After going up to the 8th floor, Wei Tianyang changed into a hospital gown as required and underwent a physical examination.
Hans attached several patches to his body, along with a wristband and a headband, and the myriad screens beside the hospital bed flooded with data.
On his right arm, the thumb-wide black line became the main subject of Hans's study.
He drew blood from Wei Tianyang and tried to cut a small piece of live tissue from the black mark with a scalpel.
However, the progression did not go smoothly; the 2 milligrams of tissue he trimmed from his arm did not yield the results Hans wanted to see under the microscope.
Wei Tianyang sat in the chair and took the opportunity to scrutinize the hidden laboratory while the two were busy.
Researchers in white coats, holding tablet computers, bustled around various types of equipment.
At the elevator entrance, there were a few men in suits, whom he figured were likely bodyguards.
Wei Tianyang still remembered that when he had first entered, he was in a small room next door where he was injected with medicine.
At the time, Hans, with the help of three doctors, had used a huge machine to make six holes in his spine to inject the reagent into his spinal cord.
That was, of course, done under anesthesia; he had never seen what the injected medicine looked like.
Considering the changes in his body, the black line at the lower end of his right arm...
It seemed possible that the drugs they were researching weren't for neurological therapy.
Thoughts swirled in Wei Tianyang's mind, but he quickly wiped his face and dismissed these doubts.
His body had not shown any severe deterioration over the past week; rather, his strength had even increased a bit...
He suspected that the medicine wasn't for treating neurological disorders but was instead meant for military or athletic purposes.
It could be some type of new stimulant or steroid.
But… as long as they were willing to pay, it didn't matter what they were researching.
After completing the physical examination and resting briefly, Hans led him to another corner of the hall.
A one-square-meter silver steel plate, suspended in midair by more than ten gray straps, was about 1 centimeter thick and connected to many sensors on the back.
Given the density of the steel plate, the thing must weigh at least several hundred kilograms.
"Now I want you to punch this steel plate with your right fist, using the greatest force you can muster, alright?" Hans said.
Wei Tianyang did not question him; he nodded and stood before the steel plate.
After all, they had mentioned before the drug trial that his strength might increase.
Before swinging his fist, Hans handed him a glove to prevent injury to his knuckles.
Several researchers paused their work and gathered around.
Hans and Ruan Yu stood at the front, Ruan Yu with a cigarette dangling unlit from his lips.
"Ready? Use your maximum strength," Hans said.
Wei Tianyang nodded, clenched his right fist, and in his mind, the unpleasant face of a security officer from that morning appeared.
In his head, a voice resounded.
"Kill them."
He threw his punch with all his might.
The familiar sensation returned; a surge of energy burst from his heart, as if a scorching, rushing river flowed toward his entire right arm.
His right fist struck the steel plate with a dull echo. The thick plate actually wobbled and swayed backward, and the metal frame holding the straps on the ceiling emitted a screeching, grating sound of metal fatigue.
The glove tore, and the center of the steel plate was dented by Wei Tianyang's fist into a fist-shaped impression.
Everyone present murmured in amazement.
Ruan Yu's mouth fell slightly open, dropping his cigarette to the ground.
If it were just a dent, that alone would not have so surprised Ruan Yu.
What truly astonished him was that the steel plate seemed to be subjected to some unknown erosion; accompanied by a grating metal fatigue noise, the impacted part began to visibly distort and darken.
Just seconds later, a fist-sized hole burst through the dented spot, and the black part began to spread along the edges of the hole toward the surroundings of the steel plate.
"This speed... much faster than a human head! We have hope! We have hope! Haha!" Hans couldn't help but scream out.
The surrounding researchers also cheered, and Ruan Yu took out another cigarette, smiling as she bent down to light it.
The entire laboratory was filled with a lively atmosphere, but Wei Tianyang silently watched the steel plate being gradually eroded away.
Kill them...
He was puzzled as to why he had just thought that.
Wei Tianyang changed his clothes and came out from a corner hidden by several instruments; the researchers were still celebrating one another.
It seemed that the research on the drug must have been successful.
He saw Ruan Yu, who was conversing with Hans by the window. Ruan Yu had her back to him amid the swirling smoke by the window, and Hans, while coughing, laughed exaggeratedly; this cold and proud woman must have been very happy too.
He was completely unable to blend into this festive atmosphere and only wished to quickly conclude the transaction with Ruan Yu, get the money, and then take his mother and the little girl to Yin Country.
Wei Tianyang took a deep breath, found a white plastic chair to sit down, and waited for the celebration to end.
A few odd figures caught his attention.
On the left side of the hall, in the corner where the operating table and injection machines were placed, four men dressed in surgical gowns, like him, silently watched the celebrating people in the hall.
Eh? Why hadn't he seen them when he first came in? Could it be that, like him, they were part of the same group of Medicine People participating in the drug trial?
Wei Tianyang closely observed these four men.
Sitting on the operating table, a middle-aged, strong man with a majestic beard looked to be in his forties, his skin tanned by the sun and his gaze sharp.
Crouching at the end of the operating table, a young chubby man with a watermelon haircut, garlic nose, and squinty eyes didn't look very bright.
Bald Uncle stood next to the strong man, his face kind, looking to be in his late fifties or almost sixty, with very white skin and half-white hair.
There was also a skinny young man wearing round glasses. He was even thinner than Wei Tianyang, with a sharp, monkey-like face, leaning against the wall on the right side of the operating table.
With nothing better to do, Wei Tianyang crossed through the crowd to the operating table and greeted the four men.
"Hello, I thought Ruan Yu had only contacted me for the drug trial," Wei Tianyang said, looking at the strong man.
"Let me see your left wrist," the strong man said with a smile.
Although puzzled, Wei Tianyang still extended his left hand.
The strong man glanced at his wrist and laughed, "You haven't been marked yet?"
"What mark?" Wei Tianyang asked in confusion.
The four men all extended their left wrists, revealing a small black upside-down triangle symbol at their pulse points.
Wei Tianyang looked closely and noticed that the tip of the triangle was not sealed but open.
A downward opening triangle symbol? What does that mean?
"Your symbol might be different from ours," the chubby man said, his voice high-pitched like a girl's.
"What does this symbol mean?" Wei Tianyang asked.
"Ever been to the market to buy pork?" Glasses Beast countered.
Wei Tianyang slightly opened his mouth as if he had guessed something.
"We're all bad meat; you're different," Bald Uncle said.
He pursed his lips, wondering if by bad meat, the uncle meant they were substandard.
"How much money can you get?" Wei Tianyang asked again.
"No money," the strong man laughed.
"Wasn't it said that whether the project succeeds or fails, the reward for the drug trial remains unchanged?" Wei Tianyang said.
"What I mean is, you won't get any money either," the strong man added.
Upon saying that, the four men looked at Wei Tianyang and burst into loud laughter together, making him feel somewhat embarrassed standing before them.
The laughter that erupted from this small corner did not disturb the others; the researchers were still immersed in the joy of their success.
"You mean... they won't pay?!" Wei Tianyang asked in a lowered, serious tone.
The strong man nodded.
He clenched his fists, his eyebrows furrowed tightly, and his heart skipped a beat.
Had he been deceived?