a core employee – Loyalty level assigned to Red
[For Internal Use by Biotech Corporation Only]
—
A man sat behind a desk, looking at the file displayed on the monitor.
He was around fifty to sixty years old, in the prime of his life. His temples were graying, yet due to having undergone artificial skin grafting surgery, he appeared as young and handsome as a twenty-year-old—his nose was straight, his features well-defined, and his light blue eyes shimmered with a cold, serious glint.
He was one of the key leaders of the “Scent Synthesis Project”—Araki Isao.
These days, whether he had work to do or not, he would take a look at Zhou Jiao’s file, hoping to deduce Jiang Lian’s weaknesses through her. However, not only did he fail to uncover Jiang Lian’s weaknesses, but even Zhou Jiao herself seemed to have none.
The “material bribery” stage of Test One was not as simple as just handing over money.
First of all, the premise of the test was that you must not realize that the test is happening.
Secondly, in the early phase of Test One, your big data profile would continuously push advertisements of luxury goods and celebrity extravagance, embedding the concept of hedonism into your mind.
Once you accepted this concept, you would unknowingly start making unexpected financial gains—perhaps the funds you invested in suddenly soared, perhaps a product you bet on became a massive success, or perhaps your boss gave you an unexpected promotion.
As your quality of life improved, big data would subtly guide you to purchase luxury goods or spend lavishly like celebrities, making it all seem perfectly natural.
But this was merely the early stage of the test.
In the mid-to-late stage, you would suddenly be left penniless—the funds that had been soaring would plummet into red losses, the product you invested in would be exposed for a scandal, your boss would come under investigation, and as his trusted aide, you would also face the threat of imprisonment.
Your quality of life would collapse overnight.
At this point, the tester would anonymously contact you, offering an exorbitant price to buy some harmless company secrets. Would you agree?
Most people, at this stage, would unhesitatingly betray company secrets.
This was the reaction that aligned with human nature.
Because of this, the company had even loosened its standards—as long as core secrets were not leaked, one would still pass [Test One].
Yet from beginning to end, Zhou Jiao never once fell into the tester’s trap.
When pushed advertisements of luxury goods and celebrity lifestyles, she indifferently clicked “Not Interested.”
When the funds surged, she thought for a moment and chose to sell.
When the investment product became a hot commodity—no matter how much big data tried to guide her into investing in it, she didn’t even spare it a glance. She had no interest whatsoever in high-risk, high-reward investments.
When her boss suddenly promoted her, she accepted it gladly.
When her boss was investigated, her salary plummeted. Faced with an anonymous offer, she did not immediately agree. Instead, she remained extremely calm and chose to trace it back.
No wonder the company eventually gave up on her.
Being smart was a good thing. But being smart while not greedy, not impatient, and not going with the flow meant having no weaknesses. And having no weaknesses meant being uncontrollable.
The company did not need uncontrollable employees.
Forget it. She was nothing more than a fool who thought herself rational and composed but lost her chance to enter the elite class of society. There was nothing worth pondering over.
Their target had always been Jiang Lian from beginning to end.
Zhou Jiao was merely an insignificant pawn.
Araki Isao’s face was expressionless as he closed the file, glanced at the time in the lower right corner of the screen, then picked up his suit jacket and casually draped it over his shoulders.
As the secretary opened the door for him, he lowered his voice and reported:
“Mr. Araki, everything is ready. The seven snipers are in position, all surveillance drones are operational, and there will be no blind spots in the building… Every available security force and armored vehicle has been deployed. The armored hovercar is also on standby at the rooftop airstrip.”
“However, we suspect ‘he’ has already arrived… Many employees have shown signs of mental confusion today, and some even fainted on the spot.”
Araki Isao paused for a moment and asked:
“What about the scent agent?”
The secretary replied, “It has been deployed in the fire sprinkler systems on every floor. The moment you give the order, it will be activated.”
At that moment, a silver glint flashed in the secretary’s eyes, as if he had just received a critical message.
His pupils suddenly dilated, a flash of fear streaking across his face. It took him a moment before he barely managed to speak:
“…Mr. Araki, ‘he’ is here. He’s on the first floor.”
Araki Isao was the ideal model of a corporate executive.
He was cold-blooded, intelligent, and ruthless—a fanatic believer in Social Darwinism. To protect his position at the top, he was even willing to sacrifice his own family if necessary.
—Yes, his wife and daughter also worked in this building.
But he still chose to open the company’s doors to welcome Jiang Lian’s arrival.
Because, to the company, Jiang Lian was simply too important.
If they could decode Jiang Lian’s genetic secret and discover the key to merging his genes with humans, he would surpass that bastard who proposed “human-mutant symbiosis” and become one of the most powerful figures in the company.
The more Araki Isao thought about it, the more excited he became. His breathing grew rapid.
