Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 1223: Life Forbidden Zone

“Wait a moment…” Ren Ziling said, pulling out her phone and opening a search app. “Got it, Will Douglas…”

Will Douglas was a well-known researcher in the field of bioengineering and had originally participated in the Human Genome Project. This project was not an individual or isolated initiative but a massive collaborative effort among several of the world’s major powers.

Many teams participated in the project over sixteen years. Finally, in 2006, the team Will Douglas belonged to published the gene sequencing of the last human chromosome, chromosome 1. With this, the Human Genome Project reached its final stage, claiming a 99.99% complete decoding of the human genome.

However, for six years after, Will Douglas was not satisfied with 99.99% and aimed for a complete 100% understanding. He sought a full map, not just a sketch that seemed complete.

Seven years ago, Will Douglas, acting individually, pushed the 99.99% progress to 99.999% and even discovered a unique chromosome never seen before. This discovery was called by the bioengineering field “possibly the true Life Forbidden Zone,” the “ultimate secret of God’s creation of humanity.”

Thanks to this achievement, Will Douglas won a Nobel Prize in Bioengineering the following year, gaining worldwide fame.

Interestingly, less than three months after receiving the award, a foreign media outlet exposed it as “the most serious fraud in the history of biology.” The so-called unique chromosome Will Douglas discovered did not exist in the human genome—it was an artificial product he had inadvertently synthesized.

The media somehow obtained Will Douglas’s research data, verified the synthetic process of the chromosome, and alleged massive conflicts of interest between the awarding committee and Will Douglas…

“…This incident caused quite a stir in the international media at the time,” Ren Ziling said, gnawing on a lamb rib. “There was a long legal battle. In the end, Will Douglas’s award was revoked, several committee members were permanently removed, and after paying huge fines, Will Douglas disappeared from the public eye. So… why are you staring at me?”

“Sister Ren is really passionate about her work,” You Ye smiled.Ren Ziling was momentarily taken aback and awkwardly said, “Occupational habit… I even forgot today was a celebration. Ahahaha… let’s not talk about this and keep eating!”

…

After finishing the meal without alcohol, Ren Ziling drove off alone, leaving the remaining time to the young people.

After descending from the hotel’s top-floor buffet, Boss Luo and Miss Maid strolled slowly along the street.

“Master, are you thinking about Dr. Will?”

Luo Qiu nodded and chuckled. “Setting aside the unique chromosome incident, 99.999% progress is really an incredible achievement.”

Miss Maid smiled. “With technological progress, humanity’s understanding has reached the atomic level. Given enough data, obtaining the entire human genome is only a matter of time.”

“And the Life Forbidden Zone…” Luo Qiu glanced at the diverse people walking nearby.

Miss Maid said, “Actually, 99.999% is already the limit. Beyond that, it’s no longer just an engineering matter of life genes.”

Curious, Luo Qiu asked, “Then what is it?”

You Ye answered, “Soul engineering.”

Luo Qiu knew that before she became a club member, Miss Maid had already explored many timelines under His guidance, and he couldn’t help but ask, “Have you encountered it?”

Miss Maid recalled, “Yes, once. That world… they gathered the power of the entire world to create a so-called perfect soul. But the moment it was born, the world itself fell into death. All conscious beings were instantly destroyed. The world’s method became a dead star.”

She gently rubbed her long hair. “At that time, the Angel Guard and I only reconstructed the event from remaining records and some speculation. When I left, no new life had appeared… I don’t know if it has revived since.”

Luo Qiu was more curious about another thing. “What about that so-called perfect soul? Since it was born, is it still alive?”

Miss Maid shook her head. “Uncertain. But the world’s will of that world was already weak when we found it… it had no control over us outsiders at all.”

“Did this perfect soul clash with the world’s will?”

“Possibly.” Miss Maid naturally patted her master’s shoulder, leaving a tender tree leaf sprout there. “If you want to see how that world has developed, I still remember its space-time coordinates.”

“No need to rush…” Luo Qiu held her hand and continued walking. “The assessment is in two days. Time between timelines isn’t a problem. By the way, something interesting happened today.”

Miss Maid looked curious.

Luo Qiu slowly recounted what happened with Nan Xiaonan that afternoon.

Before they knew it, they returned to the club at the commercial walking street. Luo Qiu took out the pillow, Mianmian.

Miss Maid, apparently seeing a Star Creation Lifeform for the first time, studied it with great interest.

“From now on, you’ll live here…” Luo Qiu said to the pillow, smiling, and then added, “Keep Luo Ya company.”

Luo Ya rarely left the room and, stripped of most of her power, spent much of her time asleep. When awake, Luo Qiu often wasn’t there, so he missed her.

You Ye had tried many methods but so far had only prevented Luo Ya from resisting, without making much progress. Luo Ya was clingy, and Luo Qiu could only helplessly accept it.

He wondered if Mianmian could create an opportunity. He suddenly remembered the discussion about soul engineering with Miss Maid and thought… could Star Creation ritual be another form of soul engineering under the magic rules? He wanted to see the principle of this ritual. No need to buy it himself anyway.

