After leaving Jing's room, Haiyang quickly exited the dormitory through the side door. Soon, he reached the hospital entrance, spotting several teams gathering at the door, likely searching for him.
He approached an open window on the first floor, intending to climb in. To his surprise, he effortlessly leaped through. Amazed at his newfound ability, he hurried towards his room, trying to keep his footsteps light. Suddenly, he heard faint footsteps. A voice called out, "Who's there? Stop!"
"Damn, I'm exposed!" He instinctively quickened his pace, attempting to cross the area swiftly. But before he could take more than a few steps, the voices behind him grew closer, and the entire hospital lobby lit up. Glancing back, Haiyang saw a team of people advancing towards him.
He started running back, leaping out of the window again, and dashed across a construction site opposite the hospital. Behind him, he could hear the voices of his pursuers and muffled commands. His breathing became rapid, and sweat beaded on his forehead. As he maneuvered through the iron scaffolding in the ruins, his heart began to race, feeling as if it might burst from his chest.
"What's happening? It feels like there's an air pump inflating inside me, my chest is so tight," Haiyang thought. His body was undergoing strange changes. Despite feeling exhausted, an inexplicable force seemed to surge within him, as if that imaginary pump was now fully pressurized, propelling him forward. He leaped over a low wall and then across a section of rebar, his body far more agile than usual. He could hardly believe what he was capable of.
He navigated through the park's small paths, using the cover of night and briefly hiding in roadside bushes. But the flashlight beams continued to sweep around him, like a pack of wolves ready to pounce at any moment. Panting, Haiyang quickly assessed his route, choosing to circle around the Materials Characterization and Processing Department before sprinting again.
No sooner had he started running than a sharp mechanical sound rang out behind him, followed by a piercing electric light sweeping over his silhouette. He instinctively turned to flee in another direction, but another powerful beam of light quickly locked onto him. Haiyang reflexively rolled, dodging the light. He heard someone shout, "There he is! Don't let him escape!" Gritting his teeth, Haiyang ran in one direction. He had just seen a sign indicating an underground pipe nearby, likely used for the park's cooling water system. He remembered the map and building structure he had studied before reporting for duty. If he could enter that pipe, he might temporarily shake off his pursuers.
Suddenly, several men in black burst from the darkness, their movements swift and precise, quickly surrounding him. A violent electric current surged from the ground beneath him. Haiyang cried out in pain, collapsing to the ground. He struggled to get up and break free, that strange power he had just discovered seeming to respond once more, his legs instinctively trying to run. But his body was already firmly controlled by the men in black. Within seconds, his arms were bound behind his back, rendering him immobile.
"That was close! He almost got away," a cold voice came from behind. Haiyang looked up to see a middle-aged man in a white coat looking down at him.
"Who... are you?" Haiyang asked with difficulty.
The man didn't answer, instead telling those around him, "Take him to see the leader. Looks like our 'Immortal Water' is working well; his physical abilities have improved significantly."
Haiyang tried to struggle, but his entire body was paralyzed. He felt someone roughly lift him up and drag him in a certain direction. In the last moment before losing consciousness, he saw that they were entering the Computational and Theoretical Materials Science Department building.
When he regained consciousness, Haiyang found himself tied to a metal chair in a spacious laboratory. Various complex instruments and flickering displays surrounded him, and a faint smell of disinfectant permeated the air.
At the far end of the room, a shadow moved slowly, and a figure emerged from the darkness. It was the Taoist Master in his robes, standing silently. His gaze pierced through the dim light like a sharp sword, straight into Haiyang's heart. The Taoist Master didn't speak immediately, first examining Haiyang closely.
"You're indeed different from the others. How did you survive?" The Taoist Master finally spoke, his voice deep and echoing, sounding both near and far like a deity in a mythological drama.
Haiyang gritted his teeth and looked directly at the Taoist Master. "How am I supposed to answer that? Why didn't I die? Tell me, why did you bring me here?"
The Taoist Master smirked and approached Haiyang, speaking again in that ethereal voice, "The Ethereal Refinement Project." The voice seemed to come from another world. "You've already experienced some of its effects. The combination of modern nanotechnology and ancient Taoist methods can help humans quickly break through physical limits, even achieve immortality."
He moved closer and continued, "Your body has already started to show this. You must have felt it - strength, agility, self-healing... these are just the beginning. It's truly the will of heaven. You're the most successful case in our experiments so far, and the most suitable candidate."
