"Take a copy of the Lingang Evening News, thank you. ”

Li Qing stretched out his hand from the window, caught the newspaper, and handed over a banknote at the same time: "No need to look for it." ”

"Thank you. ”

The upper body retracted into the car, Li Qing's eyes hurriedly browsed the newspaper, and then paused slightly on the headline "Zhong Ruoxi left Hong Kong, the successor of the Inspectorate is a mystery".

With a slight sigh of relief, Li Qing tucked the newspaper aside, and glanced lightly in the rearview mirror. More than 20 meters behind his silver-gray car, a taxi kept flashing its headlights under the gradually falling night.

"There are a lot of flies this summer. Sighing, Li Qing started the car and squeezed into the turbulent traffic on the road.

Hongqiao Coffee Yucha, this shop is located in the center of Gangbei, the decoration is simple but elegant.

Li Qing reversed the car into the free parking space, then got out of the car, looked up at the dark red plaque, and walked in.

It was 6:30 p.m., and the night in Gangbei City had just filled up, and looking out of the window at the street, it was a gray and bleak color.

There were many boys and girls in the store laughing and talking in a low voice, Li Qing found a place by the window and sat down, propped up on the table with one hand and looked outside. The taxi that had been following his car had pulled up on the side of the road, and two young men in short sleeves had stepped out of the car, one peering into the store, the other leaning on the side of the road on the phone.

"Sir, sir. ”

"Huh?" Li Qing came back to his senses, withdrew his gaze from the window, and looked at the waitress with a sweet smile.

"What would you like to drink, sir?"

Li Qing's voice was low: "Is there a private room?"

"Yes. The waitress smiled lightly, "But the price is a little more expensive, how many are there?"

"You can have a few of them, take me there. Li Qing said hurriedly, and stood up.

The waitress's smile stiffened slightly, and she looked at Li Qing in confusion, and then turned around to lead the way. She felt that Li Qing's face was somewhat familiar, but she couldn't remember his exact identity for a while.

The two men walked through the hall and into a warmly lit hallway.

Feeling the man behind him suddenly tug at his arm, the waitress exclaimed in surprise and turned around suddenly.

"Don't be afraid. Li Qing said and stuffed a thick wad of banknotes into the waitress's hand, "Find a private room and put something on it." If someone asks, just say I'm in there, okay?"

Facing that bright gaze, the waitress nodded subconsciously.

"Yay. The corners of Li Qing's mouth lifted a smile, "Where is the back door?"

The waitress stretched out her other hand and pointed to the end of the hallway, her body shuddering slightly.

"Thank you. Li Qing nodded, brushed sideways past her, and quickly disappeared at the end of the corridor, leaving only the waitress froze there, stunned for a while before hurriedly stuffing the banknotes into her pocket, rubbing her cheeks and walking back to the front desk: "Private room No. 3, a cup of cappuccino, a small piece of artist cake, two portions of pistachios and walnut kernels..."

Li Qing opened the back door and walked to the slightly secluded street.

A business van slowly drove from not far away and stopped beside Li Qing.

Looking around, to make sure that no one was following him, Li Qing bent down and pulled the car door and got in, and Xie Yuyan was sitting inside.

The two glanced at each other, Xie Yuyan raised his chin slightly, and ordered in a cold voice: "Let's drive." ”

The car started and disappeared into the night...

Li Qing tugged at the collar of his shirt, exhaled slowly, and turned his head to stare at Xie Yuyan's delicate cheeks shrouded in the hazy night: "Where are we going?"

Lingang Institute of Biotechnology. Xie Yuyan replied lightly, "Zhao Qili has always lived there in the sterile laboratory. ”

Li Qing asked again, "Did you find anything?"

Xie Yuyan thought for a while: "I found that there are some, but they are all dispensable things, and they are not of much value." But one thing you can rest assured is, Mr. Thomson says, if it is a genetic mutation caused by excessive radiation, which can lead to premature aging. If we haven't had any physical abnormalities for so long, we are no longer at risk. In other words, at least we are safe. ”

Li Qingyi frowned: "What do you mean that at least we are safe?" ”

"That's right. Xie Yuyan said softly, "We may also have some kind of genetic mutation, but the mutation site occurs in the recessive gene, although it will not cause harm to itself, it may be passed on to the next generation." Of course, this probability is very small, and you don't have to take it too seriously. ”

Li Qing hesitated slightly, and couldn't help but put her hand into the hem of Xie Yuyan's clothes and gently stroked her lower abdomen. Xie Yuyan's figure is excellent, she has been pregnant for two months, and her lower abdomen is still flat and smooth, without the slightest sign of pregnancy.

"Li Qing. Xie Yuyan called out, stretched out his jade hand and grabbed Li Qing's wrist.

