Chapter 87: The Experiment Is Underway

When Zhao Jie stepped out of the archives, he was met by Zhou Jie’s gentle smile.

“How was it? Did you find any research topics that interest you?”

Zhou Jie strode forward, subtly positioning himself between Zhao Jie and Agumon. He was intent on preventing Zhao Jie from noticing anything unusual about Agumon. Though he believed that even if this young man did uncover the truth, there was little he could do. Still, the thrill of deceiving others—of trapping them in the palm of his hand, and then watching their stunned, despairing faces when the mystery was finally revealed—was enough to make the very cells of his former self quiver with excitement.

“Dr. Zhou, I’d like to take a look at your Conversion Evolver. Would that be possible?” Zhao Jie asked, his tone tinged with uncertainty. He already felt guilty about having browsed unpublished research materials, and now he was making an even bolder request. Had he not been so fascinated by conversion evolution, he would never have asked.

“Conversion Evolver?” Zhou Jie was momentarily taken aback, surprise flickering across his face as he regarded Zhao Jie. He truly hadn’t expected this young man to show interest in the conversion evolution project he had abandoned. Yet, he was pleased with Zhao Jie’s discernment. If not for a more crucial project occupying his time, he might have continued studying conversion evolution himself.

“Is it not possible?” Zhao Jie asked, a note of disappointment in his voice. He genuinely longed to see the Conversion Evolver for himself.

“Oh, it’s not that, of course you may. I’m just surprised you’d be interested in conversion evolution,” Zhou Jie replied, noticing that Zhao Jie seemed eager to approach Agumon’s nutrient chamber. Snapping out of his reverie, Zhou Jie grabbed Zhao Jie’s arm. Despite years spent in research, Zhou Jie’s strength remained formidable, and Zhao Jie was involuntarily pulled back several steps, his body swaying.

“Sorry, I got a bit carried away. The conversion evolution project can no longer secure funding; I’d already given up on it. Hearing your interest, I became a little emotional,” Zhou Jie’s face was gentle, his eyes sincere, giving the impression of genuine remorse. This was no mere façade; every action now came from the heart. Not even the most skilled polygraph expert could detect any falsehood in his words.

Very well.

Despite the explanation, Zhao Jie felt a flicker of doubt. Still, Dr. Zhou Jie’s grip had been remarkably strong.

“Come on, let’s go. I’ll show you the device.” Zhou Jie spoke as he led Zhao Jie out. Seeing this, Zhao Jie temporarily abandoned his plan to check on Agumon and followed Zhou Jie instead.

“Conversion evolution is truly a revolutionary technology. It offers Digimon greater possibilities. For instance, your Greymon is a ground-type Digimon and would be helpless against airborne foes. But with conversion evolution, Greymon could transform into a flying-type Digimon.”

“The Digimon data genome inherently grants them boundless potential,” Zhou Jie said, sighing as they walked.

“But unfortunately, my research hit a bottleneck. As you’ve probably gathered, artificially implanted Digimon gene sequences are instinctively rejected by their primary genome. It’s impossible to integrate a secondary Digimon gene sequence,” Zhou Jie explained.

During this exchange, Zhao Jie offered his own insights—some Zhou Jie had already tried, but others sparked new ideas, opening avenues he’d never considered.

“Here we are,” Zhou Jie said.

After unlocking a door with his fingerprint, they entered a vast workshop. At its center stood a dark, metallic machine: Zhou Jie’s pride, the Conversion Evolver.

This device allowed for the implantation of any known Digimon gene evolution sequence into a Digimon.

“Would you like to try it?” Zhou Jie crossed his arms, watching Zhao Jie circle the Conversion Evolver, and spoke up.

“Huh? But there aren’t any Digimon here—how would I use it?” Zhao Jie scratched his head, puzzled as he looked at the tousle-haired Dr. Zhou.

“That’s easy. My lab is built right next to the Digimon sanctuary. There’s no shortage of Digimon. If you’d like, I can have Crowmon bring over a batch,” Zhou Jie replied.

No sooner had he finished speaking than Crowmon flew in from outside. This time, it didn’t perch on Zhou Jie’s shoulder, but landed atop the Evolver, its pale eyes fixed on Zhao Jie.

“All right then, thank you, Professor Zhou,” Zhao Jie agreed after some thought, genuinely eager to see the results firsthand.

“Go on, Crowmon,” Zhou Jie said, his smile broadening as he looked at the Digimon perched on the device.

“Caw, caw.” Crowmon flapped its wings and departed. While they waited, Zhou Jie explained the operation of the Conversion Evolver to Zhao Jie.

Soon enough, Crowmon returned, leading a group of rookie Digimon into the workshop. All of them were Upamon, a species resembling Tokomon but paler and lacking Tokomon’s sharp teeth.

“Shall I begin?” Zhao Jie asked, turning to Zhou Jie for confirmation.

“By all means, go ahead,” Zhou Jie replied with a nonchalant nod, though a hint of amusement lingered in his eyes. Implanting a secondary gene sequence into a Digimon was not so easily accomplished. In fact, there was another reason his research had been halted—one he had not shared with the young man before him.

He was anticipating a spectacle, the arrival of a feast. The mere thought of it filled him with a strange excitement.

“Go ahead, you first,” Zhou Jie said.

Following the procedure Zhou Jie had described, Zhao Jie gently picked up an Upamon.

Hmm?

Something caught Zhao Jie’s attention. As his hands touched the Upamon, its body trembled.

Was it afraid?

Was it scared of the upcoming experiment, or was it fearful of someone here?

A person?

Zhao Jie met the Upamon’s gaze for two seconds, then, without a word, set it back down.

“Never mind, I’ll choose another one.”