Chapter 235: T-Black Knight
Half a month pa.s.sed.
Chen Chen sat inside the Wrangler Jeep, beholding the estate of the industrial park even larger than the Eco Science City. He was visibly pleased.
“Over there, Boss. That’s the electronics a.s.sembly factory we’re constructing.”
In the pa.s.senger seat, Qian Wenhuan pointed to a dome structure. The structure was covered with a copious number of solar panels and when approached from a distance, appeared more like a ball lamp commonly seen in banquet halls. It glittered under the radiant sunlight, giving off a mesmerizing impression.
What was even more notable was the sheer dimensions of the structure. Measuring up to two hundred meters in length and sixty meters tall, it was nearly a small mountain on its own.
“This electronics factory can host up to 50,000 people and it’s self-sufficient in electricity.”
Qian Wenhuan introduced, “There are 1,500 a.s.sembly lines in the factory. It can a.s.semble any kind of equipment you can think of efficiently and very quickly. We’re confident that we can gain a monopoly on the Namibian electronics a.s.sembly sector with this factory alone!”
“How about the staff?”
Chen Chen asked, “How do we deal with the shortage of manpower?”
“I must say Boss, this is the easiest problem to deal with.”
Qian Wenhuan chuckled. “I’m sure you haven’t been to the ten thousand workers electronics a.s.sembly factory in Mainland?”
When Chen Chen responded with a nod, Qian Wenhuan began explaining, “It’s very easy to employ workers. All you need is a local intermediary to do it for you. I’m sure you’ve seen all sorts of recruitment notices online, they all follow this model...
“Intermediaries use all sorts of methods to employ people, the most common method is by advertising online. They would tell you the job offers a salary up to 200, 300, even 400. There’s double pay on weekends, you can quit anytime you want, accommodation and food provided, and plenty other attractive compensations. It’s like all of the advertis.e.m.e.nts are telling you that you don’t need brains to have money, what are you waiting for?”
“But the truth?”
Qian Wenhuan altered his tone, posturing as an expert. “Doesn’t matter if you’re a clerk, warehouse manager, film director or even a kindergarten teacher, the place to go is always these 10,000 workforce factories.
“Your duties on the job are extremely simple. Take your position in the production line, whatever comes out of the production line, you install the parts you have on hand into it. There’s no technique behind it, you just have to repeat the same sequence.”
Chen Chen returned with a nod. “I think back when I was in university I had heard from the soph.o.m.ores and juniors that it’s extremely exhausting.”
“That’s why there are as many people signing up for these factory jobs as people are quitting every day. They come and go in the hundreds.”
Qian Wenhuan smiled. “It may be a little trickier to hire workers in an electronics factory in the Mainland, but we’re in Namibia now. After the recent pandemic, we’re suddenly offering 50,000 jobs all at once, don’t you think the Namibian government will be losing their minds at this piece of good news? There’s no need to worry about manpower.”
“Good point.”
“I’ve planned everything!”
Qian Wenhuan laughed even more heartily when he saw his boss agreeing with him. “We can set the wages at 0.4 U.S. dollars per hour, eight hours per day, and three shifts. This way, the factory can operate around the clock and the workers will not have to work overtime, which means we won’t have to provide additional overtime wages. Just like that, we’ve saved a considerable amount of expenses.
“Also, this way, we can offer up to 150,000 jobs, greatly expanding our influence in Namibia!
“For a position like this back in Mainland, the monthly wage for each worker has got to be at least 3,000 renminbi or more, but over here, 100 U.S. dollars monthly for each worker is more than enough. It’s at least four times cheaper than in the Mainland!”
Just as Chen Chen was about to commend Qian Wenhuan, his phone suddenly rang.
Chen Chen checked his phone and saw that it was a message from Little X. The first batch of T-Black Knights were fully developed and ready for extraction.
After seeing the message, Chen Chen instructed, “Cao, back to the Spire Experimental Base.”
Cheng Cao, who was sitting in the driver’s seat, gave him a nod then turned the car around and headed back to the direction where they came from.
“Boss, is it something urgent?”
Qian Wenhuan asked.
“No big deal, Hannibal’s research team has produced the first batch of enhanced Black Knights troops.”
Chen Chen was in a rather fine mood. “Ol’ Qian, want to go take a look?”
“No no no!”
Qian Wenhuan frantically waved his hands and held up a perfect smile. “I think I won’t be getting involved in these affairs, I can never understand research subjects.”
Chen Chen gave him a quick smile and did not try to pressure him any longer.
Shortly after, the Wrangler returned to the Eco Science City and stopped in front of a building.
