As Chen Jin-chao found himself in a difficult position, hesitating between advancing and retreating.
Xu Nian-qing could no longer bear to watch. She spoke up, "Stop pressuring him. The more you force him, the less likely he is to do it."
"Actually, it's fine just like this."
Xu Nian-qing had already prepared herself for a lifetime of solitude.
Shan Li-qian-hui heard this and said, "You're still too lenient with him. People like him should be dealt with firmly."
Xu Nian-qing chuckled at her words.
Yu Meng-zhi added, "Chen Jin-chao, listen carefully. You are forbidden from bullying Xu Nian-qing from now on, or our daughter will take my surname."
"Mine too," Shan Li-qian-hui chimed in.
Seeing that they had made their stance clear, Chen Jin-chao said with a wry smile, "You know, I'm not refusing her, it's just..."
It did not comply with the rules.
Moreover, Chen Jin-chao couldn't get past his own psychological barrier.
"Bah, hypocrite!" Yu Meng-zhi cursed.
Chen Jin-chao gave a sheepish grin.
The lighthearted banter dispelled the somber atmosphere that should have prevailed.
"Let's not talk about this now. I have a question for you," Chen Jin-chao looked at Xu Nian-qing.
Xu Nian-qing nodded, "Yes, go ahead."
After a moment of hesitation, Chen Jin-chao said, "I feel like my whole body is filled with power, even stronger than at my peak. Is this just my imagination, or is it real? If it's real, why is this happening?"
The other two looked at Chen Jin-chao.
Xu Nian-qing pondered for a moment before furrowing her brow. "I've already noticed this phenomenon you're describing, and it's indeed real. Your cellular metabolism is stronger than before, which means your strength might have already surpassed your previous limits. What's even more astonishing is that your telomeres seem to be experiencing no damage, which goes against normal biological principles."
In normal human bodies, telomeres are constantly damaged. With each cell division, a portion is lost, and once the telomeres are depleted, the human lifespan reaches its limit.
The absence of telomere damage implies that Chen Jin-chao's lifespan might have surpassed the human limit.
In other words—
Chen Jin-chao might be immortal.
"How could this happen?" Chen Jin-chao was baffled.
After taking an overdose of the serum last time, he had felt like he was dying, yet now there was such a dramatic change.
Was this a joke?
Xu Nian-qing's expression was grave as she said, word by word, "I haven't figured out why this mutation occurred yet. After learning about the anomalies in your body, I conducted numerous control experiments, and found that all test subjects injected with an overdose of the serum died; none survived."
"I now have a vague feeling that as long as one can withstand the side effects of an overdose of the serum, they can unlock their genetic potential and embark on the path to immortality."
This was a path many dreamed of.
Chen Jin-chao was slow to recover. Beside him, Yu Meng-zhi laughed, "No wonder we've shown signs of aging, but Chen Jin-chao still looks so young. Perhaps when we grow old, he'll still look like this."
Shan Li-qian-hui joined in the teasing.
Chen Jin-chao knew that despite their lighthearted tone, they must be feeling heavy at heart.
It would surely be painful for them if they aged while he remained young.
Chen Jin-chao would rather age naturally like a normal person than remain eternally youthful.
"What about you? Have you found a way to slow down aging?" Chen Jin-chao looked at Xu Nian-qing.
Xu Nian-qing smiled faintly, "I've made some progress, but compared to you, the effects are only moderate."
Chen Jin-chao nodded.
Progress was better than no progress, and he believed that further advancements would be made in the future.
"Let's not dwell on this. I want to see the situation on the battlefield," Chen Jin-chao suggested. After some discussion, the three agreed to allow Chen Jin-chao to be discharged from the hospital.
News of Chen Jin-chao's awakening spread throughout the capital.
Lin Zhi-ge specifically sent someone to the hospital to escort Chen Jin-chao to the Western Suburb headquarters. Everyone understood that a healthy Chen Jin-chao would become the master of China, and everyone treated him with utmost respect, which felt somewhat strange to Chen Jin-chao.
He preferred the way things were before, when a few elder statesmen at the top shouldered the burden, and he only needed to focus on carrying out missions.
But times had changed.
Those elder statesmen had exited the stage of history, and the heavy responsibility had now fallen onto Chen Jin-chao's shoulders.
Chen Jin-chao found it somewhat difficult to adapt.
In the short span of three months, when Chen Jin-chao saw Lin Zhi-ge again, the man, who was less than sixty years old, already showed signs of old age, which made Chen Jin-chao sigh.
Introduced by Lin Zhi-ge, Chen Jin-chao learned that the war was proceeding favorably for China, giving him a sense of an impending victory.
"Elder Lin, if we continue to advance, will Mitri intervene?" This was Chen Jin-chao's greatest concern, and he hoped that Lin Zhi-ge, who possessed the latest intelligence, could answer his question.
Lin Zhi-ge pondered for a moment before replying, "Based on the available information, Mitri's provision of the latest weaponry to these two countries is their limit. It is highly unlikely they will intervene personally."
"Why?" Chen Jin-chao was puzzled.
In such a crucial campaign, it was inevitable that the two countries would lose without Mitri's direct involvement.
This did not seem to be Mitri's modus operandi.
Lin Zhi-ge smiled, "You may not be aware, but we have been engaged in a subtle struggle with Mitri for years. We have thoroughly understood each other's capabilities. The reason we are confident that Mitri will not easily intervene is because they dare not make that decision. Once they suffer a defeat on this battlefield, they will instantly fall from the position of the world's number one power."
"But if they don't intervene personally, they can at least maintain their unbeaten record."
Chen Jin-chao suddenly understood, "In the end, it's because our strength has increased, and combined with fighting on our home ground, we have the advantage of timing, location, and human support. Is that what you mean?"
Lin Zhi-ge nodded.
After carefully reviewing the battlefield situation, Chen Jin-chao chuckled, "So, it seems I can't get involved in this aspect. What else can I do?"
"You know, there is one thing I need your help with, but it depends on your physical condition," Lin Zhi-ge said. Chen Jin-chao assured him that his health was fine, and only then did Lin Zhi-ge continue, "It's like this: Xinluo and Dongying are ostensibly on the verge of collapse, but there are still some stubborn resistance fighters who have infiltrated China. These individuals are very capable, like ticking time bombs hidden within our vast territory."
"Your mission is to dismantle these time bombs one by one."
Chen Jin-chao's blood began to boil, and he felt eager to act, "Please rest assured, I will complete the mission and cleanse the vast land of China."
Based on his own assessment of his strength, Chen Jin-chao should have reached the terrifying level of Super S, which is above S-class.
Just like Ding Ling back then.
With such formidable power, Chen Jin-chao had been wishing for someone to test his mettle against.
This mission was tailor-made for him.
"I'm back."
"I will make my name resound across the world once more."