Deep Secrets

In the exclusive employee cafeteria, a dozen or so employees sat sparsely, enjoying their meals in the spacious dining area. Compared to those on the production line, the treatment here was clearly far superior. The cafeteria was not only luxuriously decorated, but the food served was also of a higher quality.

Ye Fan and Miaoyi sat across from each other, with neatly cut pieces of meat on the plates before them. The meat was white and tender, exuding a faint crystalline glow, almost like the finest fruit.

The enticing aroma from the meat made Ye Fan swallow in anticipation. He quickly picked up his knife and fork, slicing off a piece and placing it in his mouth. The meat was perfectly cooked, preserving its original flavor, and as he bit into it, it felt like he was eating a piece of sweet, creamy cheese.

"Hmm, not bad, not bad! The chef here really knows how to cook. They've managed to make the Tianxiang fish meat so tender and flavorful without ruining its natural taste," Ye Fan nodded, his eyes narrowing in satisfaction as he praised the dish.

Ye Fan's admiration was well-founded; after all, the Tianxiang fish was no ordinary fish. It was a source beast that lived in the ocean. While its meat was incredibly delicious, it was also extremely tough. Without special preparation techniques, even a regular knife couldn't slice through it, let alone human teeth. However, if not handled properly, the meat's flavor could easily be destroyed.

The Tianxiang fish meat on Ye Fan's plate was tender and flavorful, melting in his mouth like cheese. Even someone as picky as Ye Fan, who considered himself a gourmet, couldn't find any fault with the dish, which explained his genuine praise.

"Giggle... You sound like a gourmet. Have you eaten Tianxiang fish before?" Li Miaoyi laughed, her beautiful eyes glinting with a hint of curiosity as she looked at Ye Fan.

"This Tianxiang fish is a source beast, a delicacy that someone like me, a poor kid, could never have had the chance to taste before. But when it comes to being a gourmet, I certainly know my stuff," Ye Fan replied with a grin. Leaning closer to Miaoyi, he took in the pleasant fragrance emanating from her, feeling a slight flutter in his heart before he continued in a whisper, "Sister Miaoyi, let me tell you a secret."

The warmth of Ye Fan's breath against her ear made Miaoyi's delicate face blush. Although she had a fondness for Ye Fan, this was the first time she had allowed a man to get so close to her.

Her initial instinct was to pull away, but before she could move, her curiosity was piqued by Ye Fan's words. Truth be told, after spending the past few days with Ye Fan, her interest in this young man had only grown.

A fourteen or fifteen-year-old orphan, articulate and knowledgeable, with an extraordinary insight into genetics—everything about him surprised her. And with surprise came a woman's curiosity.

Seeing that Miaoyi was hooked by his words, a playful smile flickered in Ye Fan's dark eyes. His lips almost brushed against her ear as he whispered, "Sister Miaoyi, I was originally planning to work in the student cafeteria!"

Miaoyi's eyes widened in surprise at his words. She raised her hand and playfully tapped Ye Fan on the forehead, then stared at him as he rubbed his head with a wry smile. "You cheeky brat, you dare tease me?"

"I'm not teasing! I was telling the truth!" Ye Fan replied with an innocent expression, though there was a sly glint deep in his eyes.

"Hmph, as if I'd believe you!" Miaoyi huffed, feeling like she had been deceived by his innocent appearance. This wasn't an inexperienced teenager; he was more like an old fox disguised as a young boy.

"Alright, stop with the innocent act. Hurry up and eat. Professor Billy has been in a bad mood lately, and we shouldn't be late," Miaoyi said, changing the topic and giving Ye Fan a pointed look.

Ye Fan's interest was piqued by her words. As he continued eating the Tianxiang fish on his plate, he quietly asked, "Sister Miaoyi, I've heard people say that the professor has been in a bad mood recently. Do you know why?"

Miaoyi glanced around cautiously before leaning in and whispering, her long eyelashes fluttering charmingly. Ye Fan's heart skipped a beat again, cursing his young body for being so easily stirred.

After making sure no one was paying attention, Miaoyi whispered back, "I've heard some classmates talking, and they say that Professor Billy might not have much time left. Lately, he's been obsessed with extracting the Xi Yan Python's gene chain, so much so that he's barely teaching anymore."

"Oh…" Ye Fan's heart skipped a beat. He knew that each time a person's blood transformed, their lifespan would increase significantly. Someone like Professor Billy, who had undergone nine blood transformations and reached the peak of a gene warrior, should have at least a couple of centuries to live.

"Heh, the longer someone lives, the more they fear death. It's understandable that Professor Billy has been in a bad mood lately," Ye Fan chuckled, his tone filled with understanding.

"You really know how to talk..." Li Miaoyi playfully scolded Ye Fan, giving him a sideways glance before continuing in a low voice, "Professor Billy has invested most of his life's savings into that Xi Yan Python. Right now, he's practically relying on it to stay alive. But extracting the Xi Yan gene chain isn't easy, and there hasn't been much progress lately. That's why he's been in such a foul mood."

