The Twenty-Fifth Self-Healing Subject

Jiang Qiyu’s gaze lingered on the mother and daughter for a moment before she withdrew it, continuing to observe the people within the base.

Lu Yao’s bright, sparkling eyes were filled with adoration. He tugged gently at the hem of her jacket and whispered, "Sister, you’re so amazing! Better than all of them! Way more professional than that bunch of trash back at the lab!"

"The lab?" Jiang Qiyu arched an eyebrow, a flash of memory crossing her mind: the sight of Lu Yao, half-dead, inside the water transport truck from Laboratory No. 38.

In that dim, cramped compartment, the stench of iron had been nauseating. Lu Yao’s frail body was curled in a corner, his complexion as pale as paper, his shallow breathing barely audible. His lips were cracked and bleeding, his body covered in filth and wounds, as if he might stop breathing at any second.

Lu Yao, seemingly oblivious to the shift in Jiang Qiyu’s tone, continued to ramble, "Yeah, that dump! All they ever did was cut off people's fingers, arms, or chunks of flesh from their thighs just to stare at them in glass jars, or else they’d let the zombies chew on us..." His voice trailed off, as if he had slipped into some unpleasant memories.

"They loved experimenting on people like me," Lu Yao said, his tone indifferent, as if discussing something inconsequential. "They’d strap me to an operating table and use all sorts of knives to slice me up, cutting off pieces of flesh to observe under a microscope. Sometimes, they’d intentionally break my bones or damage my internal organs just to see how fast my body could recover."

He pulled up his sleeve, revealing a crisscross of scars on his arm—some new, some old—like medals carved into his skin, recording the inhuman torture he had endured.

"They said my cell regeneration is hundreds of times stronger than a normal person’s. They thought if they could crack the secret, they could create a miraculous serum to grant people immortality." Lu Yao sighed. "Pity they failed. They studied me for so long and still couldn't figure out how my body worked."

"Did they experiment on anyone else?" Jiang Qiyu asked, her voice carrying a strange resonance.

Lu Yao nodded. "Of course. I wasn't the only test subject. They captured a lot of people."

He paused, then added, "I heard they even caught someone who could self-heal. They cut him into pieces and put them in different petri dishes just to see if he could regrow himself. But..."

Lu Yao’s face turned pale, his voice dropping to a whisper.

A realization stirred in Jiang Qiyu’s heart. Was the laboratory Lu Yao spoke of researching the zombie virus? An ominous premonition washed over her. In her past life, she had been locked in a lab, her limbs firmly restrained, left to be torn apart by zombies before watching her own wounds knit back together. Day after day of blood draws, biopsies, and mechanical scans—her consciousness had gradually descended into chaos amidst the endless torment...

At this thought, Jiang Qiyu couldn't help but shudder. She looked down at Lu Yao, her eyes softening with pity. This seemingly innocent boy had actually endured such horrors.

"Do you... possess that kind of ability? To regenerate, or rather, self-heal?" Jiang Qiyu asked tentatively.

Lu Yao nodded.

Jiang Qiyu thought to herself that Lu Yao’s ability was rare. She reached out and patted his head, her tone gentle. "Good dog."

Lu Yao narrowed his eyes in comfort, like a puppy being petted by its owner.

***

Meanwhile, in a ruin dozens of kilometers from the coastal base, several figures in protective suits were meticulously searching for something.

Above the ruins, dust swirled; the fractured steel and concrete, like the remains of a giant beast, whispered of past prosperity. The five figures weaved through the crumbling walls, holding detectors, their gazes sharp as they scoured the area for clues like hounds.

The man in red leading the group wore a grim expression that added a sense of ferocity to his features. He raised his detector, the screen flashing with a faint signal. His eyes lit up. "Found it! The signal is nearby!"

The other four immediately gathered around, their spirits lifted. Their target for this mission was the transport truck from Laboratory No. 38 that had been carrying the test subjects.

"Search carefully! Dig three feet deep if you have to, but find that truck for me!" At the red-clad man’s command, the five dispersed to begin a carpet search.

They overturned heavy concrete slabs and cleared away mountains of rubble. Sweat soaked through their protective suits, yet their fervor did not wane.

Finally, deep within the ruins, they discovered a broken wheel.

"Over here!" someone shouted in excitement. The others gathered around, working together to clear the surrounding debris.

As the buried soil and stones were cleared away, a rusted transport truck was gradually revealed. The cargo door remained tightly shut, with the prominent number "38" spray-painted on it.

The man in red walked to the door, unable to wait, and yanked it open. A putrid, rotting stench rushed out, nauseating to behold.

The interior of the truck was a wreck, littered with scattered medical instruments and shattered glass bottles. On the floor, pools of dried blood were a shocking sight.

"Damn it! He actually escaped!" The man in red kicked at the gravel on the ground. "I never expected the transport truck to flip!"

"To escape even after having his limbs cut off... he's truly formidable," another remarked.

"He is Subject 001, the lab’s most important test subject, into whom they poured all their resources," said Li Xiang, the man in red, his face dark. "He can regenerate, and his flesh can heal diseases. We cannot underestimate him."

Li Xiang slammed his fist against the side of the truck with a dull thud. Gritting his teeth, he hissed, "Search! Even if you have to dig three feet under, you find him for me!"

The others looked at each other, seeing deep anxiety in one another’s eyes. The importance of Subject 001 was self-evident; if they couldn't retrieve him, none of them could bear the consequences.

One of them asked cautiously, "Subject 001... could he have already..." He didn't dare finish the sentence, but everyone understood what he meant.

Li Xiang glared at him fiercely. "Impossible! His self-healing ability is extremely potent. He could recover even if his hands and feet were severed, and besides..." He paused, a flash of malice in his eyes. "As long as he is alive, we will find him!"

The others felt slightly relieved, though the anxiety did not fully dissipate. They all knew that Subject 001 was no ordinary test subject; his abilities were too unique. If he fell into the hands of others, the consequences would be unimaginable.

They continued their search, casting glances at Li Xiang from time to time, as if waiting for instructions or observing his reactions. Li Xiang paced back and forth, his brows furrowed, clearly contemplating a strategy. A tense atmosphere hung in the air; everyone’s nerves were stretched tight, fearful of missing even the slightest clue.