Chapter 7: The Unique Edge
Chapter 7: The Unique Edge
“Alright then, I won’t bother you anymore. Get on with your own work.”
Professor Chen Anmin held his thermos cup, looking every bit the retired official.
Before leaving, he took another look at his prized student, his last disciple.
Having spent a lifetime in life science research, sometimes he really wondered, really wanted to study just why Qin Yu was so unbelievably smart.
From a research perspective, Qin Yu was like a special sample.
Analyzing special samples often made it easier to uncover previously unknown information.
But judging by research capability, this particular question seemed much better suited for Qin Yu himself to investigate.
Wiping a hand over his salt-and-pepper hair, Professor Chen Anmin chuckled and walked off.
In recent years, as he got older, he hadn’t been personally involved in much research anyway,
and this had become even more true since Qin Yu arrived.
With Qin Yu around, he didn’t even want to recruit new students anymore.
His former graduate students, though frankly quite disappointing compared to Qin Yu, now basically rotated through the projects Qin Yu led. So the Professor didn’t really have to worry about them.
This past year, he’d lived quite leisurely.
After Professor Chen Anmin left,
the office remained quiet.
Qin Yu lowered his head, thinking about the specific direction for the next set of experiments the research group would conduct.
A few senior students, assigned their tasks earlier by Qin Yu, remained diligently busy with their work.
For Qin Yu’s seniors,
even without their supervisor present, Qin Yu being there already gave them plenty of pressure.
Even though Qin Yu had been quite mild-mannered with everyone for over a year now,
and they had virtually never seen him get angry about anything,
it still felt the same.
After all, strictly speaking, they were effectively working for Qin Yu now, laboring in his research group.
Qin Yu was their real ‘boss’.
Even though, officially, he was still their junior,
facing Qin Yu, their authority as seniors was non-existent.
And maybe because Qin Yu’s abilities were just too outrageous,
naturally, his seniors felt a sense of distance, even alienation, from him.
It wasn’t that they disliked Qin Yu.
But when someone always seems unfathomably deep before you, it’s hard to feel close.
Besides, they always felt that in Qin Yu’s eyes, everyone seemed pretty much the same,
truly ‘all beings equal’.
After the last top journal cover story was published, the School of Life Sciences at Lingchuan University had hosted a special academic presentation just for Qin Yu.
Several Academicians in the field of life sciences sat in the audience listening to his report.
Even then, none of them saw Qin Yu show any sign of nerves.
“Let’s head to the laboratory. Senior brothers, senior sisters, please help move forward with today’s experiments. Here are the protocols and plans.”
The printer beside Qin Yu churned out a stack of papers.
Qin Yu stood up, clapped his hands, and handed out today’s experimental plan and individual task assignments.
In Qin Yu’s group, there was no need for frequent meetings, brainstorming sessions, or pooling ideas.
Once they formally entered the field of life science research, it became clear all his seniors struggled to keep up with Qin Yu’s thought process.
They were all used to it by now.
Whatever the big boss said, they’d just do it.
None of them felt like asking Qin Yu any questions.
After all, when they had asked before about why experiments were set up a certain way, or inquired about his thinking process and research logic,
Qin Yu had been generous with explanations, but the result only made them question their lives more intensely, wondering if they were idiots.
Of course,
they still had enthusiasm for the experiments and research; it was practically maxed out.
That included those facing delayed graduation.
They knew the immense value of the projects Qin Yu led them in,
and they had no doubt he would eventually produce significant results.
And when the final papers came out, even being listed as a third author… just getting their name on the paper would bring them huge benefits.
With a bit of luck, it might even let them skip the harsh ‘publish or perish’ stage when applying to teach at other universities after their PhD.
Any researcher who had read Qin Yu’s previous two papers knew he was a genuine ‘golden ticket’.
So naturally, Qin Yu’s seniors sprang to their feet immediately, taking the pre-written protocols he handed them.
“I still have all the supplies needed for my assigned protocol. We can start the experiment today.”
“Same here…”
“Alright, I know.”
The group followed Qin Yu, moving from the office to the laboratory.
…
Lingchuan University, School of Life Sciences, Experiment Building.
Qin Yu occupied two laboratories on the top floor.
