By the time Huo Shaoheng finished his shower, his phone on the bedside table was buzzing furiously.
He picked it up and saw Chen Lie's name flashing on the screen.
Swiping to answer, he heard Chen Lie's urgent voice: "Open the door! I have something important to report!"
Huo Shaoheng walked over, pulled the door open, and stepped out of the bedroom.
Chen Lie stood there, his face pale as a sheet.
"Did you finish analyzing the drug?" Huo Shaoheng asked calmly. It had been six hours already.
Chen Lie's expression tightened, his voice faltering. "General Huo… I found out… this isn't just any aphrodisiac."
Huo Shaoheng's gaze darkened. "What is it?"
Chen Lie's voice rose sharply, nearly breaking. "It's H3aB7! You know H3aB7, don't you?! The very thing we've been tracking!"
Huo Shaoheng's knuckles whitened, veins bulging on the back of his hand. "What? It's really H3aB7?!"
"No doubt about it!" Chen Lie nearly cried. "I cross-checked it against the molecular structure and compound ratios from the intel your team retrieved. It's an exact match!"
"But this drug is insanely expensive, and production is extremely limited… how could—?" Huo Shaoheng's composure wavered slightly.
Chen Lie took a deep breath before explaining. "H3aB7 was developed by Japanese scientists as a genetic weapon, designed to weaken the immune and hereditary systems at a genetic level."
"Its intended effect was that each successive generation would be weaker and less intelligent, while physical strength would increase disproportionately—like those brainless trolls from Western myths, reduced to nothing more than livestock, even worse than slaves."
"Its side effect, however, triggers ovulation in women and releases pheromones to attract men for copulation, ensuring constant reproduction for genetic screening and observation."
"In other words, women exposed to this drug experience an overwhelming biological drive to reproduce. The… urge is significantly stronger than in a normal woman—it reduces them to nothing but instinct-driven creatures."
Huo Shaoheng's voice was steel. "But our intelligence suggests this experiment wasn't successful. H3aB7 didn't achieve its intended genetic degradation."
Chen Lie nodded grimly. "That's true. The intended effect failed, and they're still experimenting. However, one terrifying side effect has become apparent…"
Huo Shaoheng's gaze was ice. "What side effect?"
Chen Lie hesitated, then sighed. "Think of it like Viagra. It wasn't originally designed for male enhancement; it was meant to treat cardiovascular issues. But when they discovered its effect on blood circulation in the groin… well, you know the rest."
"You're saying that while H3aB7 failed as a genetic weapon, it became the most potent aphrodisiac in existence?" Huo Shaoheng's jaw tightened.
Chen Lie swallowed hard. "Exactly. And because this drug was designed to enforce reproduction, it's not just about stimulating desire. Without actual… physical resolution, it will kill her."
Huo Shaoheng stood frozen for a full minute before his voice, now hoarse, finally broke the silence. "…You're saying physical contact is necessary?"
Chen Lie nodded solemnly. "Yes. If she doesn't, she'll die. This drug is that ruthless."
Another long silence stretched between them.
Then, Huo Shaoheng exhaled slowly, his tone cold as steel. "No one else can know about this."
He began listing conditions, counting them off on his fingers: "One: No one can find out. Two: The man must be healthy—no STDs, no history of promiscuity, preferably a virgin. Three: Afterward, he must forget everything that happened. Can this be done?"
Chen Lie rolled his eyes. "Making him forget is easy. But are you seriously trying to find her a husband? Healthy, no diseases, and a virgin? What's next, a military tournament for her hand in marriage? And that's not even the worst part—this drug was injected directly into her bloodstream. That means… one man won't be enough."
Huo Shaoheng clenched his jaw so tightly that his teeth nearly cracked.
"Injected? Who did it?" His voice was deadly quiet.
Chen Lie waved his hand. "Forget that for now—you need to act fast. She only has twenty-four hours, and six of them are already gone. If you wait any longer, she'll suffer even more."
Huo Shaoheng said nothing, his expression unreadable.
It was already unbearable to consider her being with one man. Multiple? That was unacceptable.
The thought of the girl he had watched grow up being handled by different men… his mind nearly exploded.
Chen Lie watched him carefully, phone in hand, quietly starting a stopwatch. He was curious—how long would Huo Shaoheng hesitate?
The answer: ten minutes and twenty seconds.
Finally, in a voice strained with exhaustion and resolve, Huo Shaoheng muttered, "…Forget it. I'll handle it."
Chen Lie smirked. "Knew you would. So, you're taking it all on yourself?"
Huo Shaoheng's voice was barely above a whisper. "…I should've protected her better."
The military had specifically assigned him as her guardian, and he had failed.
Chen Lie raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you blame yourself for things outside your control? That's not like you. What do you always say? 'As long as you're alive, there's always hope.'"
"Besides, it's just a solution to a problem. No need to overthink it."
Of course, Chen Lie wouldn't dare say those words aloud.
Huo Shaoheng re-entered the bedroom. Gu Nianzhi was restlessly moving again.
"She has no awareness at all?" he asked.
"None," Chen Lie confirmed. "Only sensory perception remains. She won't recognize anyone."
Huo Shaoheng's expression darkened.
Understanding his unspoken concerns, Chen Lie reassured him. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. Doctor-patient confidentiality, after all. And I'll keep this from the military as well."
"Good. Then sign a military order. If this gets out, you'll spend the rest of your life locked in a lab as an experimental subject." Huo Shaoheng never left things to chance. He retrieved an official military document and had Chen Lie sign and stamp his fingerprint on it before letting him go.
Chen Lie sighed and tossed a small box to him. "Here. After the first time, use these."
Huo Shaoheng glanced at it—an unopened box of condoms.
"There are twenty in there. Should be enough." Chen Lie eyed Huo Shaoheng's powerful frame and teased, "Think you can handle it? You're twenty-eight now, right? What's your endurance record? Don't overestimate yourself. If you need a boost, I've got some blue pills…"
Before he could finish, Huo Shaoheng grabbed him by the collar and hurled him out of the room.
"Damn! No need to be so rough!" Chen Lie yelped, landing hard on his backside.
But the door had already slammed shut behind him, sealing the room—and its secrets—away.