Chapter Fifty-Nine: The Side Effects of the Genetic Optimization Serum?

PS: Today is the Lantern Festival, so I'm adding an extra chapter as a special treat. Wishing everyone a joyful Lantern Festival and happy family reunions!

“What do you think?” On one side of the hall, Li Hongjin stood with an elderly man, and beside them were several people dressed in peculiar attire.

Why peculiar? Because their clothes weren’t quite traditional Tang suits, yet not quite long gowns either, and they were all black. If it weren’t for their military status, Yu Dongming would have thrown them out long ago.

“It’s quite fascinating. Multiple layers of membranes are blocking ultraviolet rays. I believe the membrane above us is made from a multi-layered fiber material, and it’s equipped with intelligent chips. Otherwise, reaching this level wouldn’t be possible.”

“Don’t tell me all that. What use is your technical talk to me!” Li Hongjin rolled his eyes, clearly not following.

“You…” The old man looked at Li Hongjin helplessly.

“Alright, then I’ll explain the principle behind the gene optimization serum!”

“Many people know that our genes are imperfect. Because of congenital deficiencies at birth, everyone’s genetic makeup has certain flaws. Some severe defects are obvious—for instance, a child born with a face as wrinkled as an old person’s, or a child whose hair grows in white instead of black, or hereditary heart disease. These are all genetic defects!”

“Scientists have been researching genetic defect repair for a long time. The human body is a vast treasure trove, a massive code. From the brain to the genes, every level is built from billions of cells. Our technology can’t possibly comprehend such a huge database. Humanity is nature’s code, and our bodies conceal countless secrets.”

“The gene optimization serum is formulated by extracting innate genes from certain animals and combining them with hundreds of marine algae to create a gene-repairing solution.”

“I developed the gene optimization serum myself. It’s my field of study. Long ago, I wondered if genes could be combined like traditional Chinese medicine, blending yin and yang to form a remedy.”

“I continued my research alongside my work, failing countless times, experimenting from animals to plants—even some toxic cells. After five years of study, I finally stumbled upon the right combination by chance and created the gene optimization serum. That’s how this remarkable product was born!”

Clap, clap, clap…

As soon as Zhu Lan finished, someone started applauding, and the rest followed suit, uncertain but compelled.

Zhu Lan smiled and nodded: Bullshitting is truly exhausting!

To be honest, Zhu Lan wasn’t entirely clear on the formula for the gene optimization serum, but when it comes to spinning a tale, a few made-up lines would suffice.

“This friend, do you have a question?”

“Hello, Mr. Zhu, I’m a reporter from Xinhua News Agency. My question is, does the gene optimization serum have hidden health risks like other gene products on the market?”

Zhu Lan nodded. “That’s a key question.”

He glanced around at the audience. “The gene optimization serum is like a tonic formula in traditional Chinese medicine: it’s aimed at repair. To put it in advertising terms: if you’re ill, it treats you; if not, it strengthens you!”

“Haha…” The Asians present understood the phrase, but the foreign journalists were left in the dark, having no idea what it meant.

Zhu Lan also laughed. “Just joking!”

A collective eye-roll followed.

“Although it’s not as miraculous as legend claims, the gene optimization serum has no side effects. Scientific research shows that no matter how good a person’s genes are, there are always defects. Most of these are harmless and invisible, and the serum’s purpose is to repair such defects. Theoretically, there are no side effects!”

“Theoretically?” Someone caught the nuance and asked directly.

Upon hearing the reporter’s question, everyone turned to Zhu Lan. If the serum is flawless, why add the word ‘theoretically’?

Zhu Lan wasn’t offended—he knew reporters could be relentless. He wouldn’t say anything that could be used against him, and Kong Yan was behind him to support him if needed.

“That’s right, theoretically. No matter who or which country, no one has ever discovered a perfect gene in the human body. From the birth of science to now, there’s never been a case of someone with absolutely flawless genes. Science would define such a person as ‘perfect,’ but unfortunately, such a person has never existed.”

