Brother, just how powerful is our family?

"It hurts," Qin Feng said honestly, "but it's worth it. Just think about how I'll look after the optimization—more beautiful, healthier, and I can live for a very, very long time."

Qin Yao bit her lip: "Then... you have to wait for me outside."

"I've always been here."

The hatch was completely closed. A pale blue liquid flowed from the holes in the bulkhead, slowly filling the cabin.

Qin Yao felt her body float up, and she maintained her breathing through the mask.

Then, she saw medical staff connect a syringe to an IV infusion port inside the chamber.

"Injection begins," Dr. Qin's voice came through the communicator. "Three, two, one."

A cool sensation spread from the veins in my arm.

At first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. But a few minutes later, things began to change.

First, there was a slight fever, like the early symptoms of a cold.

Then the heat rose rapidly, and it felt like every cell in her body was on fire. Qin Yao gritted her teeth and endured it.

But this is just the prelude.

The real, excruciating pain came half an hour later.

It was a pain that went deep into the bone marrow and tore apart every cell.

It felt as if countless tiny knives were cutting, recombining, cutting again, and recombining again inside my body.

The muscles were twitching, the bones were cracking, and the blood vessels were expanding and contracting.

Qin Yao couldn't help but groan. She heard her father's suppressed growl, her mother's rapid breathing, and Qin Yang's muffled groans coming from the cabin next to her.

"Hang in there," Qin Feng's voice came, steady and powerful. "Feel the pain, but don't resist it. This is your body evolving, becoming stronger."

Qin Yao tried her best to do as her brother said.

She no longer resisted the pain, but tried to feel it, to feel the muscle fibers reconnecting in a more resilient way after they broke, to feel the bone density increasing, and to feel her heart beating stronger and more powerfully.

This process was extremely long. Every minute felt like an eternity.

On the monitoring screen, the vital signs of the five people fluctuated wildly, but remained within a safe range.

Dr. Qin and his medical team stayed by his side at all times, ready to deal with any emergencies.

Qin Feng also stayed outside, watching his family through the observation window.

His eyes were calm, but his clenched fists betrayed his inner tension.

The first day is the hardest.

Qin Yao nearly fainted several times from the pain, but was pulled back by some force.

She began to understand what her brother meant by "ten times the human limit"; such a level of modification did indeed come at a price.

The pain lessened on the second day, but new sensations appeared.

Itching. A deep, bone-deep itch. It's the growth of new cells, the repair of tissues. More unbearable than pain, because scratching offers no relief.

Qin Yao heard Qin Yang swearing in the cabin. Although it was mumbled, she could tell he was cursing.

She almost laughed out loud, but the laughter affected her whole body, causing both pain and itchiness.

On the third day, changes began to appear.

Monitoring data shows that the five individuals' muscle density, bone strength, and cardiopulmonary function are all steadily improving.

The body temperature gradually returned to normal, and the vital signs stabilized.

The most obvious change is in their appearance. Even through the hatch and the liquid, you can see that the wrinkles on Qin Jianguo and his wife's faces are decreasing and their white hair is turning black.

Qin Yang's muscle definition became more pronounced. Qin Yao's skin became smoother and more delicate.

72 hours have finally passed.

The liquid inside the optimization chamber was slowly drained, and the hatch was opened.

Qin Yao slowly sat up, feeling light and airy, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders.

She looked down at her hands; her skin was fair and radiant, her nails were smooth and healthy, and even the scars from her childhood had disappeared.

"How are you feeling?" Qin Feng walked over and handed her a towel.

"It's...strange." Qin Yao dried herself off. "Light as a feather, yet full of power."

She tried making a fist and found that she could easily make a cracking sound.

With a light jump, her head almost hit the ceiling, but she quickly controlled her strength and landed lightly.

"You need to get used to the strength," Qin Feng said, supporting her. "Take it slow."

On the other side, Qin Jianguo and his wife also came out.

The two looked at each other, both stunned.

They looked to be about thirty years old in the mirror.

Qin Jianguo's originally gray hair has become thick and black, the wrinkles and eye bags on his face have disappeared, and he has a tall and straight figure.

Qin's mother was even more stunning; her skin was firm and smooth, her facial features were more refined, and the crow's feet at the corners of her eyes had completely disappeared. She exuded the charm of a mature woman.

"This...this is me?" Qin Jianguo touched his chin, where the skin, which was originally a little loose, was now firm and elastic.

Looking at herself in the mirror, Qin's mother said, "Jianguo, we...we've become younger."

Qin Yang was the most excited. He rushed to the gym and punched the sandbag.

"Bang!"

The sandbag flew out and hit the wall, its filling exploding all over the ground.

"My God!" Qin Yang looked at his fist; there wasn't even a red mark on it. "Bro! That's amazing!"

Qin Feng walked over: "This is just the beginning. There will be a second and a third optimization."

The second optimization will be carried out two days later.

This time, the focus is primarily on the brain.

After the injection, the five people experienced a strange sensation, not pain, but information overload.

A flood of knowledge, memories, and sensory information rushed into my mind, as if my brain had been connected to the Internet.

It was chaotic at first, but they quickly learned to filter, organize, and archive the information.

Qin Yao discovered that she could think about three things at the same time without getting confused.

Qin Yang discovered that he could remember almost every book he had ever read.

Qin Jianguo discovered that he could recall details from decades ago, even remembering the smells and temperatures clearly.

The third optimization was completed a week later.

This time, the body and brain simultaneously achieved a new balance.

When the five people stepped out of the optimization cabin, their demeanor was completely different.

Qin Jianguo is 1.8 meters tall and weighs 80 kilograms. He has a well-proportioned and upright figure, and his facial features are distinct. He looks like he is 30 years old, but he is actually 53 years old this year.

Qin's mother was 1.68 meters tall and weighed 55 kilograms. She had fair and smooth skin, delicate features, and clear, bright eyes. Walking down the street, people would believe she was 25 years old.

Qin Yang is 1.86 meters tall and weighs 95 kilograms. He is not an exaggeratedly muscular man, but rather has a strong physique with fat covering his muscles, smooth muscle lines, and explosive power.

He stood there, like a tiger poised to pounce.

Qin Yao has changed the most. She was already beautiful, but now she is stunningly beautiful.

She is 1.72 meters tall, weighs 55 kilograms, has a perfect body proportion, smooth and delicate skin, and bright, star-like eyes.

More importantly, it's that kind of temperament—it has both the vivacity of a young girl and the wisdom and composure that comes with age.

The family stood in front of the full-length mirror in the living room, looking at their reflections in the mirror, speechless for a long time.

"Is this me?" Qin Yao asked softly. "It feels like a completely different person."

Qin's mother stroked her cheek: "Xiao Feng... how... how am I going to explain this to people?"