The phone connected again very quickly.
"Jack, I can be almost certain that the cat you caught has undergone gene mutation."
The professor said.
"Is it possible for this to occur naturally?" Chen Fan asked.
"Impossible!"
The professor said, "It must be caused by gene agents."
"Natural mutation would result in changes to certain characteristics, such as fur color and body size, but such changes would never be seen in a domestic cat raised in the city."
"And it wouldn't become so fierce. The picture you sent me, my first impression was that it was a black panther!"
Chen Fan fell silent upon hearing this.
"Actually, this isn't all that rare."
The professor was in good spirits and spoke at length. "The technology for gene cloning and modification is basically mature, and various countries have relevant experiments. This cat might be an experimental subject. I don't know where you found it."
"On the streets of Dongying City."
Chen Fan looked at the black cat at his feet and said, "This isn't really too surprising or unacceptable. Then, Professor, what if this gene technology were used on humans?"
"This..."
The professor pondered for a moment before answering, "Theoretically, it is feasible. But that's only in theory. I don't think it's practically operable!"
"Why?"
Chen Fan asked.
"Humans have long lost their wild nature, and individuals have become fragile."
"The gene changes brought about by gene agents are uncontrollable, and the success rate is too low. It's impossible to use humans as experimental subjects."
"Furthermore, unlike animals, the human spirit is impure. Various desires have corrupted the human spirit and will. They also cannot withstand the pain of gene sequence alteration!"
"If this were truly done, there might not be one successful case out of a thousand."
Chen Fan did not doubt the professor's words.
He had met the professor during a mission and was very clear about his academic prowess in this field.
He was arguably the world's top expert in human biology today.
But the professor was an academic and did not understand the unfathomable and dark nature of the human heart.
Driven by profit, human actions often had no bottom line, far more terrifying and harmful than the instinctual drive for survival in animals.
Of course, there was no need to explain this to the professor.
"I understand."
Chen Fan said, "Thank you, Professor."
"You once saved me. There's no need to thank me for such a small matter. However, I am very interested in the cat you caught. If possible, I would really like you to send someone to deliver it to me."
The professor said somewhat sheepishly, "Of course, this is a rather excessive request."
"It's not convenient right now, Professor. How about this, I'll lock it up first, and after things here are over, I'll see if I can deliver it to you!"
Chen Fan said.
The professor was overjoyed and said, "That would be wonderful! Jack, my friend, you can ask me for any help you need."
"You're welcome, Professor!"
After hanging up the phone, Chen Fan grabbed the cat and walked towards his lodging.
After getting clarification from the professor, Chen Fan tended to suspect that Xiang Jingshu's disappearance might be related to gene agents.
Such matters were of great importance and absolutely could not be exposed.
If Xiang Jingshu was indeed involved, her sudden disappearance would be explained.
However, who or what force had the capability to produce gene agents was a matter of great speculation.
In Sakurajima, the primary suspect would undoubtedly be the Mitsui conglomerate.
With the financial resources and influence of the Mitsui conglomerate, building a laboratory to carry out such activities would be feasible.
Moreover, the files he saw at the police station earlier, if not a coincidence, indicated that the Mitsui conglomerate had already conducted gene modifications on humans.
As for why such a commotion was caused, and even Xiang Jingshu was implicated, the situation was unclear.
While stroking the black cat, Chen Fan was walking when he suddenly felt something was amiss. He looked back and saw several people following him.
Chen Fan turned into a small alley and waited for a moment. Indeed, he heard footsteps.
"Hey, you fellow, put down the cat in your hand. This is my cat!"
A skinny man in a suit walked up, his eyes filled with greed, and said to Chen Fan.
"You mean this one?"
Chen Fan held up the cat and gestured.
"Yes, it's mine."
"Oh, then what's its name? Call it and see if it responds. If it does, it proves it's your cat."
Chen Fan said with a smile.
The man's face immediately changed. He slapped out and cursed, "Kid, are you looking for death?"
Chen Fan raised the cat and loosened his grip slightly.
The cat, which Chen Fan had been holding tightly, immediately became ferocious, opened its mouth, and bit the man's hand.
"Ah!"
The man retracted his hand, his palm bleeding from the bite, and let out a scream. He roared, "Bastard, kill him for me!"
The other three thugs behind him lunged at Chen Fan.
The outcome was predictable. Soon, all four of them were lying on the ground.
Chen Fan leaned in front of the bitten man and held the cat's mouth towards his face.
The man trembled with fear, crawling backward and wailing, "No... don't come any closer, please, it will bite me to death!"
Chen Fan slightly retracted his hand and said, "Speak. Why do you want this cat? This is no ordinary creature!"
"Someone is offering a reward for the cat. If you hand the cat over to its owner, the reward is ten million."
The man said immediately.
"Who, who is looking for this cat?" Chen Fan asked.
"I don't know, I really don't know..." Seeing Chen Fan about to release the cat's mouth to bite again, the man trembled with fear and said.
"You don't know?"
Chen Fan's expression turned cold.
"It's a wanted poster, a reward poster. There's a phone number on it."
The man said hastily, "It's posted in many places. You can see it if you look around. Look, there's one posted on the wall!"
Chen Fan looked over and indeed found a missing cat notice.
It was no different from ordinary missing cat notices, except it emphasized the cat's appearance and fierce nature.
Chen Fan kicked the men, knocking them all unconscious, and returned to his lodging.
Back at his lodging, as soon as he entered, the Seer and Kono Shinobu were startled awake. They came out of their rooms and were quite surprised to see Chen Fan bringing back a cat.
Chen Fan asked them to find some rope and tie up the black cat. He then told Kono Shinobu the number he had seen and said, "Shin, contact this number first thing tomorrow morning and say you're returning the cat."
Kono Shinobu couldn't help but look puzzled.
"Seer, gather everyone and keep an eye on this cat and the person who picks it up. I want to know their background."
Chen Fan then said to the Seer.
"Yes, my King!"
Chen Fan nodded and went to rest.
However, before he could fall asleep, his phone rang.
It was from Submarine.
Submarine was a core member of the Nightfall organization and one of its most valuable members, as he was one of the world's top hackers.
"King, I've found it. The information has been sent to the Seer."
Submarine said, "As per your request, I've compiled the whereabouts of the elite retired personnel from the Sakurajima Ground Self-Defense Force. I'm very tired, so I'm going to sleep. Don't disturb me if it's nothing important."
"Okay!"
Chen Fan agreed, then asked the Seer for the computer and opened his email.
There was only a table inside, showing a list of names and their destinations after leaving the Sakurajima Self-Defense Force.
Chen Fan looked through them one by one and was shocked to find that at least half of them had entered the Mitsui Group or its subsidiary companies.
On the surface, this was normal. The Mitsui Group needed elite retired SDF personnel for security work.
But the number was undoubtedly too high.
In the past two years alone, the Mitsui Group had recruited no less than a hundred retired elites.
Those listed as elites were all of a certain rank, not ordinary soldiers.
Among them were even mid-level officers with meritorious service.
"King, is there a problem?"
The Seer asked.
"Tomorrow's mission must not fail!"
Chen Fan closed the computer and said, "Also, investigate the locations of hospitals, biological companies, pharmaceutical companies, or laboratories owned by the Mitsui Group in Dongying City, especially in the Shibuya district!"