Chapter 2 Targeted by Scalpers

The next morning, Zhang Chu left home early. It wasn’t diligence that drove him, but the fact that he was utterly penniless—even a bus ticket was out of reach.

Before he’d gone to bed the night prior, a pop-up from City69 informed him that he’d qualified for Covey Research Institute’s drug trial and listed the documents he needed to bring. The reason he’d been accepted was the electronic medical record confirming his ALS diagnosis. The system also notified him that, upon arrival at Covey, he could use the special access lane for vulnerable individuals and wouldn’t need to queue.

Covey Research Institute was thirteen kilometers from where he lived. The wheelchair his homeroom teacher, Li Feng, had brought over could manage a thirty-kilometer round trip—just enough.

By the time Zhang Chu arrived, the entrance was already teeming with people, the overwhelming majority being fearless university students. With the Martial Arts Academy entrance exam looming, everyone was eager for a last-ditch gamble. If they died, so be it. But if the drug trial succeeded and their Qi and Blood Index broke through 150, they’d become a Level 1 Martial Artist.

Women! Wealth! Money! Status! Even if you didn't desire them, people would line up to offer them to you. Family genealogies would be rewritten, starting with your name. At least here in Binzhou, martial artists were revered as gods.

Aside from the desperate students cramming for a shot, the rest lining up for the trials were society’s downtrodden—those willing to risk their lives just to feed their families. These were the famous “Drug Testers” of the Nine Provinces, commonly called “lab mice.” Private research institutes like this one numbered in the hundreds across Binzhou.

The trials didn’t cost money. In fact, participants received varying compensation depending on the drug’s clinical phase and associated risks. Right by the entrance stood a notice board, outlining the trial details and payment for each drug.

Zhang Chu glanced over it and immediately set his sights on the most challenging—Level 4 clinical drug: Essence Blood Pill. According to ideal results, one Essence Blood Pill could raise the Qi and Blood Index by twice as much as a standard Blood Pill, but at half the price. This was Covey’s exclusive project, freshly approved after theoretical testing, with today marking the first clinical trial.

"Ideal effect: Qi and Blood Index increases by 10–15."
"Reward: 5,000!"

Faced with such generous compensation, Zhang Chu’s excitement surged. It felt tailor-made for him. After last night’s experiment, Zhang Chu was certain—no drug could kill him. If he couldn’t die from it, why not take as much as he could? With the 5,000 bonus, he could pay the rent and still have enough for two months of living expenses.

"Miss, I’m here for the drug trial," Zhang Chu announced, handing his Essence Blood Pill trial registration form to the receptionist.

The receptionist glanced at him, a bit taken aback. Level 4 clinical drugs carried both great efficacy and risk, with a mortality rate as high as 29%. The Essence Blood Pill project had been running for half a year, and despite ten previous attempts to recruit trial volunteers, not a single person had signed up. Zhang Chu was the first.

Seeing his shabby clothes and recognizing his disability, she understood he was risking his life for money. "Go that way. Once you’re inside, staff will guide you through filling out the registration and waiver forms."

Private institutes were far more humane than public ones. Disabled individuals like Zhang Chu were assigned staff to push their wheelchairs. The vulnerable participants’ registration area was mostly filled with middle-aged men in dire straits, along with a few beggars. Zhang Chu, being so young, was a rarity.

"Handsome, let me remind you one more time: once you sign the waiver, if anything happens during the trial, our institute bears no responsibility," she said.

Soon, it was Zhang Chu’s turn. After last night’s drug-taking spree, he could still grip a pen with his right hand. He filled out the forms and pressed his fingerprint.

Zhao Nameless, one of the researchers behind the Essence Blood Pill project, came to confirm everything. Upon hearing someone had finally signed up, he greeted Zhang Chu personally.

"Just one request—let’s do this quickly," Zhang Chu replied with a calmness that, to the staff, looked like a death wish.

"Take him in," Zhao ordered. Two security guards pushed Zhang Chu inside.

The drug trial center resembled a vaccination clinic: small, sterile, and sealed off.

"Are you clear on everything? Then we’ll begin," Zhao Nameless said, after carefully explaining all possible side effects. He handed a bright red Essence Blood Pill to Zhang Chu via the room’s robotic arm.

Zhang Chu’s eyes lit up as he gazed at the pill. He could almost feel the flood of Qi and Blood Index beckoning to him. This wasn’t just a drug trial—it was a treatment for ALS, his last hope as a man to stand tall again.

He swallowed the Essence Blood Pill and reclined, savoring the sensation.

"Begin data recording and prepare the resuscitation team!" Zhao Nameless commanded.

Behind the thick glass, Zhao and his team stared unblinkingly at the monitors. This was their first test subject; every data point was crucial. Most importantly, should the drug trigger resistance, the subject could die from sudden hemorrhaging.

Ding!
"Detected: host ingested one semi-finished Essence Blood Pill. Qi and Blood Index increased by 5!"

In the sterile lab, the sound Zhang Chu had been waiting for finally rang out.

"Holy crap!"
"That’s a massive win!"

As sensation crept into his right leg and the Qi and Blood began to flow there, Zhang Chu opened his eyes in excitement. With a thought, he summoned his status panel: his Qi and Blood Index had risen from 6.1 to 11.1.

A single semi-finished Essence Blood Pill had boosted his stats by 5—a far cry from the slow effects of antibiotics or vitamins.

Running his mental calculations, Zhang Chu concluded: another 27 Essence Blood Pills, and he’d break through 150.

"Brother, since I’ve been reborn in your body, I swear I’ll help you rise again!" Zhang Chu declared, thumping his chest in exhilaration.

Outside, Zhao Nameless and his team leapt to their feet, equally thrilled. All of Zhang Chu’s vital signs were normal—the best outcome they’d seen in phase one.

"Mr. Zhang, are you experiencing any discomfort?" Zhao’s voice came through the intercom.

"I didn’t taste much. Can I have another twenty or so?" Zhang Chu replied with a grin.

Zhao Nameless was dumbfounded. His first thought was that the Essence Blood Pill had affected Zhang Chu’s brain—was he out of his mind? This was a drug trial, not a candy buffet!

…

Half an hour later, Zhao Nameless personally escorted Zhang Chu out. "Mr. Zhang, if you feel any discomfort, contact me immediately. In seven days, we’ll fetch you ourselves for phase two."

Watching Zhao hurry off, Zhang Chu felt a bit helpless. He’d asked for twenty more pills, but Zhao refused, citing life-threatening risks. Zhang Chu then tried to switch to another drug, but Zhao still declined, warning of possible adverse reactions.

Just when he thought he could break through 150 today, his dreams were dashed.

"Looks like reaching 150 today is a struggle," he muttered, preparing to leave. At that moment, a tall woman in black stockings and a business suit stopped him, handing over a business card. "Handsome, interested in some drug trials? I know a reputable small pharmaceutical company—safe drugs, no risk to your life. The more trials you do, the more you earn. The agent’s fee is only 20%!"

Glancing at the name "Huang Lili" on the card, Zhang Chu understood—he’d been marked as a desperate case and was now a target for the scalpers.