"The potential for modification is too small?" Liu Hui’s vision went dark, and he nearly collapsed. What kind of day was this, that every bit of bad luck seemed to find him?

"Yes, no matter how we modify this organism, it cannot break free from the planet to fight in space," Zerg said with disappointment.

"Wait, did you just say this organism can't fight in space?" Liu Hui’s eyes lit up, and he quickly inquired.

"Yes, it can’t fight in space. Isn't that useless?" Zerg looked puzzled by Liu Hui's expression.

"If this organism remains on the planet, what can it be modified into?" Liu Hui finally realized the gap in thinking between himself and Zerg. Zerg envisioned a powerful warrior meant for cosmic battles, whereas Liu Hui only needed a dominant creature for Earth.

"Limited by this organism's genetic potential, we can only increase its size, enhance its physical defense, accelerate its movement speed, and strengthen its physical power, in addition to boosting its sensory abilities," Zerg explained.

"What will this creature ultimately look like?" Liu Hui was overjoyed.

"This organism can grow up to five hundred meters long at maximum. Its physical defense can withstand a single strike from a starship cannon at 100 degrees of energy. Its strength can be immensely amplified, but the improvement in speed is poor; it can only reach Mach 2 at best. Its sensory range will top out at five kilometers. Furthermore, no matter how hard we try, this creature will not fly; it can only exist in water and on land," Zerg admitted with shame.

Liu Hui was ecstatic. What would a five-hundred-meter-long Xiao Hei look like? He didn't know the precise power of a 100-degree starship cannon strike, but anything involving interstellar tech must be incredibly potent. Xiao Hei could actually withstand such an attack? Plus, the enhanced strength! Haha, even the lackluster speed capability reached Mach 2—faster than any aircraft currently on Earth, surely! And that sensory ability, while he wasn't sure of its utility, was still an added power! The more he thought, the happier he became, speaking in a jumble: "This… is this still an Earth-bound creature?"

"Lord Liu Hui, I am truly sorry. The last time we researched the energy stone, I disappointed you, and now this again," Zerg felt deeply ashamed for failing to solve Liu Hui's problem. Yet, he was also frustrated. He always believed his gene technology was exceptionally advanced, so why did things he couldn't solve keep arising since meeting Liu Hui?

"Respected Lord Zerg, you need not apologize to me. I am already grateful that you can help me modify this organism. If this creature can be completely modified as you described, how long will it take?" Liu Hui suppressed his surging joy and asked directly.

"The entire process will take approximately eight to ten years. Because this organism's genes are too simple, we must perform numerous modifications so that its genome doesn't collapse from a single, overly drastic change. Therefore, this requires a significant amount of time," Zerg explained.

"Respected Lord Zerg, please begin modifying that creature immediately!" Liu Hui was beside himself with excitement.

"Lord Liu Hui, are you certain you want to modify it?" Zerg looked quite surprised.

"Of course. I hope the modification can proceed as quickly as possible," Liu Hui was already impatient.

"I have a rapid growth tank here. You should let it mature first so we can proceed with the modifications," Zerg traded over a large water tank.

Liu Hui accepted the tank, and a sudden idea struck him. He took out a colored illustration and said to Zerg, "Lord Zerg, I wish to modify this organism to look like this. Do you foresee any issues?"

Liu Hui was holding a highly detailed, vivid illustration of a Chinese Divine Dragon, depicted in a truly majestic form. He had bought it on impulse during a shopping trip recently. A mischievous thought surfaced: turning Xiao Hei into the likeness of a Chinese Dragon would be quite amusing.

He traded the illustration to Zerg and then explained his vision: "I want to remodel this creature to look like this: Keep its current body structure, but give it antlers, lizard legs, eagle claws, fish scales, a fish tail, and a mouth adorned with tiger whiskers when open."

Zerg examined the drawing carefully and remarked, "This modification is slightly more interesting. However, I am unfamiliar with the components you just listed, but I can substitute them with some of our Zerg genes to ensure the final result matches your drawing exactly."

"That would be excellent. I hope you can start the research right away," Liu Hui was overjoyed.

"Good. You first need to bring this creature to its mature stage," Zerg prepared to bid Liu Hui farewell.

"Lord Zerg, please wait," Liu Hui suddenly remembered Xiaoyaozi's blood.

"Is there anything else?"

"It's this: I have acquired the genes of a tremendously powerful organism for you. They are so strong that they can travel through the universe relying solely on their physical bodies. You can study them first," Liu Hui offered the blood sample from Xiaoyaozi to Zerg without stating his own request, letting Zerg begin the research.

"If the genes you provide can enhance our strength, I will certainly offer you suitable compensation," Zerg was quite pleased to receive the vial of blood.

Bidding Zerg farewell, Liu Hui skipped breakfast and rushed to the basement. The moment he entered, he sensed Xiao Hei. With a thought, Xiao Hei crawled out of the incubator and coiled itself at his feet.

Liu Hui brought out the rapid growth tank and placed Xiao Hei inside. Under Liu Hui’s direction, Xiao Hei entered the nutrient fluid without struggling. Liu Hui sealed the lid and pressed the activation button. The rapid growth tank emitted a white glow, and Xiao Hei’s body stiffened, going completely motionless. Liu Hui easily sensed Xiao Hei’s condition; the creature felt extremely comfortable in the fluid and had simply fallen asleep.

Finding no apparent issue with Xiao Hei, and unsure how long the growth tank would operate, Liu Hui left the basement to begin his workday.

Jiang Lu came to report, seeking instructions regarding the Lunar New Year bonuses and holiday schedule, as the Spring Festival was only a few days away.

