Chapter: The First Step Towards Conquering The World
Michael grinned mischievously. "There is a cure, but my fees are steep." Relieved, the woman replied, "Name your price. I'll pay whatever you ask." Michael leaned closer and whispered in her ear, "I don't need money—I have plenty of that. I want something else." The woman looked puzzled, her expression urging him to clarify. With a playful smirk, Michael whispered, "Just one kiss—a lip lock. If you're okay with that, we can talk further. If not, forget it."
When the girl heard Michael's words, she glared at him with such intensity that it seemed as though she wanted to devour him raw with her eyes. If looks could kill, she would have struck him down a hundred times in a single moment. She stared at Michael and then said, "Are you trying to act too smart? Do you even know who you're talking to? I wouldn't let a cheap, two-bit guy like you anywhere near me, so how dare you think you can make such a vile demand of me? If I wanted, I could have you taken care of right now, but I'm not going to waste my time on the antics of a little kid." With that, she stormed out of the shop without purchasing any of the herbs she needed. Michael watched her leave for a short distance, then shrugged his shoulders and began buying the herbs he required. He was purchasing ten sets of each herb, which meant he had to spend a significant amount of money. At the previous shop, he had bought ten sets of 18 different herbs for $10,000, but at this shop, purchasing the remaining herbs cost him a staggering $1 million. When Michael saw the exorbitant price, his head spun. He immediately called his grandfather, Samuel Anderson, who was in the middle of a meeting. When Samuel saw that his only grandson was calling, he picked up the phone immediately and, with a smile, said, "What's up, my little rascal? How did you suddenly remember your old grandpa today?"
Blushing, Michael replied, "Grandpa, please forgive me for not visiting you after being discharged from the hospital. I'm actually at an herb shop right now, and I've bought a huge quantity of herbs. I need $1 million for it. I know it's a huge amount, but please trust me, Grandpa—I'm buying all these herbs for myself. I can't tell you why right now because it's a surprise for you, but I promise I'll explain everything in detail once I complete my secret project and reveal the surprise. Please, Grandpa, I urgently need $1 million, and I'm hoping my wonderful grandpa will grant this request."
Hearing his grandson's request, Samuel Anderson fell into deep thought. He loved his grandson dearly and had always fulfilled every demand Michael had made. But this time, the amount was enormous. Although he had no shortage of wealth—all of which he was amassing for his grandson—he couldn't simply hand over such a large sum without a reason. At the same time, he couldn't bear to see his grandson upset. After some deliberation, he made a decision and said, "Michael, I know you urgently need this money, but can I at least know what you're planning to do? I understand you want to keep it a surprise, but for my peace of mind, can you give me even a small hint so I can hand over $1 million without hesitation?"
After thinking for a moment, Michael replied, "Sorry, Grandpa, I can't tell you anything right now, but please trust me—I won't misuse this money. I promise that when you see my surprise, you'll hug me and feel incredibly proud of me." Hearing this, Samuel thought for a while longer and finally said, "Alright, Michael, I'm transferring $1 million to your account right now. I hope you'll use it wisely and not disappoint your grandpa." Just as he was about to hang up, Michael made another request. "Grandpa, I also want to use our farmhouse outside New York City for some personal work. For the next ten days, I'd like you to give all the guards and staff there a break. If you want, you can keep just one or two security guards."
Samuel was taken aback by this request but soon granted permission. Overjoyed, Michael thanked his grandfather profusely before disconnecting the call. He then purchased all the herbs he needed and left Chinatown.
Now that Michael had acquired all the necessary herbs to create the pill for reconstructing his DNA, he turned his attention to his next mission. He needed a furnace and a gas stove capable of providing a temperature of at least 2,000 degrees Celsius. Moving quickly, he purchased both items. His next target was to find a laboratory conducting DNA-related research. While Michael had all the components for the DNA-reconstructing pill, he first needed to destroy his existing DNA. To do this, he had to make specific modifications to an insect so it could enter his body and completely destroy his DNA. This could only be done in a lab equipped for DNA research. Michael pulled out his phone and used the internet to search for such a lab in New York or nearby cities. He had the process planned out but needed to conduct experiments to ensure its success. Unsure if he could complete the task in one night, he had taken a 15-day leave.
It didn't take Michael long to find a lab in New York City that conducted DNA-related research. He discovered it was just 5 kilometers from his home. Deciding to act that very night—since the lab might be closed for the next two days (Saturday and Sunday)—Michael headed straight for the farmhouse, located 120 kilometers from Manhattan. The journey would take about an hour and a half, and he planned to return the same day. Having turned 18 the previous month, Michael had a driver's license and a car gifted by his grandfather for his birthday. He packed the necessary items into his car and drove to the farmhouse. Upon arriving, he placed his belongings in the designated area, kept only two security guards, and sent the rest on a 15-day paid leave. He promised the two remaining guards ten times their usual salary for the next 15 days, and they happily agreed to work extra.
After settling everything at the farmhouse, Michael returned to New York City, waiting for nightfall to execute his plan. As night arrived, he headed to the lab's location. Upon reaching the vicinity, he noticed several surveillance cameras around the area, which worried him, as they could prevent him from entering the lab undetected. After some thought, Michael pulled out his laptop and began typing commands. Using his hacking skills, he disabled all the cameras in just 90 seconds. He then approached the lab and found it secured with a state-of-the-art lock that only authorized personnel could open. Michael hacked the lock and entered the lab. Once inside, he hacked the internal cameras to conceal his presence, then restored the external cameras to their original state. After securing the lab from the inside, he took out a jar containing ten insects. Holding the jar, he carefully surveyed the lab, feeling tense because he wasn't sure if he would succeed in his task. Still, he had to try.
Michael took one insect from the jar and began working on reconstructing its DNA. He first cut a segment of the insect's DNA and attempted to attach a new DNA sequence in its place. However, his first attempt failed miserably, and the insect died. Devastated by this failure, Michael didn't give up. He tried again, carefully extracting another insect from the jar and repeating the process. But once again, he failed. Reflecting on his two failed attempts, Michael realized where he had gone wrong. Determined to correct his mistakes, he tried a third time but failed again. After analyzing all three failures, he identified the issue: while he had the technology to reconstruct DNA, he lacked the experience. Now aware of his shortcomings, he resolved to improve. Taking a fourth insect, he repeated the process, this time progressing beyond the initial stages. Excited by his progress, he felt he might succeed, but at the final stage, he failed again. Though disappointed, he was encouraged by how far he had come compared to his earlier attempts.
Confident he was close to success, Michael took a fifth insect and began again. After nearly an hour of intense effort, he successfully reconstructed the insect's DNA by attaching a new sequence. Overcome with joy, he nearly shouted but quickly controlled himself, as it was around noon, and someone might be outside the lab. Suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching. Was the lab's director visiting on a Saturday, or was something else afoot? Could Michael get caught and face jail time for his actions? To find out, stay tuned with Cosmic Devourers.
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