Ever since the implantation of his neural chip, his emotions had grown increasingly dull, and his neurotransmitter release had slowed down.
It had been a long time since he had felt this thrilled.
Victory was within reach.
He was certain he could surpass all his competitors and become the most powerful man in the entire company.
However—
Even someone as cold-blooded and ruthless as Araki Isao, when he arrived on the first floor in the elevator, his expression abruptly changed.
…The scene before him was something that could only exist in a horror film.
The Biotech Corporation building had always been hailed as the pinnacle of modern architectural art—grand, magnificent, and vast, with sharp, rigid lines. Its walls, floor tiles, and ceilings were polished to a mirror-like sheen, showing no visible seams to the naked eye. The entire structure exuded a blend of cutting-edge technology and the exquisite texture of cold metal.
Nowhere else in the city could a second building be found that was more luxurious and opulent than this one.
But now—
This luxurious and opulent building had become cold, dark, and damp.
Everywhere the eye could see, there were purple-black, fleshy tendrils, dripping with highly corrosive mucus, writhing as they devoured everything—the pure organic wool carpets, the naturally cultivated plants that were not lab-grown, the gold-embellished doors, the antique oil paintings…
In an instant, the entire lobby had been transformed into a fleshy nest of a monster.
A tall, slender figure stood in the center of the flesh nest.
His appearance was cold and austere, his presence pristine and immaculate. He wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses over a straight and elegant nose, and a white, fitted coat that draped down to his knees.
—If one ignored the red-black dried bloodstains at the hem of his coat, he would almost look like a young professor who had just stepped out of an academic seminar.
But Araki Isao could never mistake him for a harmless professor.
The moment he laid eyes on Jiang Lian, his stomach churned violently, a strong urge to vomit rushing straight to his throat.
—The company had similar sonic attack devices, utilizing infrasound waves to resonate with human organs, inducing dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. If the intensity was high enough, it could even cause blood vessels to rupture, leading to death.
But the low-frequency sound waves emanating from Jiang Lian’s body carried not only a dizzying, nauseating effect but also a mental contamination force.
…It was somewhat similar to the company’s “subconscious conditioning.”
Araki Isao’s gaze wavered for a moment.
For an instant, Jiang Lian’s figure seemed to grow taller before his eyes—infinitely tall, infinitely terrifying.
A crushing sense of oppression crashed down like a mountainous tidal wave.
Araki Isao felt as though his internal organs were twisting into knots.
He couldn’t hold it in any longer—bending over, he vomited violently, spewing out every last bit of the organic meat and vegetables he had eaten at lunch.
Ever since Araki Isao had entered the upper echelons of the company, he had never been this humiliated.
Yet at this very moment, the first thought that flashed through his mind was—
Luckily, I threw up. Now I don’t have to meet Jiang Lian’s gaze.
He suddenly recalled certain religious depictions of gods.
—Human eyes are not allowed to look directly at God.
The moment you attempt to gaze upon God, blood tears will stream down from your eyes.
Only a god could possess such a primordial and chilling presence.
…And yet, they had dared to try to deceive a god.
Araki Isao took a shuddering breath, gripping the secretary’s wrist, veins bulging from his forehead. His lips twitched uncontrollably, as if he wanted to say something.
But just then, a silver glint flashed through his eyes—
The company AI, detecting that he was harboring dangerous thoughts, initiated subconscious conditioning on him.
Two immense forces clashed in his mind, and his internal organs suddenly twisted into knots—it felt as if he was about to vomit out his entire stomach.
He half-knelt on the ground, his once pristine elite image shattered. Snot and tears streamed down his face, his facial muscles spasming uncontrollably.
Had he not been a person of exceptionally strong will, he would have already become a mindless lunatic by now.
In the end, his desire to rise higher within the company’s ranks won out.
His chaotic thoughts gradually cleared, and gripping the secretary’s hand, he slowly stood up.
“Dr. Jiang,” Araki Isao took out a handkerchief, wiped his face, and revealed a cold yet polite smile.
“We have always missed the chance to meet. But today, I finally have the pleasure of seeing you in person.”
It was as if an invisible bomb had just been dropped into the room.
In the next second, a low, terrifying sound wave exploded in the air, sending a visceral shock through every organ:
“Wake her up.”
Jiang Lian took one step forward, then another, approaching Araki Isao.
As he neared, Araki Isao’s entire body began to tremble violently. His eyeballs twitched, unable to tear themselves away from the sight of Zhou Jiao, nestled in Jiang Lian’s arms.
Perhaps it was the influence of Jiang Lian’s magnetic field, but suddenly, a soul-stirring fragrance filled Araki Isao’s nose. It was sweet and intoxicating, as rich and overripe as perfectly matured fruit, tendrils of the scent weaving into his nostrils, clinging to his throat, making his Adam’s apple bob uncontrollably.
So fragrant. So fragrant. So fragrant. So fragrant.
