"Quiet down, everyone!" the long-haired girl shouted, finally silencing the thunderous murmurs. Then she smiled sweetly at Ling Yun and said, "Ling Yun, can you continue?"
Ling Yun greeted her with a kind smile, and his incredibly vivid face, seen through the bright, clean window, suddenly made the long-haired girl's heart race. Maybe...maybe after class, I could leave him my name and phone number? The long-haired girl bit her lip, thinking.
“Everyone is absolutely right. In fact, similar reports happen all the time,” Ling Yun said slowly. “It’s just that we focus more on the entertainment value and other aspects, and thus overlook the most essential thing about the event. And the reason we overlook it is precisely because we can’t explain it. Think about it: if the mother who saved the child or the five-year-old boy could maintain that temporary power, wouldn’t that be the kind of superhuman power we see in movies?”
Chapter 122 The Glasses Teacher's Difficulties (5)
The students all wore thoughtful expressions, unconsciously nodding to themselves. The long-haired girl looked at Ling Yun with admiration, her bright eyes sparkling like countless tiny stars. She wasn't attracted by the content of Ling Yun's words, but rather by the magnificent, commanding presence he exuded.
“I once read a report,” Ling Yun continued, “In a special tribe in Africa, the people of this tribe have a magical ability: their eyes can look directly at the sun without being burned, but normal routine examinations cannot detect any abnormalities in their eyes. Even the most authoritative ophthalmologists cannot explain this magical phenomenon. Moreover, in our country, as far as I know, there was a report about a qigong master who could conjure flames on his palms out of thin air, and the flames would not burn his palms.”
He paused for a moment, then continued, "Logically speaking, these things seem impossible, yet they have all truly happened. I remember when I was a child, we categorized them as special abilities, but now we don't use that term anymore. A harmonious society doesn't allow for the existence of outcasts, but that doesn't prove that special abilities don't exist. In fact, we can see all sorts of incredible abilities in the animal world. For example, eagles can spot rabbits running on the ground thousands of meters in the air, and cats and dogs have night vision and can hear sounds that normal humans can't hear. These are considered special abilities in animals, but we humans take them for granted. Ultimately, it's because animals and we have different genes."
The classroom was completely silent; all the students, including the one with glasses, listened intently, captivated by the allure and interest.
"So genes are the code to our lives, determining everyone's birth, aging, illness, death, and health. The difference between animals and humans is because their genes are different, which is why they seem to have different abilities." Ling Yun seemed to be speaking from the heart. "On the one hand, genes need stability to faithfully replicate themselves in order to maintain the basic characteristics of an organism. This is the main reason why humans can reproduce generation after generation with very little change. On the other hand, genes can mutate. The vast majority of mutations lead to diseases, while a small portion are non-pathogenic mutations. Non-pathogenic mutations provide the raw materials for natural selection, allowing organisms to be selected in natural selection to become the individuals best suited to nature."
"What will gene mutation lead to? Mutation or death?" The long-haired girl raised the question that everyone was most concerned about.
“99% chance of death, only 1% chance of mutation, and this mutation is not necessarily for the better. It could very well turn you into a non-human monster instead of having magical powers,” Ling Yun replied, involuntarily thinking of the mutation in his own body.
"Everything we live in and feel can basically be said to be determined by genes, including your gender, appearance, height, weight, blood type, and whether your hair is curly. Genes determine whether you will gain weight even if you drink cold water, whether you are sensitive to a certain color, when you will catch a cold, and when you will recover. Genes determine your personality traits, and even whether you might suddenly turn on a complete stranger because you are in a traffic jam. In a sense, genes are our God."
"We all say that all people are born equal, but in reality, from a genetic perspective, this statement is incorrect. Just as fairness can never exist in society, the same is true for genes. Why are some people born with extraordinary talents? Why do some people naturally understand many principles that ordinary people cannot comprehend even after a lifetime of hard work? Edison once said that genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration. This is often used by teachers to teach us to work hard. In fact, Edison did not finish his sentence. The rest of the sentence is that even the 99% perspiration cannot compare to the 1% inspiration. The 1% inspiration means a huge difference in genes, a difference in level, which is not comparable."
"Of course, I'm not trying to discourage anyone. While genes can mutate, most people's mutations are not significantly different. So, with opportunities or hard work, people can change and surpass others. But for some geniuses like Einstein and Newton, the difference lies in their genetic intelligence, which cannot be bridged by effort alone."
"This is the power of genes. If we can truly master genes, then you and I, each and every one of us, could potentially become X-Men and Wolverine from science fiction movies, possessing supernatural powers!" the boy slowly uttered the last sentence.