"I never agreed to be your test subject!" Haiyang retorted, inwardly cursing a thousand times.
The Taoist Master chuckled, "Did we need your agreement? Oh, you think your father has that much power? That he can handle everything for you? You can't escape now. The only way to survive is to join us, to use your expertise to solve the greatest puzzle in the world. Otherwise, you'll be slowly destroyed by the side effects of the experiment, dying even more horribly than those failed test subjects."
Haiyang was shocked. Side effects? He remembered those two burning "humanoid creatures," monsters whose skin was burned and rapidly regenerated. He shuddered involuntarily.
The Taoist Master paused, then continued, "You can choose not to join, but you won't last long. You've seen those zombie-like test subjects, haven't you? If you don't want to end up like that, your only way out is to work well with us. Help us, and you're helping yourself. Don't worry, we'll give you the highest level of treatment, position, and title."
He leaned close to Haiyang's ear and whispered, "If you want to survive and protect those you care about - like your parents - you may have no choice but to cooperate with us."
These words pierced Haiyang's heart like a needle. He trembled, his mind a chaotic whirl of thoughts.
"Think it over carefully," the Taoist Master said, slowly backing away. "I'm not in a hurry. You don't have much time to waste anyway."
Just as Haiyang faced this life-or-death decision, the laboratory door suddenly burst open. Mr. Hu rushed in, his face filled with anxiety.
"Master, we have trouble! The Central Special Investigation Team has raided the park. They've already taken control of the main entrances and exits!"
The Taoist Master's face immediately darkened. "How is this possible? How did we not get any wind of this?"
Before he could finish, a piercing alarm sounded throughout the building, and red warning lights began to flash.
Mr. Hu glanced at Haiyang and said slowly, "Master, we need to evacuate first. As for him..."
The Taoist Master interrupted, "Bring him along. The data in his body is too important. We can't let it fall into the hands of the investigation team."
At that moment, Haiyang felt a violent pain inside his body. To his horror, he discovered his skin beginning to emit a faint blue light, just like the humanoid creatures he had seen before.
"Interesting," the Taoist Master exclaimed excitedly. "It seems stress activates the body's potential module, accelerating the nanorobots' ability to activate body cells. I'd say you're close to breaking free from mortal constraints. Let's go! We'll take him to Area B."
In the chaos, Haiyang was hurriedly untied and shoved towards the exit. Just as they were about to leave the laboratory, he saw Jing standing outside the door. Their eyes met for just a few seconds, but it seemed to convey a thousand words.
Jing gave an almost imperceptible nod, then quickly turned and left. Haiyang understood that she must have found a way to notify the investigation team.
The group quickly navigated through maze-like corridors, finally arriving at a hidden underground garage. The air was thick with the smell of damp mold, mixed with the scent of motor oil and rubber.
Mr. Hu started what appeared to be an ordinary van, its engine roaring to life. Haiyang was roughly pushed into the vehicle, falling onto the back seat. He panted heavily, feeling that strange power still surging within him.
The equipment inside the van was highly sophisticated. The dashboard flickered with complex data, reminding Haiyang of the monitoring screens in the laboratory. He noticed some strange devices hidden under the seats, guessing that this vehicle might also be some kind of mobile laboratory.
The Taoist Master sat in the passenger seat, his expression in the rearview mirror alternating between light and dark. Mr. Hu rapidly operated the steering wheel, and the van shot out of the underground garage like an arrow leaving a bow, followed by more than ten other vehicles.
Just as they were about to leave the park, Haiyang heard the Taoist Master say quietly to Mr. Hu, "Notify the others. Proceed with the first ascension experiment."
Mr. Hu turned his head sharply, "So soon? But..."
"We have no choice. They've found their way into the park," the Taoist Master's voice carried a note of resignation.
The convoy drove into the dark night, the lights of the distant city gradually blurring. Haiyang stared blankly at the rapidly receding scenery outside the window. Suddenly, a violent pain surged through his body. Looking down at his arm, Haiyang saw a faint blue light flowing beneath his skin. Those mysterious nanorobots seemed to be activating certain cells within him, feeling restless.
He couldn't help but recall the Taoist Master's earlier words: "You're close to breaking free from mortal constraints."
The van continued to speed through the night, heading towards an unknown future. And within Haiyang's body, those mysterious nanorobots waited silently, harboring infinite possibilities and unimaginable dangers. This game concerning the future of humanity had only just begun.