C1 The Climbing Experiment!
In the clinical laboratory of KM Pharmaceuticals' Research and Development Department in Tubert City.
"Subject Lee Mu is participating in Phase I of the B07 trial, which aims to determine the new drug's metabolic characteristics, pharmacological effects, and maximum tolerable dosage."
"The evaluation includes bioavailability, bioefficacy, dosage equilibrium, pharmacology, and pharmacokinetics."
"B07 is administered to humans either as a single dose or multiple doses using a dose-escalation method. We need to collect vital signs, drug concentrations in plasma and serum, adverse events, and assess the subject's safety."
Xu Jin, clad in a white lab coat, shut her notebook and turned her attention to the young man with a pallid complexion seated in the experiment chair.
"This trial involves an antibiotic that could permanently affect your liver, kidneys, and blood-forming functions. Have you fully considered the risks?"
"I need the money. Is the compensation higher this time?" the young man asked, forcing a smile despite his ashen face.
As a medical student at Usiross University, he was acutely aware of the potential damage clinical trials could inflict on the body.
If not for the financial incentive, nobody would volunteer for this.
"The subsidy is clearly outlined in the contract: twenty thousand for thirty days. After administering the drug, you'll receive an advance of half the subsidy. Moreover, we'll need to monitor you for thirty days. You'll need to come here fasting at seven in the morning for blood draws. Is there anything you don't understand?" Xu Jin asked, her tone detached.
She was no stranger to individuals undertaking high-risk clinical trials for money, especially university students willing to go to extremes for material gains.
"There's one more thing," Lee Mu said after a moment of contemplation, his voice earnest.
"What is it?"
"Is there any chance the subsidy could be increased?"
"…"
Do all university students these days have no shame?
"Start the monitoring device and administer the specimen. Follow the protocol and incrementally increase the dosage. You two, keep a close eye on the data," Xu Jin instructed, her back to Lee Mu as she directed the rest of the team.
Under Xu Jin's leadership, the laboratory sprang into action.
"Electrocardiogram."
"Monitoring device on."
"Dynamic monitoring of blood glucose and blood pressure."
Lee Mu remained still as the team used various instruments to check his health indicators, all the while observing Xu Jin, who was diligently recording the data.
This was Lee Mu's second encounter with the pharmaceutical engineer, Xu Jin. In his estimation, Xu Jin's attractiveness scored an eight out of ten. Factoring in her physique and presence, Xu Jin's overall appeal would easily surpass nine. She was the kind of beauty whose aura seemed to stand two meters tall, even without the aid of high heels.
What a shame.
Lee Mu inwardly sighed: I'm someone with a girlfriend, otherwise, I might have tried my luck.
"One injection..."
"Two injections..."
"Three injections..."
With each increase in dosage, Lee Mu's consciousness began to blur. As he teetered on the edge of unconsciousness, a series of urgent beeps from the equipment pierced the air, followed by the research team's voices, laced with panic.
"The subject's vital signs are abnormal!"
"Blood pressure and glucose levels are spiking!"
"Signs of drug-induced damage to liver and kidney functions!"
"This is bad, the subject's breathing is labored. Hurry, administer epinephrine..."
What the hell?
Despite the fog in his mind, Lee Mu could distinctly hear the team's frantic voices. Was this... the end?
Before becoming a test subject, Lee Mu had dismissed the warnings from industry veterans about the job's risks, including the possibility of death. The naysayer was a disheveled middle-aged man, driven to trial participation by gambling debts, eager to make a quick buck. Lee Mu had thought the man's dire predictions were just scare tactics, perhaps out of fear of competition. But now, Lee Mu was a believer.
"If only I'd told Mom I'd give her the birthday gift later," Lee Mu thought with a rueful smile. His eyes, unable to stay open any longer, closed heavily.
Swoosh!
Out of nowhere, a bright light flashed before Lee Mu, who was on the brink of unconsciousness. His eyes snapped open as a voice announced in his ear.
"Implantation of the Super Microorganism Chip in progress..."
Ding!
"Successful implantation of the Super Microorganism Chip. Subject Lee Mu is now the first-generation microorganism absorption and conversion device."
In that moment, a flood of information poured into Lee Mu's brain.
Plant viruses, animal viruses, bacterial viruses, single-stranded RNA viruses, double-stranded RNA viruses, virus transformation, synthesis, assembly, release...
A flood of virus-related information poured into his consciousness, sending Lee Mu, who had just regained consciousness, into a state of extraordinary excitement.
As a medical student, he was acutely aware of the significance and peril of viruses.
At present, viruses are the culprits behind most global diseases, with common ones including viral colds, viral skin diseases, and poliomyelitis. Deadly infectious diseases such as Ebola, AIDS, and hepatitis B also loom large. For many of these lethal viruses, mature treatment methods remain elusive.
What could it mean to possess the power to absorb and transform viruses?
The thrill was beyond words!
Lee Mu was overjoyed.
His jubilation nearly gave the laboratory's research team a collective heart attack. They gaped at him, emergency equipment still clutched in their hands, frozen mid-rescue, utterly bewildered.
What had just happened?
How had he woken up so suddenly?
Did his abrupt awakening justify their earlier panic and screams?
Xu Jin, in particular, was shaken.
The moment Lee Mu sat up, she nearly had a cardiac arrest. Seeing his excited grin, she almost cast her notebook aside.
Was this some kind of supernatural event?
Could it really be this thrilling?
As an engineer on the pharmaceutical development team and a specialist at KM Hospital, Xu Jin had just reviewed the test data, which made her 99% certain of Lee Mu's demise. But how... how had he come back to life?
"Ms. Xu, look! The testing system's data has normalized, and... and the test subject's bodily functions are even more optimal than the standard data!" exclaimed a team member, monitoring the data with palpable excitement.
In that moment, the entire team's focus shifted to the testing equipment. Xu Jin quickly scooped up her notebook and diligently documented the recent events.
Meanwhile, Lee Mu, the test subject and proverbial guinea pig, experienced a sudden constriction of his pupils.
The view before him was transforming.
A phantom image, akin to a cellular diagram, materialized above Xu Jin's head, followed by several lines of crisp text.
Xu Jin, female.
Twenty-five years old.
Infected with Chlamydia psittaci!
Infection time: Four days.
Chlamydiapsittaci?
Psittacosis?!
Lee Mu was taken aback.
Psittacosis is a zoonotic virus that often goes unnoticed by those infected due to its initial symptoms mimicking those of a common cold. However, this virus can be severe and potentially fatal if not properly addressed.
