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Chapter 192 The Truth
When Wang Kun was taken into the control room, Su Wanqing kept her hand on the insulated box, and Lu Zhao was right next to her.

Lin Che's breathing was erratic at this moment. His clothes had been torn open when Wang Kun attacked him, and a two-finger-wide gash was visible in the blood.

Xiao Ran glanced at Wang Kun, then pressed him under the chair, still gripping the stick in his hand.

Lin Che raised his head, and his face, which should have been pale, strangely glowed with a faint golden hue.

He crouched low, his hands braced against the edge of the table. The wound on his chest was slowly shrinking amidst the bloodstains, his own tissue closing in like a tide, and even the texture of his skin was visibly restored.

Bloodstains fell on the table, but were quickly covered by the newly formed skin.

Lu Zhao froze, unable to utter a word. Su Wanqing felt slightly uneasy, leaning back slightly and gripping even tighter.

She silently observed Lin Che and noticed that his eyes were no longer the same color as before—a pure gold ring in his irises, with a metallic sheen.

Lin Che opened his mouth, his voice suddenly becoming low and deep, with an unusual sense of antiquity. Even Wang Kun, a guy who had seen many storms, stopped what he was doing.

"You think I'm just Lin Che's second personality." He spoke slowly and deliberately, as if he had borrowed someone's tongue. "But the truth is much more complicated than you think. My history existed long before what you call the beginning of civilization."

Su Wanqing stopped abruptly and asked, word by word, "Who are you? Aren't you Lin Che?"

"My name is Ye." Lin Che shook his head, the golden light in his eyes growing even stronger.

Wang Kun struggled for a moment, but Ye pinned him down with one hand. Ye's knuckles didn't use much force, yet Wang Kun couldn't break free.

Xiao Ran moved closer and lowered his voice, saying, "What exactly are you? A dual personality? This isn't something a doctor can explain."

Ye leaned down and pinned Wang Kun down, his lips twitching slightly. "Dual personality is just a term you used to categorize people. I come from an ancient race. You humans evolved to where we are today after we fell into slumber. We originally coexisted with life on this planet, but for some reason, most of us fell into dormancy. What you now call a 'virus' is actually just a fragment of our DNA that has been artificially activated."

Su Wanqing tightened her grip slightly, concealing the jade bracelet within her sleeve.

She asked, "You mean, this virus originated from your genes?"

Night swept over her. "That's not all. What you have in your hand, on the surface, is a technological product—but in essence, it's the same as our origin. It can trigger an energy reaction, so you can control those DNA fragments called 'viruses'."

The jade bracelet itself is not merely a series of instructions; the energy encapsulated within is enough to awaken a resonance deep within the memories of our people.

Su Wanqing paused for a moment, then peeked a corner of the jade bracelet out from her sleeve.

"The technicians analyzed it and found no conventional energy source in the bracelet. What exactly is this thing?"

Ye stared intently at her, as if something had settled deep within his golden pupils. "That's part of the initial core, consistent with the original energy pattern of our race. You thought it could purify the virus, but it was actually regulating our fragmented bloodline. The reason it was effective on you test subjects is because you carry genetic signals that are shared with our race."

Lu Zhao interjected, "So, the virus is actually just a genetic fragment left over from your race?"

Night nodded. "Those human scientists activated the incomplete genes. They thought they could control evolution, but they only attracted us."

Su Wanqing straightened up a bit, pondered for a moment, and asked in return, "Since you are alive in Lin Che's body, what is your relationship with the virus? Were you activated by the virus?"

Ye slowly released his grip on Wang Kun, reached out and grabbed the corner of the electronic control unit, his knuckles turning white. "The core essence of my clan needs a vessel. Lin Che's special genes are just a suitable container, which is why I woke up. Symbiotes with complete symbols like me are almost extinct, otherwise you wouldn't be so lucky."

At this moment, Wang Kun suddenly gritted his teeth, turned his head, and tried to break free, shouting, "Let me go!"