“Everyone has genetic defects. If one day someone with no genetic flaws is found, that would be the greatest discovery of the twenty-first century. Such a person could unlock the code of human genetics for us all. But, alas, there is no such perfect genome in the world.”

“And so, the gene optimization serum has no side effects—unless it’s used on someone without any genetic defects. But since such a person doesn’t exist, as the researcher, I can’t know what side effects might arise in that case!”

So that’s how it is! After hearing Zhu Lan’s explanation, the audience finally understood.

“This lady, do you have a question?” Zhu Lan gestured to a woman who looked Chinese.

She stood and opened her notebook. “Hello, Mr. Zhu. I’m a reporter from the Phoenix Press in Taiwan. My question is: since it’s rumored that the gene optimization serum was developed by the military, does this mean the military possesses an even stronger version?”

At her words, the room fell into a cold, heavy silence.

Zhu Lan was taken aback as well.

The military? If the Chinese military really had a more powerful gene optimization serum, that would be even bigger news than anything else so far. In global media, the hottest stories aren’t celebrity scandals or world disasters, but news about the Chinese military.

While the United States promotes the ‘China threat theory,’ China’s military strength has become a focal point for Western media.

Unfortunately for them, China’s military secrecy is top-notch; it’s almost impossible to extract any useful information.

Another factor is that Western media, under government direction, are told to amplify the ‘China threat theory’ in their coverage of even minor issues.

First, it helps their citizens understand and support the narrative of the ‘China threat.’

Second, and more importantly, the more the media reports, the more Chinese citizens become aware of what foreign media are saying, giving rise to public pressure for the Chinese government to release information. In this internet age, it’s easy to access foreign news; tech-savvy individuals routinely circumvent firewalls to copy foreign news onto their own microblogs to attract attention.

Under such public scrutiny, China is compelled to release some information, giving Western countries more solid data for their military assessments.

Anything associated with the Chinese military is headline news worldwide.

Many reporters regretted not thinking of this question themselves.

“Should we intervene?” A middle-aged man behind Li Hongjin whispered to the old man.

“No need, he’ll handle it,” Li Hongjin replied at once.

“Trust me, I have faith in Zhu Lan.”

The old man glanced at Li Hongjin, nodded, and waved him off to attend to other matters.

“Sorry, I was momentarily distracted.”

“That was an astonishing question,” Zhu Lan said. “To be honest, this question touches on Fantasy Technology’s trade secrets.”

“Fantasy Technology has military personnel involved, but it’s actually for something else.”

“Something else?” Zhu Lan said nothing more, but clapped his hands.

A large, elongated structure rose beside him. In the center, a huge object was covered by a red cloth.

It was a standard house—actually, a villa, with two floors.

As the house rose, the spot where Zhu Lan stood descended until he was in the living room.

“Please take a look, everyone. This is the household robot we at Fantasy Technology developed to improve people’s daily lives!”

With that, Zhu Lan whipped off the cloth, revealing a humanoid robot before the audience.

“A household robot?” The media were stunned.

Over the years, many countries had launched various robots, but their practical applications remained questionable.

“You might want to compare my robot to others on the market, but let me show you its true capabilities!”

With a wave of his hand, the robot seemed to receive a command and activated, walking up to Zhu Lan almost as naturally as a person. Zhu Lan sat on the sofa. “Boss, how may I help you?” The robot’s voice was that of a young woman, not the mechanical monotone of most robots.

“Pour me a cup of tea.”

“Yes, boss!”

Zhu Lan then demonstrated a range of abilities—cooking, sweeping, serving tea, washing clothes, mopping floors, and more.

The reporters were dazzled by the robot’s performance.

Its movements were swift, walking like a normal person and even capable of running if needed.

Even more astonishing was its impressive intelligence.

“You might think this is staged, so I invite a few of you to come up and try it yourselves. You can use the robot just like a servant!”

As soon as Zhu Lan finished, most reporters raised their hands. After all, this was a humanoid robot linked to the Chinese military—a scoop not to be missed.

Soon, Zhu Lan selected eight people to come up, all prominent reporters from various countries, ensuring no chance of any trickery.