These were originally the dedicated labs for Professor Chen Anmin’s research group before,
and naturally became Qin Yu’s after his arrival.
Besides vertical funding—grants from the university and the state—
after the previous two papers, Qin Yu’s research group also received considerable horizontal funding from companies.
The group was far from short on funds. So beyond the equipment inherited from Professor Chen Anmin,
Qin Yu had also later added advanced instruments based on ongoing experimental needs.
An extremely expensive high-end cryo-electron microscope stood installed in Qin Yu’s lab.
Compared to most research groups and laboratories within the School of Life Sciences, Qin Yu’s group could be considered swimming in riches.
Inside the lab,
over the past year or so, the seniors had gotten used to Qin Yu’s way of working.
Following the tasks assigned earlier by Qin Yu and the pre-designed protocols,
a total of nine seniors set to work without further discussion.
In the research group, Qin Yu held absolute authority. His main role was designing experiments, defining specific research directions, and analyzing experimental data.
He rarely performed specific experimental procedures personally.
After all, the current research on lifespan mechanisms involved many intricately designed experimental protocols.
If Qin Yu did all the lab work by himself, even having eight hands wouldn’t let him manage it all quickly.
Most of the time inside the laboratory,
Qin Yu simply continued contemplating his earlier thoughts,
occasionally glancing at the experiments his senior brothers and sisters were conducting.
When an experiment concluded and yielded data and results, he’d review it to see if they matched pre-experiment expectations or revealed any new useful insights.
Sometimes, for completed experiments, he might make some data adjustments and request seniors re-run tests.
Occasionally, even with nine senior brothers and sisters effectively doing the legwork for him,
Qin Yu remained unsatisfied with the research pace.
Moreover, constrained by physical realities, some experimental protocols took considerable time to complete—not days, but weeks or even an entire month.
Any mistake in the middle could require restarting.
The sun shifted from high noon to the western horizon, and campus streetlights pierced the gathering dusk.
The light emanating from the laboratory seemed particularly bright against the encroaching darkness.
Another day in the lab had passed.
During the entire day,
only one experiment, managed by a senior sister with a shorter protocol, produced results.
Qin Yu reviewed the experimental data and results, nodding once.
“The data aligns with expectations. Thank you for your work, Senior Sister.”
Hearing this, the senior sister visibly relaxed, a relieved smile touching her lips.
“I was just worried I might have messed up a step somewhere… What should I do next?”
“We’ll finish for today. I’ll give you the new experimental plan tomorrow.”
“All of you, seniors, time to head back and rest. Let the samples running through instruments continue. I’ll monitor them.”
Qin Yu glanced at the fading light outside, then swept his eyes over the current stage of each senior’s experiment before speaking.
“…Xi Rou, relax. Junior Brother Qin wouldn’t scold you.”
Hearing Qin Yu’s words, the seniors gradually ceased their tasks, taking a rare moment to chat.
The senior sister mentioned rolled her eyes. Weren’t they all the same?
Other matters were fine, but when it came to experiments and research, facing Qin Yu felt like mice cornered by a cat.
“Junior Brother Qin, we’re heading off now?”
Though Qin Yu wasn’t unreasonably demanding,
the complex nature of the experiments drained energy. The seniors looked visibly listless.
“Yes, please go rest, everyone.”
“You should get rest early too, Junior Brother Qin.”
Judging by Qin Yu’s posture, they knew he had no intention of leaving the lab.
They threw this remark back at him as they shuffled out.
Sometimes, Qin Yu left them utterly dazed.
High intelligence was one thing, but his sheer intensity made their heads spin.
They’d often discover he’d pulled an all-nighter in the lab.
The crux?
Even so,
Qin Yu’s health never faltered.
He seemed far sturdier than any of them.
This, perhaps, was what defined a true genius—
Not just superior intellect and talent for research,
but an unnaturally vast reservoir of stamina.
“Yeah, I know.”
Qin Yu responded briefly.
Once all the seniors had left,
the laboratory fell into deep quiet,
broken only by the hum of still-running instruments.
For Qin Yu,
all-nighters weren’t fatal. When he didn’t want sleep, fatigue never came.
Naturally, research consumed every possible hour—24/7 when necessary.