Buzz... Just as the words were spoken, the bell rang at the perfect moment to signal the end of get out of class.
Clap clap clap. Led by the long-haired girl, enthusiastic applause rang out in the classroom. This class was the most relaxed and interesting one in the history of the bioengineering major. The eloquent and insightful young man had left an indelible impression on many. The entire elective class became a completely chaotic classroom, and the bespectacled teacher, known for his strict control and sharp tongue, finally couldn't get a word in edgewise during today's debate with a freshman, utterly defeated.
"Ling Yun!" As the students filed out of classroom 301, Ling Yun was stopped by a voice just as he reached the steps outside the main building.
Ling Yun stopped and turned around. He saw the long-haired girl walking quickly towards him with an excited smile on her face. The girl was very sweet and cute, a standard beauty, but she was clearly far behind Su Bingyan and the others. However, her figure looked quite good.
"Lingyun, you were amazing today! You really gave your classmates a huge boost of morale. Everyone's been praising you behind your backs. We were all surprised to learn such professional knowledge." The long-haired girl spoke enthusiastically as she approached Lingyun, displaying a cheerful personality.
"It's nothing. I just studied genetics on my own for a few days before the elective course because I was interested. I was just messing around and my classmates must have laughed at me. If the bespectacled teacher hadn't been so aggressive, I wouldn't have chosen to make things difficult for him." Ling Yun smiled faintly.
"This is just messing around, you're too modest." The long-haired girl covered her mouth and smiled, extending a small, fair hand: "By the way, Lingyun, I've seen the class roster, we're in the same class, how lucky! My name is Han Xue, and I'm our class monitor. It's nice to meet you."
Chapter 123 A Scandalous Incident (1)
Ling Yun was immediately filled with shame. He was sweating bullets! It had been more than two months since the start of the semester, and he didn't even recognize any of his classmates, let alone the class monitor, who was the most important person in the class. He was so embarrassed.
He quickly grabbed Han Xue's hand: "Class monitor, I'm sorry, I took leave a while ago, so I don't know many of my classmates. If you have the chance, you must introduce them to me more often."
"No problem." Han Xue pretended to be reserved and withdrew her small hand. "Ling Yun, you should interact more with your classmates and get along well with them. We freshmen have a lot of activities, and many times we don't have enough people for them. When we want to ask you to join us, we don't know where you are."
Ling Yun felt increasingly ashamed as she listened. She had been longing for a peaceful university life, yet she hadn't even participated in any class activities. The class monitor's seemingly casual remark had a hidden meaning. Clearly, the monitor was asking for her response.
"Han Xue, from now on, no matter what activities are assigned to me, I promise I will complete them diligently." Ling Yun thought for a moment and said to Han Xue very sincerely and earnestly.
"That's great, Lingyun. Our class really needs a student like you who has both the right attitude and the right ability. Give me your phone number, and I'll give you mine too, including your QQ number, email address, and MSN..." Han Xue went on and on, asking for all of Lingyun's contact information as if she were checking his household registration.
Like a primary school student seeing his teacher, Ling Yun obediently wrote down all his contact information in the diary that Han Xue handed him. Anyway, he didn't use anything else besides his cell phone, so he might as well generously leave it all with the class monitor.
Han Xue took the notebook he had written in, a smug smile creeping onto her lips. She had simply used a little trick to get the boy's contact information. He really was honest; little did he know the tricks of this young lady.
Ling Yun, oh Ling Yun, I'll see what kind of person you really are. Han Xue thought to herself. Having heard so much about Ling Yun behind her back—whether it was doing five hundred push-ups during military training or constantly being rumored to be dating four beauties—Ling Yun had a very high profile among the freshmen, which in itself greatly attracted the girls' interest in this mysterious guy, and Han Xue was no exception.
However, because Ling Yun had been absent from class for a long time, even his classmates found it extremely difficult to get in touch with him. But today, after seeing Ling Yun's glasses shattered, Han Xue's eyes lit up. This kid really had some skills. Modern girls are bold and decisive, so as soon as get out of class ended, Han Xue called out to Ling Yun and, with a little cunning, tricked him into giving her his contact information.
In reality, most freshmen don't have that many activities. Even Han Xue, the class monitor, is bored all day except for classes. She either surfs the internet, reads romance novels, or goes shopping with her classmates. Or she daydreams about finding a handsome prince charming and embarking on a passionate romance. Of course, there's no prince charming, but she does meet Ling Yun, the gray prince. Han Xue suddenly feels that after seeing so many white horses, gray horses actually seem quite pleasing to the eye.