"So that's what it is!" Ye Fan's face showed a sudden realization, then he added with a mocking tone, "No wonder Professor Billy was so generous. Turns out I did him a huge favor."

"Heh, you're only realizing that now?" Li Miaoyi laughed, giving Ye Fan another playful glance, her demeanor full of charm, making Ye Fan's heart itch with desire.

"Your suggestion really did speed up our progress significantly. Otherwise, why would Professor Billy give you so many benefits? But I have to say, I'm benefiting from your good fortune too," Li Miaoyi laughed softly, a hint of gratitude in her tone.

Becoming a gene warrior was no easy feat, and every bit of help was precious. Li Miaoyi, coming from a modest family, deeply appreciated this. Ye Fan understood this well, as he had also come from humble beginnings in his past life. He hadn't completed his first blood transformation until he was thirty.

Time is precious to everyone. Completing the first blood transformation at thirty was considered extremely late. In such cases, without a stroke of fortune, it was nearly impossible to achieve anything significant in life.

The reason Ye Fan had been able to become one of humanity's peak warriors in his past life was due to a few fortuitous encounters. One particular experience was almost miraculous, allowing him to acquire a certain substance and successfully integrate it with his soul. It was only thanks to this substance that he had managed to escape a deadly situation orchestrated by the Golden Secret Society.

"So, have you figured out how you're going to thank me?" Ye Fan leaned in, grinning mischievously.

"You little rascal, do you want a beating?" Li Miaoyi playfully scolded him again, but her eyes sparkled with curiosity as she whispered, "Do you know why Professor Billy cares so much about the Xi Yan gene chain?"

"Oh, is there more to it?" Ye Fan's eyes lit up with curiosity.

"Of course! Do you know what the exogenous gene chain in Professor Billy's body is?" Li Miaoyi teased.

Ye Fan shook his head, looking thoughtful. This time, Li Miaoyi didn't keep him in suspense and quietly said, "It's rumored to be an exogenous gene chain from a Frost Snow Python!"

"A Frost Snow Python? Could it be the Frost Gene Chain that controls the power of ice?" Ye Fan was initially surprised, then his expression turned to one of understanding.

Li Miaoyi noticed Ye Fan's change in expression and silently praised his cleverness before continuing, "Yes, exactly. The Xi Yan gene chain belongs to the fire element, while the Frost Gene Chain belongs to the water element. If Professor Billy can fuse these two gene chains, he might immediately break through the bottleneck of a gene warrior and step into a new realm. If that happens, his concerns about lifespan would be resolved."

Hearing Li Miaoyi's explanation, Ye Fan, who had already speculated about this, couldn't help but take a sharp breath, inwardly marveling at Professor Billy's ambition.

Fusing exogenous gene chains was already a difficult task. But attempting to fuse gene chains with opposing attributes like fire and ice was an even more daunting challenge.

However, as Li Miaoyi mentioned, if these two opposing gene chains were successfully fused, the resulting power would be extraordinary. With that power, Professor Billy might indeed break through his current limitations. But Ye Fan wasn't optimistic about the professor's chances of success.

"Why? Do you think Professor Billy's chances of success are low?" Li Miaoyi giggled, her beautiful eyes fixed on Ye Fan.

"Do you think it's possible? Those are two extreme elements!" Ye Fan didn't answer directly but instead responded with a question, making his opinion clear.

"I agree, but judging by the professor's confidence, he seems to have some assurance." After saying this, Li Miaoyi hesitated, then lowered her voice even more, "There are some rare treasures in the world that might make the impossible possible."

Ye Fan's eyes brightened at her words. Just as Li Miaoyi said, the universe is vast and full of mysteries. Humanity had only just begun to explore a corner of it. There were indeed some mysterious objects in the universe that could turn the impossible into reality.

With the conversation reaching this point, both of them tacitly fell silent, shifting to other topics. After all, speculating about Professor Billy's secrets could be dangerous if word got back to him.

Although Ye Fan continued chatting with Li Miaoyi, his thoughts lingered on what she had said. With his knowledge and experience from his past life, he was aware of certain substances that could aid in the fusion of gene chains. However, these substances were extremely rare and valuable, and Ye Fan doubted Professor Billy could afford them.

"Could it be that this old man, who's nearing the end of his life, has had some unexpected stroke of luck?" Ye Fan's eyes flickered with suspicion as he pondered this possibility.

As Ye Fan and Li Miaoyi were lost in their own thoughts, not far from them, a handsome young man in his twenties sat at a nearby table, seemingly focused on his meal. However, his gaze lingered on the two of them. When he saw how close and intimate Ye Fan and Li Miaoyi were, a flash of jealousy and malice crossed his narrow eyes.