With a slight exertion of force, Ye made Wang Kun unable to move.

Xiao Ran stared at Ye and asked, "Is Lin Che still inside?" Ye only glanced at him. "He's still there. Normally, you see him, but my consciousness can decide when to take control."

Su Wanqing fastened the jade bracelet again and expressed her concerns: "Then why are you willing to express these things? How can we believe that you are not manipulating us?"

Night revealed a peculiar smile. "You have no other choice. Those who released the virus didn't want to destroy the world. They wanted to screen for humans who could coexist with our DNA. Xiaoling is one such successful example."

Lu Zhao gasped, then hesitated before asking, "A girl with a child's voice? Xiao Ling?"

Ye Weiwei tilted her head slightly, "The energy within her body is very special, but unfortunately it is extremely unstable."

If this cannot be resolved, the consequences will spiral out of control. At that point, it will be far more troublesome than anything the military or 'Genesis' had planned.

Su Wanqing stared at Ye and asked carefully, "What will happen if she can't hold on? Will she become an infected person like the virus goes on a rampage?"

Ye Hui said, "What you understand as out of control is actually an energy collapse. She is the genetic balance point. If we don't find a way to help her adapt, the current crisis is far more serious than you imagine."

A few seconds of silence followed. No one spoke.

Just then, Lu Zhao quietly leaned out and opened the insulating box of the energy core.

Inside was a blue-glowing crystal, which he handed to Su Wanqing.

Su Wanqing brought the jade bracelet close to the blue crystal. A circle of complex and neat runes appeared on the surface of the jade bracelet. The blue light completed a strong resonance, and then a new line of text faintly appeared: "1/7 of the energy core has been identified. The system needs to be fully calibrated. Please continue collecting."

Xiao Ran took out a notebook and wrote it down: "The system feedback from the jade bracelet is that the first energy core has been obtained. Seven more need to be collected to activate it."

Ye leaned closer and examined the crystal for a moment. "Don't use it recklessly. This thing needs to be combined with the 'starlight' inside Xiaoling's body in a specific order. If you do it the wrong way, not only will it not be activated, but an energy storm will explode inside the fortress first."

Su Wanqing frowned. "Do we really need Xiaoling to step in?"

Ye nodded. "She has to be present. The triggering order needs to be based on the energy rhythm within her body. The first core can only activate part of the jade bracelet's permissions. If we force the use of another core, it will result in more dangerous negative feedback."

Lu Zhao looked up. "So, should we continue searching for the core members?"

Ye hummed in agreement. "Once we have all gathered them, she and you will activate them together in the prescribed order. I can help regulate the energy. Otherwise, not only will the barrier be affected, but the base itself will suffer from the energy backlash."

Xiao Ran closed his notebook and stood up. "Understood. Lock the first core in the safe first. The remaining five people will be divided into groups tonight to coordinate the synchronization plan between Xiao Ling and the energy core."

Ye turned to look at Wang Kun, who, now subdued, was no longer as tough as he had been a few hours earlier.

He muttered something to himself, staring blankly at the crystal and the jade bracelet, and stopped struggling.

The lights on the control panel gradually dimmed, and the only sounds in the air were rapid breathing and the soft operation of the instruments.

Su Wanqing put the jade bracelet and the crystal into the temporary storage box, and Lu Zhao quickly wrote down a data summary in his notebook.

Night whispered, “You need to act quickly. The external crisis is just the beginning. If you don’t prepare a backup plan before the core is fully collected, it will be too late.”

Su Wanqing remained silent, staring at the blue crystal on the table. After a few seconds, she turned around and called for someone to take Wang Kun away. Then she asked Lu Zhao and Xiao Ran to check the remaining energy reserves and write the work arrangements on the whiteboard.

Lin Che's body had not yet returned to normal. His golden eyes flickered in the dim light of the control room, and no one dared to approach him rashly.