Chapter 153: Tactical Relocation

[Biology Lab Research Project Completed] [Project: Synthetic Blood] [Description: Utilizing lizard serum to activate bone marrow regeneration, depleting the sample's division and differentiation capacity to produce large amounts of blood within the desired time frame.] [Professor Connors' Research Report:] [The experiment confirms that the lizard serum has great potential in cultivating cell-free tissues.] [The experiment collected a small amount of bone marrow stem cells and blood from seven volunteers. By focusing on bone marrow cell cultivation, a large amount of artificial blood can be produced.] [Using anti-lizard serum as control can eliminate reptilian cells in the blood, yielding healthy mammalian blood with a balanced composition, while also regulating the division and differentiation speed of the bone marrow stem cells.] [The lab is working on establishing technical standards and production protocols. The next step is to further study the effects of lizard serum on non-dividing cells.] [Advanced research initiated: Non-renewable cell and tissue cultivation] [Lab milestone achieved, rewarded with 400 tech points.] [30 tech points deducted for inter-dimensional transmission.] [Current tech points: 490] Leo lifted his coat, placing a 20ml vial of lizard serum and a 10ml vial of anti-lizard serum on the table. Tech points were earned slowly and were highly valuable, so every bit had to be used effectively. Now was the time to act. All the equipment had been moved to the Hammond Gene Research Institute (Hammond, persuaded to give up the name Jurassic Park, insisted on naming the research lab after himself). Professor Connors was there, executing the blood replication process. Seven volunteers. Six volunteers contributed a total of 300ml of bone marrow, while Peter alone provided 200ml, making a total of 500ml of bone marrow. According to Professor Connors' estimates, balancing blood production efficiency and cell lifespan, this 500ml of bone marrow could produce 3,000–4,000 units of blood in a year. However, considering production efficiency, it might only produce 1,200–1,500 units in three weeks before the bone marrow cells rapidly lost vitality or became cancerous. But the precise data needed to come from experiments. The first cultivation attempt would be divided into groups, but in general, 1,000 units in three weeks wasn't too difficult. Yet, Professor Connors' research was designed with a very rational and safe approach. On the cyberpunk side, Leo was going to use the most aggressive method to cultivate artificial blood. The Bright family had over a hundred members, but most were out working, leaving only about thirty people in the camp— And all thirty were willing to donate their bone marrow. However, Leo only needed sixteen—sixteen people, each providing 50ml of bone marrow per test tube, mixed with 1.25ml of lizard serum. Before Leo's eyes, as the green serum was injected, the bone marrow in the test tube became active! The bone marrow was instantly activated by the serum, and blood began flowing down the tube into the containers below. Then Leo opened the valve on another container. The green in the blood started to fade, indicating that the transgenic lizard's bile pigment was dissipating— As the blood gradually returned to its normal red color, Leo saw another business opportunity. The bile pigments secreted by these transgenic lizard cells had strong immunomodulatory effects, which, based on his own data from lizard transformation, could effectively prevent inflammation and oxidative tissue damage. In other words, this was a highly ecological immunosuppressant. If he could steal some bioprotein filters from Biotechnica, Biodynamics, or MoorE Technology... But for now, it was just a thought. [Detected cross-dimensional practice of similar production technologies] [Similar items in different dimensions can undergo varying degrees of material substitution based on product similarity.] [This feature is free.] Leo was stunned. That powerful? He drew a small tube of Type A blood and used the system to replace it with a tube from the Marvel world. Though the blood types were the same, the blood from different people still had subtle differences. This feature seemed to add another technical lock to the products Leo used—making it impossible to extract anything significant from these blood samples. But since it was still an experiment, replacing too much would hinder Professor Connors' research. It appeared that beyond technology, there were also "hacks" involved in production. Leo stroked his chin and said over the channel to the cybernetic doctor Hutch, "Come in." Hutch Spindler, a military doctor who had participated in the Unification War, like Carol and the others, was a soldier with no home after the war. Becoming a nomad was their only option—technically, they had seen it all. But today, they were all shocked. The blood had been sorted into different containers, enough for transfusion. "This..." Leo patted Hutch on the shoulder. "This