“Working too hard” wasn’t even a concept for him.
It was more a persistent feeling of urgency.
His brilliant Super Brain sometimes dwelt on humanity teetering on the brink.
Qin Yu occasionally worried—what if,
before achieving anything concrete,
humanity inexplicably vanished?
In the silent lab,
Qin Yu stared at running equipment, his mind in a semi-distracted state of contemplation.
All ongoing experiments served the current project.
Following his two landmark papers on lifespan mechanisms,
Qin Yu’s research had now reached its crucial final phase—
actual human lifespan extension.
In this current era,
Qin Yu could confidently assert,
he possessed the most advanced knowledge of lifespan mechanisms.
His research into them was the deepest and most comprehensive.
The entire academic world largely shared this view.
Having pioneered a hot new direction in the Field of Life Sciences, Qin Yu was acknowledged as the leading expert in Lifespan Mechanisms.
This explained the flood of near-unconditional research funding pouring into his lab.
Yet, moving from theoretical understanding of lifespan mechanisms to practical lifespan extension
involved far more than just grasping physiological principles.
The core problem remained:
Qin Yu needed to find another mechanism, or perhaps a substance, capable of effectively and positively intervening with the currently understood Lifespan Mechanism.
Currently, research on ‘extending human lifespan’ was stuck at this step.
Qin Yu stood up.
He moved a few steps in the laboratory.
He found a small knife resembling a scalpel and picked up a clean petri dish.
Using the knife, he made a small cut on his palm, allowing his blood to drip into the petri dish.
Besides having an intelligence far exceeding ordinary geniuses, Qin Yu possessed an exclusive advantage in longevity research.
He knew of a truly immortal sample.
It was himself.
Logically speaking, the secret to human immortality lay within his own body.
After putting the knife away, Qin Yu glanced at the clean blade, then looked at his palm. There was no longer any wound.
The only thing deliberately left behind was a single drop of his own blood.
Holding the petri dish with the blood, he immediately began more complex experimental analysis that night.
However,
the results were disappointing.
…
This drop of blood, once separated from his body, showed nothing special through all kinds of analysis and testing.
The cells in the blood, just like those of a normal person, gradually lost their activity not long after.
Qin Yu knew it wouldn’t be that simple.
After all, the phenomenon of Absolute Immortality should not be something he could decipher at this stage.
This wasn’t something Life Science could explain or achieve.
If Absolute Immortality truly meant absolute…
If he could live through the Heat Death of the universe, or even survive beyond it… Qin Yu couldn’t comprehend what biotechnology could possibly achieve that.
Of course,
this wasn’t the first time Qin Yu had analyzed his own body and blood.
It’s just that this time, even after adding several new analysis items, nothing special emerged.
The path of unraveling the secret to longevity by analyzing the cause of his own immortality…
This obviously seemed like a dead end.
However,
also on this night, while analyzing his own blood,
a flash of inspiration suddenly crossed Qin Yu’s mind.
And for someone with an IQ of 600 like Qin Yu,
once an inspiration flashed, it could never escape.
He caught a hint of inspiration, and following this hint, he found a new research angle connected to the original study on the Lifespan Mechanism.
…
The next day,
when Qin Yu’s senior fellow students hurriedly finished breakfast and rushed back to the laboratory,
ready to continue the experiments uncompleted the day before,
they saw Qin Yu again, still inside the lab.
Seeing Qin Yu still in the lab didn’t exactly surprise the seniors; they had almost expected it.
It was just the sight before them that differed.
They saw,
at a nearby workstation, Qin Yu holding two eggs in his hands, examining them intently as if deep in thought.
“Junior Brother Qin, are those supplies for today’s experiment?”
“No, I got these from the school cafeteria.”
In principle, bringing food into the lab wasn’t allowed,
but Qin Yu was the principle in this laboratory.
Of course, the seniors didn’t suspect Qin Yu planned to have breakfast in the lab.
After all, the way he held the two eggs, turning them over and over, didn’t look like he was about to eat them.
After asking their question, the seniors hardly dared to breathe,
terrified of disturbing Qin Yu’s train of thought and becoming the ones held responsible for hindering progress in the annals of Life Science research.