Chapter Eighty-Four: Genetic Fracture

In the high-end ward of Concord Hospital in Yanjing, several people wore anxious expressions, while on the bed lay an elderly man, his body riddled with infusion tubes, complexion pale—a man clearly not long for this world.

“Big Brother, I’ve got it!” The door burst open, and a young man dashed in, flustered and excited, holding a small metallic case.

“Yupeng? What is that?” The older man, displeased with his brother’s agitation, could barely muster the strength to scold him.

“Big Brother, look at this!”

“What is it?”

“A Gene Optimization Serum!”

“Gene Optimization Serum? What’s that?”

“Brother, you can’t not know! The Gene Optimization Serum is world famous now. It’s a kind of genetic liquid that can repair defects in one’s genes!”

“Oh?”

“Brother, haven’t the doctors always said Dad’s illnesses since childhood were strange? They all agreed his condition was unprecedented in medical literature. I thought, what if it’s a genetic defect? I consulted a professor from the biology department at my university, and he said it was highly likely an imbalance in Dad’s gene chain. He even suggested I try getting a Gene Optimization Serum!”

This immediately revived his dejected older brother’s spirits. “Really?” He seized his little brother’s arm, excitement flaring in his eyes.

Dan Yuchen, as president of Guangming Group, could have been enjoying endless glory. Yet, barely had he taken the reins than his father collapsed. More than anyone, Dan Yuchen understood that, having just inherited Guangming Group, he had no grasp of his father’s extensive networks. If his father truly fell, the group would face an unprecedented crisis.

For this, Dan Yuchen put his work aside and personally accompanied his father to one of Yanjing’s top hospitals for examinations. But the results were grim. The doctors said his father’s illness was unheard of in medicine, speculating only that it was a problem at the genetic level. The hospital lacked the equipment to analyze further; a gene sequencer was needed, and only a handful existed in all of Yanjing.

Watching his father wither day by day, Dan Yuchen felt despair creeping in. Though he had begun making arrangements should his father pass, he realized the company his father had built was too complex to unravel in a year or two. The board members remained dissatisfied with him; though his father held over sixty percent of the shares, they were already parceled out among family, and more troubling still, his brother-in-law harbored ambitions of his own.

“Big Brother, I’d never lie to you. No one wants Dad to wake up more than I do!” Dan Yupeng’s words were earnest.

Dan Yuchen nodded, taking the case from his brother. Upon opening it, he found the blue Gene Optimization Serum nestled inside.

Bang—

“Watch Dad. I’m going to find Director Chen!”

Without waiting for his brother’s response, he snapped the case shut and strode out.

He reached the director’s office and, without knocking, pushed the door open.

The sound startled those inside.

“Yuchen?” Chen Zhenguang, director of Concord Hospital and deputy director of the National Medical Emergency Center—a status equivalent to provincial level—looked up.

“Director Chen, please look at this!” Dan Yuchen cut to the chase, placing the case before Dr. Chen and opening it.

“What’s this?” Chen Zhenguang asked, puzzled.

“My brother, Dan Yupeng, consulted his university’s biology professor. The professor thinks my father’s illness could be a gene chain issue and suggested we try this—Gene Optimization Serum!”

“Gene Optimization Serum?” Chen Zhenguang’s eyes brightened as recognition dawned. He picked up the vial, examining it closely.

“Director Chen, you know about this serum?” Dan Yuchen was surprised by his reaction. Dr. Chen’s expression was one of amazement, not doubt—he clearly knew of this product.

“You ought to watch the news more. The Gene Optimization Serum has been making headlines lately!”

Dan Yuchen felt frustrated. With his father’s condition, he’d barely kept up with anything outside company updates from his secretary.

“The Gene Optimization Serum appeared about half a year ago, developed by a Chinese company. It was first introduced experimentally in European and American markets, with excellent results. But I heard the company encountered difficulties and halted sales. Europeans began seeking the manufacturer and eventually traced it back to China. When the Chinese media discovered the story, they broadcast it nationwide, and the producing company, Fantasy Technology, became world-renowned almost overnight.”

“So, Director Chen, you mean this is the real Gene Optimization Serum—not a counterfeit?”

Dr. Chen shook his head. “No. At first, many were skeptical. But chief physicians from several European hospitals publicly attested that it was a breakthrough in genetic medicine. After sales resumed, the serum showed excellent results in many fields. I have friends in Shanghai who told me the serum can indeed repair gene-level defects, though its restorative power is limited.”