This particular building was recently renovated. Previously, it was just a regular office building but now Chen Chen had remodeled it into the Blacklight Biotechnology African Branch Headquarters. Some of the office staff were also relocated from the research center to the headquarters.
There was also an entrance to the Spire laboratory here.
The elevator in the building led to the tram station underground, where one could take a tram to the underground section of the Sun District. From there on, there was another elevator that led to the Spire laboratory underground.
Fifteen minutes had pa.s.sed by the time Chen Chen returned to the Spire Experimental Base.
“Boss, you’re finally back.”
Inside the laboratory dedicated to researching Black Knights, Hannibal and Li Lei appeared to have been waiting for some time.
“What’s the situation?” Chen Chen took a white lab coat from an a.s.sistant and put it on before approaching the giant incubation chamber and asked with his eyes squinted.
“They should be fully developed and matured now. We waited an extra twelve hours and based on the observation in this period, all of the subjects in the life incubation chambers displayed no further signs of growth.”
Hannibal asked, “Boss, are we opening the chamber?”
“Open one for now, but to be on the safe side, have everyone put on protective suits.”
Chen Chen gave the order.
This was the first batch of T-version Black Knights. Hannibal had created six samples in total for cross-referencing them with each other to find out any form of inadequacies to make further modifications accordingly.
According to the tabulated data, the fused product of the T-virus and human cells should cause the human genes to completely lose their infectious qualities. However, Chen Chen still had everyone put on isolation protective suits just in case something went wrong.
After everyone had put on the appropriate gear, Chen Chen gave the order for the labeled incubation chamber number 1 to begin expelling its liquid contents. Everyone watched as the water level in the life incubator began to drop rapidly until the gray-white giant inside it started to become exposed.
With the help of some tools, a cast of a.s.sistants moved the giant to a customized stretcher. They then began to take the physical measurements of the giant.
“Height, 354 centimeters. Weight, 308 kilograms...”
“High blood pressure reading of 660mmHg, low blood pressure 520mmHg...”
“The subject’s physical condition is excellent. Perfect muscle tissues, no signs of adhesion...”
“He’s built like a mammoth!”
As the a.s.sistants began to take various readings, the observing crowd constantly mused among themselves.
“It’s probably because of p.u.b.erty.”
Li Lei smiled and noted when he saw the man-beast before him. “We forgot that humans go through a p.u.b.erty stage. During the p.u.b.erty stage, there’s a period of rapid growth before it comes to a sudden screech.
“That’s why despite our initial projections of the subject growing to approximately 3 meters, the subject had turned out to grow up to 3.5 meters.”
Hannibal nodded. “Looks like we’ll have to figure something out to shrink future iterations of T-Black Knight.”
“Shh...”
Chen Chen suddenly reached out and made a gesture for silence.
Everyone quickly stopped what they were doing and looked at Chen Chen quizzingly.
It was only after everyone had stopped working on their tasks when they heard a drumming “thump, thump” sound coming from the giant experimental subject.
“Heartbeat doesn’t seem as strong as previously.”
Chen Chen noted.
“It may be due to the lowered intake of hormones,” Li Lei explained, “previously, due to the injection of hormones, the body of the subject was locked in an overloaded growth stage. Now that there are no hormones injected, the body of the subject is returning to normal.”
“Let’s hope so.”
Chen Chen nodded. “All the other tests can wait for now. Let’s see if the G.o.d chip can control it first.”
“Understood.”
The a.s.sistants slowly backed away, allowing another group of a.s.sistants in charge of operation pushing carts full of surgical tools to take their place.
The operation did not go well.
The experiment subject one had skin as thick as tires. After finally slicing through its skin, they found that the muscle tissues inside were even tougher. There was very little the surgical knife could do.
Left with no other choice, the a.s.sistant in charge of the operation took out the chain saw and forced his way through the muscles on the back of the experiment subject one’s neck.
That was when something even more astounding occurred. The giant experiment subject before them possessed unbelievable regenerative abilities.
The gathering watched as the muscles that were just sliced through began regenerating at such a rate that it was almost visible to the naked eyes. During the healing process, the muscle fibers squirmed and crossed over each other like little red worms. It was an uncomfortable sight for the ones watching.
“Speed it up!”
The head surgeon growled and cut through the muscle tissues in front of him again. This time, paying no mind to employ specific cutting techniques, he quickly took out an electric drill and drilled into the exposed vertebral.
“Boss, other qualities aside, the regenerative of subject one alone is phenomenal.”
Chen Chen, Hannibal, and Li Lei stood at the back, watching them scramble away at their tasks. Hannibal commented, “This regenerative ability is truly impressive. If we can apply it on our Black Knights, their combat longevity will be greatly improved.
“The premise is that we’ll have to prepare sufficient nutrition.”
