Desperate people, accept the seed of my soul!

Zhao Yuan changed into sterile clothing and stumbled into the delivery room. Standing by the delivery bed, she raised her hand and then lowered it, unsure of where to touch.

"Give him a hug."

Li Su handed the child over.

When Zhao Yuan took the child, the 1.8-meter-tall man's hands trembled like a leaf.

He stared at the child for a long time, then smiled.

I laughed so hard that tears came out.

"Like you."

He said.

"Nonsense, it looks exactly like you."

Li Su retorted with a smile.

The two women were arguing in the delivery room about who the baby would look like, while the nurses, tidying up the equipment, shook their heads with a smile.

Sunlight streamed through the blinds, casting golden streaks of light onto the white sheets.

That was the happiest day of Li Su's life.

She later recalled that day repeatedly, remembering every detail—the temperature of the sunlight, the weight of the child, and the tears that Zhao Yuan shed when he laughed.

Because of everything that happened afterward, she was dragged step by step into hell from that day on.

------

The baby is three days old.

When the pediatrician came to make rounds, his expression was somewhat serious.

"Several indicators in the child's blood test are not normal; we need to conduct a more detailed examination."

Li Su didn't pay much attention at the time.

It's common for newborns to have abnormal indicators, and several other new mothers around her were also notified to undergo further examinations.

"It's okay, just get it checked out."

Zhao Yuan comforted her.

The inspection took all day.

Blood tests, ultrasound, electrocardiogram, electroencephalogram, and even genetic testing were performed.

Li Su began to sense that something was wrong.

What routine checkups require genetic testing?

On the fourth day, the results came out.

The head of pediatrics came to the ward in person, his face very grave.

"The child's situation is quite complex. We discovered a rare mutation in his gene sequence that affects the development of his immune system. If not intervened in time, he may develop severe immunodeficiency within three months."

Li Su's mind went blank.

"What does that mean? What is immunodeficiency?"

"It means the child's immune system is not functioning properly. Even a minor infection could be fatal."

The head of pediatrics spoke calmly, as if he were reading an academic report.

"But you don't need to worry too much. Our hospital has a collaboration with a research institution in the provincial capital, and they have a specific targeted treatment program for this kind of gene mutation. As long as the child is transferred to the research institution for treatment, he can fully recover."

Li Su gripped Zhao Yuan's hand, her nails digging into his skin.

Zhao Yuan's hands were also trembling.

How much does it cost to transfer to another hospital?

Zhao Yuan asked.

"The research project is funded by the government; you don't need to contribute any money."

The head of pediatrics said.

"This is a stroke of luck amidst misfortune. The incidence of this gene mutation is less than one in a million, but it just so happens to have occurred during our research project."

Li Su felt at the time that although the child's illness was terrible, at least there was still hope.

Little did she know, this "research project" was the truly terrifying one.

------

The child was transferred to a three-story building in the western suburbs of Shanyang City.

The sign at the entrance reads "Shannan Provincial Research Center for Eugenics and Childbirth," suggesting it's a legitimate medical institution.

The facilities inside are also very advanced, with sterile wards, incubators, and various monitoring instruments, making it even more complete than the pediatrics department of the city hospital.

The person in charge of the child's treatment was a professor named Zhou De'an.

Professor Zhou was in his fifties, wore gold-rimmed glasses, spoke slowly and deliberately, and had a very gentle demeanor.

"The child's gene mutation type is very rare. We had only seen three cases in clinical practice before, but all three were successfully cured through targeted drug treatment."

He explained the treatment plan to Li Su and Zhao Yuan in detail, and also took them to visit the laboratory and show them the data of previously cured cases.

Li Su felt a little relieved.

She left the child at the research center, where visits were allowed from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

For the first three days, everything was normal.

The child lay in an incubator, connected to various monitors, but his complexion was better than when he was in the hospital.

Professor Zhou said that the targeted drugs have already started to take effect, and after another week of observation, they can enter the second stage of treatment.

On the fourth day, when Li Su went to visit, she found that the child's complexion had worsened again.

The temperature of the incubator was increased by two degrees, and an IV tube was added to the child's body. A bag of medicine with a name she had never seen before was hanging on the IV stand.

"Professor Zhou, why is the child unwell again?"

She asked.

"Targeted drugs vary from person to person; some children may respond more slowly."

Professor Zhou's tone remained gentle.

"We are adjusting the dosage, so there's no need to worry too much."

On the fifth day, the child started vomiting.

On the sixth day, the child began to have seizures.

On the seventh day, the child died.

------

Li Su was washing her child's clothes at home when she received the call.

She bought a huge pile of baby clothes—cotton, gauze, onesies, and two-piece outfits—and hand-washed each one with baby-specific laundry detergent. They hung them out to dry on the balcony, looking like a row of colorful little flags.

the phone is ringing.

"The child's condition is not good, please come quickly."

The nurse's voice was urgent.

Li Su threw down the laundry tub and ran outside without even changing her slippers.

When she and Zhao Yuan arrived at the research center, the child had already been taken to the emergency room.

The rescue operation lasted for forty minutes.

Then Professor Zhou came out, took off his mask, and looked somber.

"We did our best."

He said.

Li Su did not cry.

She stood there, looking at Professor Zhou's face, watching his lips move, and listening to him speak.

But she wouldn't listen to a single word.

She pushed Professor Zhou aside and rushed into the emergency room.

The child lay on the emergency bed, with various tubes and wires still attached to his body.

The oxygen mask on her face was still on, and there were electrode pads on her small chest. Her little hands were clenched into fists.

But the lines on the monitor have turned into a straight line.

She picked up the child.

The child is still warm.

She held her child, sitting motionless on the emergency bed.

Zhao Yuan stood at the door, his back to her, his shoulders shaking violently.

They later learned that the child did not die from a genetic mutation at all.

He was killed by an unapproved experimental drug.

The drug, codenamed "Dawn No. 1," is a gene-editing agent jointly developed by the Shannan Provincial Center for Eugenics and Childbirth Research and a private biotechnology company. It is being used in preclinical trials on infants with specific gene mutations.

Children are not the first test subjects.

It won't be the last.

------

The research center's attitude was surprisingly good.

The research center will handle all the child's funeral arrangements, including cremation, burial, and compensation – a one-stop service.

Professor Zhou personally visited to apologize, and his attitude was sincere.

"This is an unpredictable risk inherent in medical research. We are deeply sorry for this. The research center is willing to assume full responsibility and pay a compensation of 500,000 yuan."

Five hundred thousand.

One life, 500,000.

Li Su wanted to smash the teacup in his face right then and there.

But she held back.

Because she discovered a problem.

When Professor Zhou apologized, he never mentioned the child's true cause of death.