"For the holidays, let’s align our schedule with the government offices. As for the bonuses: twenty thousand Hong Kong dollars for every standard employee, fifty thousand for mid-level managers, and one hundred thousand for senior executives. We haven't generated significant income this year yet," Liu Hui gave his directives.

"Understood, I will arrange it immediately."

"Oh, and even during the holiday, you must keep a close watch on our drug clinical trials; do not relax standards at all. Also, let's have a celebration party before the Spring Festival break!" Liu Hui added.

"Yes."

Then Liu Hui paced nervously back and forth in his office, unable to shake his worry about Xiao Hei. As noon approached, he suddenly felt a strange sensation—he could perceive Xiao Hei's thoughts and knew the creature had awakened.

"This…" Liu Hui carefully analyzed the feeling. He realized Xiao Hei had reached maturity, expanding his control radius. Now, he could command Xiao Hei throughout the entire pharmaceutical complex area, at least.

Liu Hui hurried to the basement and opened the rapid growth tank, commanding Xiao Hei to crawl out. By this time, Xiao Hei was twenty-five meters long. Perhaps due to the accelerated maturation in the Zerg nutrient bath, its body was twice as thick as a normal Wushao snake. Xiao Hei continuously flicked its tongue, its pitch-black body radiating an intense sense of pressure.

Liu Hui controlled Xiao Hei through numerous maneuvers. With its maturity, the body had become incredibly robust, easily executing complex movements. After making Xiao Hei play around for a while, Liu Hui allowed it free rein.

Liu Hui mused quietly. If the modification followed Zerg’s plan, Xiao Hei would become increasingly powerful. While he couldn't carry it around, its existence alone was comparable to having a nuclear weapon on standby. Whichever faction he was displeased with, he could send Xiao Hei to attack. Given its ability to withstand starship cannon fire, no force on Earth should be able to harm it. This would secure the safety aspect of his Free Land Plan. Surely, nothing on this planet could breach Xiao Hei's defense to threaten his ambitions? However, that plan was monumental; his most crucial task right now was still earning money!

Liu Hui fed Xiao Hei, tossing it chunks of meat and commanding it to swallow them. After playing with Xiao Hei for a while in the basement, he returned home.

In the following days, Starry Sky Group continued operating at full speed. Finally, the Spring Festival holiday arrived. Every employee received a substantial bonus, filling them with gratitude toward the company. At the company celebration, everyone lined up to toast Liu Hui. Those professional managers who underestimated Liu Hui’s resilience even tried to challenge him to drinking contests, but they eventually succumbed to the employees' collective enthusiasm. Liu Hui gracefully accepted every toast, finishing every glass poured.

Of course, Liu Hui wasn't actually consuming the alcohol; he was secretly transferring it. His apparent tolerance shocked everyone in the company, leading them all to resolve never to engage in drinking contests with their boss again.

After the celebration, everyone dispersed to enjoy their happy Lunar New Year. However, the key leadership figures dared not truly rest. They were busy debugging equipment, monitoring clinical trials, dividing and scouting regional distributors, structuring the company framework, and finalizing legal paperwork—a flurry of activity.

Liu Hui gladly delegated this complicated workload to them, enjoying a sense of relaxed freedom. He spent quality time with his parents at home, purchased numerous New Year goods, and even went shopping in Hong Kong's commercial districts to buy many gifts for his mother and father. When his mother tried on the high-end clothing, she appeared remarkably elegant and noble, making his father feel both proud and slightly inadequate.

The next day was New Year's Eve. Liu Hui brought some meat chunks to the basement. He had already tested his effective control range over Xiao Hei: one kilometer. Beyond that, the connection became intermittent. Xiao Hei seemed thrilled to see Liu Hui, swimming ceaselessly around his feet. Just as Liu Hui prepared to have Xiao Hei swallow the meat, the Dimensional Trading Device vibrated.

Liu Hui opened it to find Zerg calling.

"Haha, Lord Liu Hui, this time I contacted you first!" Zerg laughed.

"Seeing you so happy, I assume there's good news?" Liu Hui replied, feeling cheerful.

"Hehe, I must thank you. We are currently researching the genes of that powerful organism you provided last time. Initial studies show its genetic potential is enormous, particularly the capacity of its cells to store vast amounts of energy—this is extremely helpful to us," Zerg chuckled.

Liu Hui froze, suddenly recalling Xiaoyaozi’s words: he lacked a spiritual root, hence his body could not store energy, preventing him from cultivating. If this problem could be solved…

"Lord Zerg, have you cracked the secret of its cells?" Liu Hui asked anxiously.

"Not yet, but we should solve it soon. Once we do, integrating this capability into our Zerg genes will bring a huge boost to our strength."

"Lord Zerg, if you crack this gene, I hope you can test transferring this ability onto me," Liu Hui requested.

"Hehe, once we fully decrypt that segment of the gene, we will arrange for your body to be compatible with it."

"Oh, right, what did you need to contact me for?" Liu Hui finally remembered Zerg’s original purpose.

"Oh dear, I completely forgot the main point! We have manufactured the first stage modification serum for your creature."

～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～ Qianyú Chūhǎi wishes to thank the book friend named: You Dian Huai for the 3000-word update ticket; your wish will absolutely be fulfilled tomorrow. However, for the 12000-word update ticket requested by another friend named: Qihong, I’m afraid I cannot comply. This book has very poor recommendations next week, so I hope all friends can click frequently and cast recommendation votes as soon as the week begins, so this book can climb onto various leaderboards; otherwise, its performance will be quite bleak. Thank you all for your support!