Li Lei also added. “Judging by this terrifying regenerative speed, its consumption should be up to a hundred times higher than that of ordinary people.”
“That’s a given.”
Chen Chen nodded. “Energy bars will no longer cut it for these monsters. They’re going to need injections.”
During the three men’s discussion, the a.s.sistant in charge had finally drilled sixteen small holes into the subject’s spine. A modified G.o.d chip was then made ready for the next step.
To be clear, the so-called modification largely left the primary component of the G.o.d chip untouched. This technology was far beyond the current technological scope of Blacklight Biotechnology. The only thing they could modify was the electrode placement of the G.o.d chip.
Inside the movie, the original G.o.d chip had six tiny feet no longer than one centimeter. The length allowed it to puncture the human spine and lodge itself into it effortlessly but there was little chance of it working out for a giant four times larger than a regular human.
The one-centimeter long electrode should barely be able to reach its spinal cord.
That was the reason the G.o.d chip electrode was refitted, extending them from one centimeter to three centimeters. This length should suffice.
The monster’s spine was extremely st.u.r.dy. Even with a chainsaw, it took a considerable amount of effort to work through it. By the time it was done, experiment subject one’s back had become an unruly jumble of blood and flesh.
The group did not spare a moment to relax. They promptly installed the G.o.d chip. It was only after ensuring all electrodes had punctured into the spinal cord when they began treating the monster’s wounds.
They cleaned up all the pulled muscles and skin and then used needles and threads to suture the wound. The entire process took an hour, where the operation was finally nearing its end.
The only thing left to do now was to wait.
Like the previous Black Knights, these T-virus mixed Black Knights had inhibitory serotonin injected. The cranial cavity was full of hydrocephalus and the brain had long shrunken and degenerated. The subject did not have a trace of consciousness.
The G.o.d chip began to take over the body.
One minute, two minutes, five minutes...
They stared at the subject intently. They saw the Black Knight’s constant beating of its exposed heart and its puffing chest mimicking the motion of the heartbeat but there was no other movement.
Chen Chen was not in a rush.
Ten minutes later, Chen Chen suddenly spotted subject one’s finger twitching ever so slightly.
The movement was extremely minor. Only Chen Chen noted it distinctly. Within half a minute, the muscle tissues all over the Black Knight’s body began to jerk.
“It’s moving, it’s moving!”
The group exclaimed.
Chen Chen knew that this was caused by the G.o.d chip configuring its electrical signals.
After another half hour pa.s.sed, the G.o.d chip, which was finally starting to adapt to this body, made experiment subject one to open its eyes.
It was then when they noticed the pupils of experiment subject one was a deep, dark red.
After that, experiment subject one sat up on the stretcher and looked at them quietly.
Even when sitting on a stretcher, it was a lot taller than the average person. Experiment subject one had granite-like muscles paved all over its body. Coupled with its cold stare, it mounted a gigantic amount of pressure on the crowd.
Without realizing it themselves, everyone other than Chen Chen stumbled two steps backward.
Despite knowing that with the G.o.d chip controlling it, there was no chance of the monster snapping out of control. The sight of the monster triggered an inherent genetic instinct like that of a herbivore encountering a lion.
Their underlying basic instincts kept telling them that this monster in front of them was not to be angered.
“After the fifth examination of the body fluid samples, we still found no traces of the virus.”
At the moment, an a.s.sistant in charge of testing the body fluids reported to Chen Chen, “It has been determined that the T-virus isn’t present in experiment subject one’s body. Its infection ability is nil.”
“Very good.”
After receiving the report, the research personnel began removing their air-tight helmets. Although the equipment was an excellent defensive measure, they were very stuffy to wear. Unless necessary, n.o.body liked to wear them on the job.
“Let’s examine the capability of experiment subject one first.”
Li Lei bit his lip and slowly approached experiment subject one. “Subject one, can you understand what I’m saying?”
Subject one, with its horrifically pale and bald head, responded with a faint nod.
With that, Li Lei was at ease. “Try to get up from the stretcher. I’ll be tabulating your data accordingly.”
“Clack!”
Following Li Lei’s order, experiment subject one slowly stood up. When he got up, he staggered a few steps and stood firmly in his spot after finding his center of gravity.
“It’s a success!”
They erupted into cheers.
After that, they took subject one out of the laboratory and to the training field for the Black Knights to perform physical tests on strength, speed, reaction speed, and other bodily functions of this gigantic beast.
The results were mind-blowing. The strength of an average person was 600 – approximately 1200N while subject one’s strength ascended to 9000N. His speed was three times that of a regular person and similarly, three times more capable in sprinting and endurance tests alike.