“I had planned to get a vial for your father if his results showed a genetic problem. But I see your brother anticipated this and procured one already.”

Dan Yuchen smiled. “Director Chen, can we use it?”

“Hmm, let’s see.” Dr. Chen took the serum, found a strange code on it, and entered it into his computer. When the results appeared, he finally relaxed.

He looked up. “It’s genuine. I’ve verified the security code on Fantasy Technology’s website—it’s unique.”

“Isn’t it possible to forge it?” Dan Yuchen still worried. Security codes had been outdated for years, after all.

Dr. Chen smiled. “Rest assured. The brilliance of Fantasy Technology lies in this. Many have tried to forge it, but none of the fakes are recognized on the official website. Why, no one knows.”

“Alright.” With Dr. Chen’s assurance, Dan Yuchen could only trust him.

“So, can my father use this serum? Are there side effects?”

Dr. Chen considered for a moment. “Yes, he can. Though we’re still waiting on the results, my experience tells me your father’s problem is indeed genetic. As for side effects, none have been reported to date. Fantasy Technology also guarantees the serum is side-effect free—unless your genes are completely flawless.”

“Good. Then I’ll leave it to you, Director Chen.”

“No trouble. I’m interested to see its effects myself.”

“Let’s go. I’ll administer it personally.”

Back in the ward, several doctors were already waiting at Dr. Chen’s request. He opened the serum, and a nurse quickly prepared the necessary items: injection needle, syringe, cotton swabs, and so on.

Dr. Chen carefully read the instructions several times, then handed them to a nearby doctor and stepped forward to examine Dan Mingshan.

“Are you ready?”

“Yes, Director. Everything’s prepared.”

“Good. Begin.”

A nurse nodded, uncapped the serum, drew the blue liquid into the syringe, and handed it to Dr. Chen.

Two nurses helped Dan Mingshan into a sitting position, exposing his back.

Dr. Chen palpated his back, found the right spot, positioned the needle, and plunged it in. Slowly, the gene serum was injected into Dan Mingshan’s body.

When the syringe was empty, Dr. Chen handed it off, and a nurse gently laid Dan Mingshan back down, checking his vitals.

As the director of Concord Hospital, Dr. Chen would ordinarily never use an unproven therapy, but the serum’s reputation was overwhelming. Its production was limited, and in the north, it was rarely seen. Even in major hospitals, few had laid eyes on it; most supplies were sold in the south, where both the manufacturer and distributor, Shengtang Group, were based.

Only because of his connections with friends in Shanghai and Guangzhou did Dr. Chen know that, in the south, the serum was already in wide use, with remarkable results. Some elderly patients even saw black hair growing among their whites—the serum invigorated their very genes.

Dan Yuchen, Dan Yupeng, and the others watched their father anxiously.

“Hmm?”

After about ten minutes, Dan Mingshan suddenly spoke—his voice weak, but everyone noticed.

Slowly, he opened his eyes. His lips moved, but no sound came.

“Don’t rush. Take your time. You’ve been asleep a long while.” Dr. Chen reassured him. Dan Mingshan had been comatose for over half a month—waking now, he would naturally feel disoriented.

“Dad!”

“Dad!” Dan Yuchen and Dan Yupeng hurried to his side, voices trembling with excitement.

Hearing his sons, the clouded eyes blinked, slowly opening wider as the blurry figures before him grew clear.

“Yuchen… Yupeng…” Dan Mingshan’s voice was frail.

“Dad, it’s me, Yuchen!”

“Alright, let your father rest. His body is still very weak.”

Once again, they gathered in the director’s office, this time with Dan Yupeng present.

“Your father’s results are back. It is indeed a genetic issue. Though the serum has improved his condition, it could collapse again at any moment. You must be prepared.”

“Collapse?” Dan Yuchen looked at Dr. Chen in confusion.

Dr. Chen sighed. “Here are your father’s genetic test results.”

Dan Yuchen looked them over, but the data meant nothing to him.

“It’s not good. There’s a massive break in his gene structure. We don’t yet know if it’s congenital or acquired. The serum’s repair capacity is less than one ten-thousandth of what’s needed. If the gene chain fully ruptures, your father…”

“Director Chen, is there truly no other way? What if we use more serum—one hundred doses, a thousand, ten thousand?”

(To be continued.)