…She was so fragrant.
No wonder Jiang Lian was so obsessed with her scent.
She was simply too fragrant.
Araki Isao’s gaze was locked onto Zhou Jiao, his expression gradually turning infatuated.
Jiang Lian’s face twitched for a split second, his eyes turning icy and murderous as he stared at Araki Isao.
—Why did this insect dare to covet her?
His thoughts could influence living beings.
Previously, he had managed to locate Zhou Jiao precisely because his desire for her had spiraled out of control, momentarily overriding the minds of an entire area’s population.
Through their olfactory receptors, he had smelled Zhou Jiao’s presence.
That was when he had lost control.
But most of the time, only he and his appendages could perceive Zhou Jiao’s scent.
Yet now—though he was not out of control—the people around him were still affected.
Sweeping his gaze across the room, he saw that every single person—the suited employees, the security guards in uniform, the girl curled up behind the front desk—they were all staring at Zhou Jiao in his arms, their eyes sticky, wet, glistening with hunger.
They were salivating.
He could even hear their thoughts.
They were whispering her name.
They wanted to get close to her. To look at her. To breathe in her scent.
They were desperate for her.
He wanted to kill them.
Jiang Lian’s expression turned rigid and grotesque, his appendages bulging with throbbing, engorged veins.
Countless tentacles writhed and expanded across his face, body, and back, his tall, slender frame seeming, for an instant, as though it was about to explode apart, transforming into something unnameable, nightmarish—
A supreme apex predator, mercilessly slaughtering every unsightly existence in its path.
But.
But—
He had to restrain this impulse.
He had never, ever, restrained his own desires or impulses before.
Because in the mind of a supreme predator, there was no such thing as restraint.
There was only plundering, possessing, and consuming.
Zhou Jiao was merely in a deep coma, not dead. She could still absorb the energy he transmitted to her, and she could still respond instinctively to external stimuli.
This was, in fact, a perfect state for her.
He could keep her captive forever, just as humans preserved beautiful butterflies as specimens.
Then, he could breathe her in endlessly, kiss her, swallow her syrupy-sweet saliva to his heart’s content.
…Yet, he restrained this malicious thought.
Only humans restrained their malicious desires, because they lacked the ability to fulfill them. And so, they invented the concept of “self-restraint” to mask their own incompetence.
But he had the ability to fulfill his malicious desires—and still, he restrained himself.
This was an act of utter stupidity.
He thought he would only restrain himself once.
But now, he was restraining himself again—from slaughter.
…He could not crush these insects to death.
He needed them to wake Zhou Jiao up.
Jiang Lian closed his eyes, forcibly suppressing the violent surge of killing intent within them.
The ferocity of his unsatisfied hunger, intertwined with his raging desire to protect Zhou Jiao, formed a chaotic storm, crawling like dense blood-red veins across his eyes.
Half of his face remained flawlessly human, strikingly handsome.
But the other half—
Huge chunks of flesh were rotting away, sloughing off in decaying slabs, revealing the hideous, writhing mass of purple-red tentacles underneath.
A shudder ran through Araki Isao, a cold and primal terror erupting from the depths of his soul.
He had researched Jiang Lian. He knew that when “he” could no longer maintain human form, it was an extremely dangerous sign.
“Wake her up.”
Perhaps, as a gesture of consideration for their fragile human nerves, Jiang Lian used a human voice to speak.
It was cold, emotionless, utterly devoid of pressure:
“Otherwise, you will all die.”
He hadn’t even unleashed his low-frequency sound waves, and yet, Araki Isao still felt his internal organs convulse violently in sheer terror.
…Do as “he” says.
Otherwise, they really would die!
“He” could influence their thoughts, their perception, even their actions.
The moment “he” gave the command, they could all commit mass suicide on the spot.
Too terrifying. Too terrifying.
They had no way to fight against such a monster.
Oh God, what the hell had he been thinking, provoking something like this?!
No—No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
He could not abandon his plan.
He had pumped himself full of stimulants, slept only two hours a day, all for the one dream of one day standing at the very top of the company, overlooking Yucheng from above.
He had already surpassed 99% of the people in this grand social Darwinist experiment.
Now, the opportunity to become the final 1% was right in front of him.
As long as he controlled Jiang Lian and obtained his genes to be sent for decoding…
He would become the true decision-maker of Biotech Corporation!
Araki Isao frantically told himself—there was still one last chance.
He could use waking Zhou Jiao as a cover, while secretly activating the fire sprinkler systems on every floor. When that happened, the entire building would be saturated with Zhou Jiao’s scent.
Once Jiang Lian lost control due to the overwhelming fragrance, his mental influence over them should disappear.
By then, he could command the deployed security forces to storm the building and turn the tide.
As for Zhou Jiao—whether she woke up or not, whether she did something after waking up—who cared?
…Though, she really was so, so, so fragrant.