Every day, she'd happily lead her younger brother by the hand back home. Their parents would visit them every month, bringing their favorite treats. Even though they were apart most of the time, they were undoubtedly a happy family.
Qinghe's brother turned six this year, and Qinghe was soon to celebrate her thirteenth birthday. When Qinghe manifested her special abilities at the age of twelve, her brother was there and thought it was quite beautiful, as all the flowers bloomed instantaneously.
So he hoped that before he left, his sister could perform her ability for him to see once more. He had already picked out the perfect spot, on the hill behind their grandmother's house where a large field of wildflowers grew, now withered in the autumn.
Qinghe's parents would always remind her not to use that ability each time they visited. However, her brother had reached school age, and the education in the city was better, so the family had decided it was time for him to go back for schooling. They had already delayed for a year, and any further delay might hinder his progress.
After her brother returned to the city, they would only be able to see each other during the winter and summer holidays. The siblings were very close, so Qinghe couldn't bear to let him down.
After making sure no one was around, Qinghe concentrated on making the surrounding flowers bloom. Sure enough, two seconds later, all the flowers opened up, and the siblings happily played among them, unaware that Qinghe's powers were still growing. Now, she could influence the plants within a five-kilometer radius to respond to her will—a rate of growth that was undoubtedly defying the natural order.
Some things can't be avoided just by wishing. The city investor, planning to fund a resort in the village, witnessed everything and, upon returning, mentioned it as a novelty to his friends.
Given his prestige, others naturally didn't think he was making it up. Moreover, in this high-tech era, such events were not beyond the realm of possibility. The story spread from one to ten, and from ten to a hundred, and thus Qinghe's destiny was rewritten.
After more than a year without any issues, Qinghe's parents thought it over. Qinghe had grown up and understood the situation, they reasoned, so as long as she kept her abilities hidden, there shouldn't be any problems. Therefore, they decided to bring her back, considering the superior education in the city was not to be missed.
But what should have been a joyful family reunion, everyone gathered together for a happy meal, with Qinghe delighted at the prospect of living with her parents and brother, was interrupted by some uninvited guests.
The men claimed to be from the Blood Tear Research Base—a hauntingly beautiful name. But the malice emanating from them couldn't help but put the family on alert.
The five burly men were obviously here to take Qinghe away, using a mix of persuasion and intimidation. But Qinghe's parents held on to her tightly, shielding her with their bodies, refusing to agree no matter what.
The men didn't insist and left as they had come. However, Qinghe's parents remained vigilant, immediately calling their friends to borrow their Skywheel, intending to depart at once.
In this era of advanced technology, transportation was no longer limited to airplanes alone. Many wealthy families owned their own Skywheels—a type of small aircraft that could fly through the skies, available in single, double, or even five-seat versions like a car.
The Qinghe's family was only moderately well-off, able to afford just a single-seat Skywheel for her father's use. To escape together, they had to borrow a five-seat Skywheel from someone else.
It was only five minutes since those men had left—merely enough time to make a phone call. They tried to leave through the door, but it was clear they couldn't. No matter how they tried, the door wouldn't open. Perhaps to avoid attracting attention, the same five men climbed in through the window.
It was the same five men as before, except this time they did not come empty-handed. Each man held a dagger, chilling with cold intent.
Several people came in without uttering a word, their bodies pouncing towards them like cheetahs. The "puchi" of a dagger slicing into flesh made one shudder with horror.
One of them seized Qinghe as soon as they entered and quickly injected something into her arm, causing her to feel woozy. Qinghe bit down on her tongue forcefully, trying to stay awake against the drowsiness. Through her blurry eyes, she discerned the situation before her.
The person who had grabbed her didn't bother to stop her. After all, once they were brought to the Blood Tear Research Base, their memories would be erased. Her display of intense willpower was actually quite satisfying—it was assured that the picky Doctor Li would be pleased with this "specimen."
Qinghe's clear, pure eyes slowly clouded over with darkness and hatred. She let out a heart-wrenching scream that was barely starting when it was abruptly stifled by someone smothering her mouth.
Qinghe struggled desperately, biting the hand of the person who had caught her, but even with her frenzied efforts, the drugs that had been administered made her resistance feel like mere tickling, inflicting no harm on the individual.
Powerlessly, she watched as her beloved parents and younger brother were killed one by one by those devils' blades. Their figures slowly collapsed, and she could even see her parents' unwillingness to leave and their eyes brimming with sorrow, along with some emotions she couldn't comprehend.
Finally, when the small figure of her brother also fell, Qinghe used up all her strength. Despair filled her eyes and, as darkness enveloped her vision, she fainted completely.
What came next was a turning point in Qinghe's life, experiencing things she had never encountered in over a decade.
She was brought to the laboratory, underwent a series of examinations, and became everyone's "darling," named Number 44. As she was being taken from room to room for inspections, she saw the 43 individuals who had come before her as 44.
Gradually, she learned about the situation in this place. To keep them physically and mentally content, the scientists granted them half an hour of free time each day. Although someone was always there, meticulously noting their state, it was still better than having no freedom at all.
All of Qinghe's memories were erased. She only knew herself as Number 44, enduring endless research and experiments. Each day, she was stripped of her clothes, cold metal restraining her hands, feet, and neck as she suffered from electric shocks and injections of various unknown substances. Sometimes, something sharp was pushed into her head. She found it strange; despite all this, she didn't die.
She had long since wished for death, so why didn't it come? The word "death" was something she heard from the other subjects because some would be carried out while being studied, devoid of any sign of life. She understood that was death.
Death meant no longer knowing anything or feeling pain. Hence, the ignorant Qinghe had her first wish—she hoped to die soon.
The Qinghe who didn't understand anything gradually had glints of something in her eyes over time that others couldn't make sense of, yet nobody noticed.
After enduring five years of relentless research, maybe because of some chemical agent or an electric shock affecting a part of her brain, Qinghe miraculously recovered her memories. She obediently followed the scientists' orders, especially relying on someone called Doctor Li, for he was clearly the leader here.
Doctor Li was elated that his specimen had come to depend on him like a father. To the mad Doctor Li, his subject's trust and dependency on him was far more pleasurable than being a real father could ever be.