"I'm a little worried. Li Qing felt out of shape, withdrew his hand with some embarrassment, and said in a low voice, "Yuyan, can we talk?"

Xie Yuyan turned his head and cast his eyes out of the car window: "It's not here, I'll give you this opportunity later." ”

Li Qing nodded, moved to the side, and kept a subtle distance from Xie Yuyan.

The car drove out of the center of Lingang and arrived at the Lingang Biotechnology Research Institute an hour and a half later.

There were already people waiting there to guide Xie Yuyan and Li Qing, and the two of them entered the sterile laboratory located underground all the way unimpeded.

"Zhao Qili is inside, go in and have a look. Xie Yuyan said and walked in front of Li Qing. After walking about twenty or thirty meters, and when he was about to reach the end of the corridor, Xie Yuyan suddenly stopped his steps and turned to face a large glass wall.

Li Qing immediately followed, looking through the thick anti-bacterial glass, only to see an old man with sparse silver hair sitting at the table with his waist bent, and compared to his skinny body, the hospital gown looked like a loose sack covering his body.

Two researchers in sterile gowns placed their palms on his shoulders to prevent the latter from falling suddenly. Dr. Thomson stood across the table, holding up a math picture book in his hand, and talking to the old man.

Li Qing squinted his eyes and looked at it, the picture book printed three red apples and five yellow, orange and orange pears, which is the kind of textbook commonly used in kindergarten when teaching children mathematics. Apparently Dr. Thomson was asking the old man to do the math, but the latter seemed to be completely unmindful of that, and he nodded his head like a chicken pecking rice, looking lethargic.

After five or six minutes, Dr. Thomson shrugged his shoulders helplessly and signaled that the exercise was over. The two research assistants behind the old man helped the old man to lie down on the bed, put on some instruments for him, and then covered him with a thin blanket.

Dr. Thomson was so excited that he turned off all academic activities for half a month. Xie Yuyan stared at the inside of the glass wall and said softly, "In just a few days, a complete study of the second half of a person's life until death, observing the changes in his body, such a time-saving and labor-saving and extremely meaningful research is a rare opportunity that can be encountered but not sought in the eyes of any scientific research worker." ”

"You fulfilled your promise and didn't let him suffer. Li Qing was silent for a moment and said in a deep voice, "Thank you." ”

"Dr. Thomson is a Catholic, not a mad scientist, even without your explanation, he will not let Zhao Qili die a painful death. ”

Li Qing nodded: "But we still joined forces to deceive him, and the damage to his soul is probably far better than **." ”

Xie Yuyan glanced at Li Qing: "He has already developed symptoms of dementia, I'm afraid I can't even remember who you are." ”

While the two were talking, Dr. Thomson had already walked out of the sterile laboratory and greeted Xie Yuyan: "Miss Xie, this is..."

He spoke Chinese with a foul Western tongue curling sound, giving people an extremely awkward feeling, but the words were quite clear.

"Li Qing. Xie Yuyan introduced.

"Oh, it turned out to be the head of the Li family. Dr. Thomson stretched out his hand to Li Qing, "Hello, I often hear Miss Xie mention you." ”

Li Qing shook his hand, then quickly let go, and asked himself, "How is his condition?"

Thomson spread his hands a little helplessly: "His current age is equivalent to a ninety-seven-year-old man, but his intelligence has degraded to the level of a three-year-old child. I have a detailed research record in my office, would you like to come with me to take a look?"

"No need. Xie Yuyan shook his head slightly, "Let's take a look here and leave." ”

"Well, feel free to let me know if you need anything. "But I advise you to avoid contact with him now, for his organ failure is very severe, and if he is stimulated, it can be very life-threatening." ”

"Thank you. Li Qing replied and watched Dr. Thomson leave.

"Ninety-seven years old..."Xie Yuyan said in a low voice, "If Zhao Qili hadn't happened to this accident, I'm afraid he would have lived longer than all of us." ”

Li Qing propped one hand on the glass wall, staring at Zhao Qili's wrinkled old face in the sterile laboratory, and was silent for a long time.

Zhao Qili suddenly grabbed the sleeve of the researcher next to him, opened his eyes and stared at Li Qing without blinking, his cloudy eyes were full of curiosity, like a child's eyes when he saw something amazing. His lips quirmed, as if to ask the researchers who the men and women who had come out to see him were.

Li Qing took a deep breath: "Let's go." ”

"Hmm. Xie Yuyan nodded.

At the moment when Li Qing turned around and left, Zhao Qili suddenly raised his palm that was as dry as an eagle's claw and waved at him as a farewell. The movements are so ordinary, but there is a sense of chic pleasure that looks down on life and death.