After leaving Han Xue, Ling Yun strolled towards the dormitory, when suddenly she involuntarily sneezed. Thinking it was just an itchy nose, she was completely unaware that she had been tricked by the class monitor.
Today, the Department of Bioengineering only had one elective class, so after class, Ling Yun planned to go straight back to his dorm to study. The past few days had been peaceful, and he was making the most of the time to catch up on the courses he had missed. Furthermore, driven by his interest in genetic mutations and his desire to research the origins of superhuman abilities, he showed great interest in genetics, specifically seeking out many professional books to read, absorbing the profound and difficult knowledge like a sponge. This led to the scene that unfolded during class.
In fact, even university-level professional knowledge was as simple as elementary school problems for Ling Yun. He was fully capable of completing four years' worth of studies in a single semester, and if he read faster, two months would be enough. Clearly, Ling Yun didn't want to finish so quickly; after all, enjoying life was also important.
He had discussed the origins of superpowered individuals with Yu Xiujie long ago. Although Yu Xiujie possessed unparalleled power, wisdom, and vast knowledge, he couldn't explain the source of superpowers. The reason was simple: apart from Ling Yun, other superpowered individuals were born this way, as natural as eating when hungry and drinking when thirsty. Who would delve into such a simple question?
Furthermore, Yu Xiujie was, after all, a person living in the old era a hundred years ago. No matter how advanced his thinking was, he couldn't possibly know that microbiology in later generations already included gene research. Ling Yun was well aware of this. During his cultivation, he had asked Xia Zhen and Gu Xiaorou similar questions, but the two girls' reactions were exactly the same: they hadn't thought about this question at all, nor did they know what the use of studying it would be. It's like knowing what one plus one equals and being able to apply it; then why bother knowing why one plus one equals what?
After reading professional books and searching online, it's clear that superpowers undoubtedly stem from genetic mutations. However, the vast majority of consequences of genetic mutations are complete genetic collapse, leading to the death of the organism. Other consequences include unexpected changes, such as a frog turning into a six-legged monster after being exposed to radiation.
In a sense, those with superpowers are also genetically stable individuals, because they carry stable mutated genes from birth, rather than undergoing sudden mutations like Ling Yun. Even mutations require an extremely long time for natural selection to produce a qualitative change; for example, it took millions of years for apes to evolve into humans.
There are no real examples of sudden, stable genetic mutations overnight; at least Ling Yun couldn't find any. Yet, he himself was a living example of a sudden genetic mutation. How could this be explained? This inexplicable question weighed heavily on the young man's mind, forcing him to use his extraordinary intellect to delve deeper, hoping to find the answer.
As Ling Yun frowned in thought, he pushed open the door to dormitory 308. Just as he closed the door behind him, a soft, voluptuous body suddenly pounced into his arms.
Ling Yun was startled. He'd been preoccupied with his academic work since entering and hadn't paid much attention. Clearly, the woman who had thrown herself into his arms was a woman, and a stunningly beautiful one at that. She was wearing only a thin, pink short-sleeved top. Her full breasts pressed firmly against Ling Yun's chest, gently rubbing against him, looking incredibly alluring and seductive.
Ling Yun quickly pushed the woman away, and upon closer inspection, he was even more surprised. Pointing at the woman, he said, "Aren't you Xiaoqian, Lü Xing's girlfriend? What do you want?" As he spoke, he looked around the dormitory warily, as if there was no one else besides Xiaoqian.
Xiaoqian chuckled softly, alluringly brushing a strand of hair behind her ear, and said in a raised voice, "So what if she's Lü Xing's girlfriend? So what if she isn't?"
Ling Yun squinted, scrutinizing her from head to toe. The woman was dressed exceptionally provocatively and sexily. Apart from an unbuttoned pink short jacket, her snow-white skin was covered only by a black lace bra. She wore a white, wavy, transparent long skirt, with her black thong clearly visible underneath.
"It's nothing, really." Ling Yun's expression suddenly became lazy. She walked a few steps into the bedroom, casually sat on her bed, and put the book on the bookshelf. "You're Lu Xing's girlfriend, why are you snuggling into my arms? Don't mistake me for your boyfriend."
Xiaoqian smiled gently and followed him into the bedroom, sitting down close to him. The strong scent of jasmine perfume made Ling Yun frown slightly. She grabbed Ling Yun's arm and rested her head on his shoulder: "I just want to treat you as my boyfriend, so why aren't you happy?"
"Hehe." Ling Yun didn't push her away. "Why would I be unhappy? I'm just afraid that Lü Xing will be jealous."