is technology stolen from Biotechnica, so you see, robbery works." Hutch swallowed hard—never mind where Biotechnica got their black tech from, but you'd have to survive to use it! You think everyone's as crazy as you three? No, from a technical standpoint, Leo was far weirder than Jackie and V. Who could be an expert in netrunning, electronics, cybernetics, and biotechnology all at once? Nomads might be poor, but they weren't ignorant. Carol felt the same. She and Hutch exchanged glances and silently got back to work. "All done?" Saul looked confused, unaware of what had just happened. Hutch pulled out several bags of blood from the container and nodded as he walked. "Done. With this blood, they're out of danger." As for the rest, better let this mysterious "burger King" explain. Saul didn't know exactly what had happened, but he could tell from his tribe's expressions that something significant had occurred. Whatever it was, Leo had saved the unconscious. Saul gave Leo a deep look. "We owe you again, but there are still problems left unsolved." "I get it. Before we work, we need to take care of your troubles. Talk to me." "Panam is tracking Mitch and Scorpion with your people in the desert. We have to leave immediately, but we're short on people, and finding a place takes time." Leo thought for a moment. "Why not head to Red Ochrt?" Both men turned to Navi after he spoke. Navi nodded and stepped forward. "Our place is safe and spacious. It's a small canyon that provides shelter from the sun—if we block off the canyon cracks, we can also avoid aerial surveillance." "A canyon? Is it safe?" "Safe." Navi nodded. "Don't forget what our tribe does best. No one knows geology better than us." "But the terrain in the Badlands is complicated..." "I know what you're worried about. I'm young, but when it comes to geology, trust me. Unless you doubt Hector." Saul was surprised—Navi's confidence made him seem like a natural leader for the tribe. And a tribal leader, once recognized by the other elders, would become an elder of the Aldecaldo clan. Saul felt this might happen sooner than expected. "Understood. Then we head there." Saul turned toward the nearly packed-up bus, his booming voice drowning out the winds of the Badlands. "Hurry up! We're relocating to Red Ocher's territory—camouflage the vehicles!" Though the camp was full of tents and trailers, the trailers were modified. When it was time to move, the Aldecaldos would pack away the tents used for shade, and the trailers would retract their extended parts, transforming into large cargo trucks. The trucks carried their limited high-tech gear, such as data terminals, solar panels, and medical equipment. The buses were loaded with living supplies, ammunition, and firearms. The entire convoy was ready. Several nomads draped a strange, soft material over the trailers and buses. Carol pulled out a tablet and began operating it— Within seconds, the cloth changed color to a mix of sandy brown and pale green. It was an electronic camouflage fabric, vital for their covert movements. "Camouflage set, radar frequency adjusted, battery and energy issues—so troublesome. Mitch and Scorpion, you two better not die. Mitch and Scorpion— All good, Saul! We're ready to move!" Seated on the trailer, Carol muttered as she adjusted the convoy to mobile mode, then waved at Saul. Saul turned to Navi, "Lead the way." Navi nodded, about to leave, when Jackie patted his shoulder, smiling, "I was worried you'd clam up around the big guys, but I guess I underestimated you." Navi rubbed his nose and smiled. "Hurry up and lead." The convoy, led by Navi, began moving slowly through the desert. They would be traveling for quite some time, likely until nightfall. Jackie stood beside Leo, "I didn't ask earlier, but how are we getting back?" It was true; the two of them had no vehicles nearby. V had taken the Westwind, leaving the two of them standing alone in the Badlands. Leo chuckled. "Why didn't you ask earlier? Now you're asking? If I forgot, we'd have to run back to the camp!" "Hermanos, don't joke around! You think you'd forget something like that? If I asked earlier, wouldn't I look a little silly?" "Still holding onto that thing from the Lamar Armory, huh?" "Hey, not at all! We're in the big leagues now, can't afford to look foolish out there. It's for you and V's sake too!" Leo was amused by the big guy. But it wasn't like he had actually forgotten. The Fixer from the Badlands, Dakota, hadn't arrived yet, but he had already made the Aldecaldos pack up and leave—if she arrived and found no one, it wouldn't be a good situation. The sun was harsh, and after standing for a few minutes, Jackie asked again, "We're just gonna stand here?" "Yup, just stand here—don't act silly, stand properly! I'll go to the signal tower to adjust the settings." Jackie immediately stood up straight. And then he stood like that for 10 minutes. The sun in the Badlands was scorching, and 10 minutes felt like hours. Just as Jackie started to question his life, a vehicle finally arrived.