…

Nan Xiaonan shivered and blew on her cold hands… she had the feeling that someone was keeping an eye on her.

Could it be that terrifying master who forced the world’s will to obey?

Soon, she dismissed that idea. At this master’s level, there was nothing on her that would attract his attention… probably it was the mysterious people behind the pursuit of her identity.

All along, Nan Xiaonan didn’t feel anyone following her… it seemed the master’s words were accurate: her affairs would only continue after she left.

But she quickly remembered something else: Luo Qiu had said that before meeting her, he had encountered someone similar, called… 24.

“Not long ago…” Nan Xiaonan’s mind jolted. “Could it be… among the lost ones, there’s someone who, like me, has appeared in this city?”

At that time, the situation was critical, and she had no chance to track the movements of the other individuals. Everyone who arrived here did so cautiously, unwilling to reveal themselves. Trying to find them would be like searching for a needle in the ocean.

Yet from the small bits of information in Luo Qiu’s words, she sharply sensed that another stowaway might indeed be here.

“Hai Dagu corpse we found last time bore traces of a curse. That cursed power doesn’t seem native to this sub-world… And none of my enemies are particularly skilled in curse techniques…” Nan Xiaonan nibbled on a chocolate bean, mumbling as she chewed: “So, it’s very likely that it’s the unlucky guy caught up in the fight with my enemies.”

Thinking that there had already been a stowaway before her, facing Luo Qiu’s intimidating presence, Nan Xiaonan felt her mood suddenly brighten.

She quickly arrived at Wang Liang’s rented apartment and discovered the already-completed Star Creation Lifeform.

This Star Creation Lifeform was created with the simplest approach, based on her current level of understanding of the sub-world rules. It was a low-tier type, incomparable to the fully realized Mianmian at Luo Qiu’s side.

It couldn’t even converse, only capable of following simple instructions.

Its lifespan was short, at most two days, unlike Mianmian, which could persist for a long time unless directly destroyed.

Originally, Nan Xiaonan had come just to retrieve this Star Creation Lifeform to avoid exposing herself. But since she was here, a sense of justice inherited from her true Nan Xiaonan identity influenced her actions: “Find the person who placed the corpse in the freezer.”

Using her unique mental fluctuations, Nan Xiaonan issued instructions to the Star Creation Lifeform, which had a compressor as its core.

The immobile “compressor” miraculously moved.

It slowly lifted its leg made of parts, stepping forward… then another step, moving like a remote-controlled robot for children.

It took over ten seconds to traverse the living room to the door, then rolled down the small stairs…

“Hmm…”

…

The chattering crow flew around the ten-square-meter basement.

In this tiny space serving as both living quarters and office, the young man 24 sat on an old sofa, staring blankly at a cup of instant noodles weighed down by a thick book on the square table.

Pain radiated from his ribs above the abdomen.

As a curse master, the most painful thing was lacking healing ability.

24 sighed. Three minutes had passed; he began to eat the unusual instant food while scrolling his phone for any business opportunities.

After his last injury, 24 had become more cautious. Knowing that this world had organizations resembling extraordinary management, he could no longer act on impulse as before.

“But…” 24 frowned slightly, recalling his last encounter with the Management Bureau. “Why do I feel like I’m always being blamed for things I didn’t do?”

“Idiot 24… idiot 24… idiot 24…”

The young man threw the thick book, knocking the crow to the ground. Just then, the basement stairway door suddenly opened.

24’s sleepy eyes opened slightly.

A slick-haired man in a suit descended, holding his nose lightly, followed by three strong, muscular men with buzz cuts.

“This place is hard to find. Took me two days… strange,” the slick-haired man muttered as he looked around.

24 froze for a moment, then realized… after his injury, the curse barrier outside the basement hadn’t been maintained for a day, and its function had expired.

The slick-haired man looked at 24 and frowned. “You’re the boss of this cursed assassination house?”

24 easily caught the disdain in the man’s eyes.

But there was nothing he could do… impoverished, eating what the world considered common food, and looking weak, disheveled, with dark circles, naturally left a poor impression.

“I am…” 24 replied weakly. “Is this a commission? Can I finish eating first? I’m really hungry.”

The slick-haired man frowned again, and one of the men behind him brought a chair for him to sit.

“My name is Cheng Yun,” the slick-haired man said calmly. “I heard online that you can cast curses, right?”

Curses?

24 was startled. He had read about curses online recently… but in real life, they mostly appeared in fiction.

Yet after researching, he found real curses had similarities to his own curse techniques… rough, but forming a seed of power.

He assumed real curses existed in this world but rarely appeared publicly.

“Let’s just say I can,” 24 replied weakly.

His understanding of sub-world rules was still limited; his abilities were restricted. Being mistaken for a curse caster didn’t matter—he was lazy anyway.

“My boss is looking for talented people,” Cheng Yun said bluntly. “If you’re capable, you’ll get paid! If not, this place will be dismantled. You… try him!”

One of the three men stepped forward.

24 froze slightly, noticing the man’s robust physique and martial training.