Zhen Xuegang - The Fallen Prodigy

Peeking into the expansive laboratory, one would be greeted by a table stretching nearly twice as a pool table. Papers detailing scientific discoveries covered its surface and spilled haphazardly onto the floor below.

Yet amidst the chaos, a man in a pure white coat gathered all attention. Fully engrossed in his research, he exuded an otherworldly aura. His long hair, neatly tied back into a sleek ponytail cascading down to his shoulders, gave him a polished appearance. And strands of dark blue hair that framed his face, adding a touch of elegance to his countenance.

Zhen Xuegang, a man exuding an air of intelligence and composure, lifted a delicate glass container before him. His eyes, seemingly lost in thought, shimmered in a shade of soft purple and murmured. "I guess this is it…"

Trapped inside the closed container, a foreign liquid, produced from a compound of new-found elements, swirled inside the glass. If not for the white scientist's gentle rotations of the flask, its transparent presence would have gone unnoticed.

However, his attention was abruptly shattered when the table shook, causing additional papers to cascade onto the already cluttered floor. The state-of-the-art superstructure, a towering skyscraper that housed Zhen Xuegang's laboratory, quivered imperceptibly.

Viewed from a bird's-eye perspective, a swarm of men dressed in black surged into the mega building through various entrances. Some descended from high windows, while others burst through the main and side entrances. In great synchronization, they formed several squads, each armed with rifles and some even carrying portable rocket launchers.

As the combatants converged upon the underground building, their movements synchronized like vines entwining an ancient tree. Zhen Xuegang clicked his tongue, quickly guessing the unfolding situation.

"Another terrorist attack?" he muttered, a hint of disdain colored his voice. "Tch, a bunch of cockroaches."

But what was he hoping? He was well aware of their obvious goal, but their incessant retaliation was truly getting sickening. With a dismissive wave of his hand, he brushed off the impending threat. "Forget it, Alfred will take care of them."

Turning his attention away from the tremors rattling the building, Zhen Xuegang focused on something nearby—a camera. A mischievous glint sparkled in his eyes as he addressed the audience. 

"So how is it? Just as what my hypothesis had predicted, in my hand is a complete mixture of new stable elements, though it's quite heavy and a little radioactive, with some tinkering, one could create a lethal solution capable of eradicating any carbon-based creature, much like the one in my hand."

Indeed, Zhen Xuegang was now live-streaming to millions of people worldwide. From powerful countries of global superpowers to notorious organizations, to influential families, and even average citizens, all eyes were fixated on his every move. The methods he employed to create this exceedingly dangerous solution were recorded and witnessed by countless individuals.

And the consequences of this were clear—chaos would soon follow. Yet as though he didn't realize what he had done, an innocent smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

This was exactly why terrorist groups were forming left and right to kill Zhen Xuegang. This man was dangerous, and Zhen Xuegang was well aware of it.

Without bidding farewell to the livestream, he abruptly turned off the camera and called out a name in the room's silence.

"Alfred, come here."

To his command, the door behind him swung open, revealing a grim scene outside. Lifeless bodies littered the area, evidence of fierce gunfights and explosions. Zhen Xuegang spared only a momentary glance before focusing on the figure that entered the room—a humanoid machine with a robotic air.

A mechanical voice emanated from Alfred. "Master, all the intruders had been elimin–"

"Never mind that," Zhen Xuegang interrupted, dismissing the A.I's report. "Take this container."

With casual disregard, he tossed the glass container to Alfred. "Save the liquid's properties into the database," Zhen Xuegang instructed. "And then, bring me a glass of that solution in my room."

"Understood…. But master…"

"Hmm, what is it?" Zhen Xuegang removed his white coat, revealing a black, crisp shirt underneath.

"The civilians… many lives may be lost from introducing these newfound elements to the world. Why didn't Master keep this a secret like most of the master's discoveries?" Alfred questioned, its mechanical voice tinged with concern.

Zhen Xuegang shrugged helplessly, yet a trace of amusement could be seen dancing in his eyes. "Can't help it. I didn't think the research would be smooth sailing. Even if I stopped midway, those hyenas that thirst for anything I trash would figure it out themselves."

And when Zhen Xuegang met Alfred's gaze, a mischievous smile tugged his lips. "But isn't this more exciting~~" his voice laced with a tantalizing blend of anticipation.

Zhen Xuegang's expression remained eerily devoid of guilt as though his moral compass was nowhere to be found. No, perhaps it was more accurate to say that he had willingly discarded his morality.

Alfred's response pierced the air, its mechanical voice filled with sadness. "No, Master... this is... not fun..."

"Is that so..."

Zhen Xuegang's expression shifted, and the smile on his face vanished like a fading illusion. But his expression didn't transform into that of anger, or even a slight annoyance. Instead, it was a face of apathy.

Zhen Xuegang had only been pretending to revel in the so-called evil, to toy with the idea of being a villainous figure, all for the sake of amusement. After all, he himself had programmed Alfred with a virtuous personality. How could he ever be evil?

But the thing was, it was the 'former' him that made Alfred, not his 'present' self.

In the beginning, Zhen Xuegang was indeed kind… or at least, he wasn't evil or anything. Moreover, he was talented, remarkably talented. And with that gift, he changed society to a better place. he expelled the corrupt politicians and established a more responsible government. Hell, He even spearheaded the implementation of Universal Basic Income, significantly reducing issues of starvation and poverty across multiple countries.

His achievements and successes garnered him a following of devoted admirers, even reaching the point of worship. Yet, everything changed when that 'event' unfolded. It sparked an idea that was rooted deeply in his mind.

But rather than a thought, it was more of a doubt… a question about himself. And as time passed, his humanity was slowly chipped away, even erasing his sense of empathy. He became more… carefree in a sense, more free and uncaring of the world.

But did hate the people? No.

Did he enjoy seeing them die? No.

To him, all that mattered was…

"–Master?"

Interrupted by Alfred's question, Zhen Xuegang blinked. "…Yeah?" he responded, his attention refocused back to his A.I companion.

"Does Master approve of my proposal?"

"…I blanked out, what did you suggest?"

"I would like to analyze this solution and–"

Boom!

The building once again quaked, but this time, it trembled from its core, a dozen magnitude stronger than the previous. It appeared that the terrorist group known as 'The Great Resistance' had sent another wave of reinforcements. Zhen Xuegang had to admit the bravery displayed by the members of this crude organization.

But held no illusions, they were just wasting people's lives by doing this.

A holographic image appeared before Zhen Xuegang as Alfred's mechanical voice relayed the situation. "78 terrorists located within the building. Assessing armament level... 4. Assessing danger level... F."

With Alfred's control over the building and authority over the security division, Zhen Xuegang could entrust the protection of the facility to it. And as usual, Alfred had already responded to the crisis without the need for direct order.

With exhaustion etched into his face, Zhen Xuegang let out a weary sigh. "Same protocol as before," Zhen Xuegang commanded, "Neutralize the intruders and kill anyone who enters the restricted area, also contact law enforcement."

"Yes, Master!" Alfred acknowledged, its holographic screens multiplying while Alfred coordinated the actions of hundreds of robots. The building itself became an extension of Alfred's limbs, sealing off escape routes and systematically isolating the intruders into smaller groups that ensured their effective elimination.

"Make it swift, I still need you to do my previous order."

As the chaos unfolded, Alfred deployed its forces with ruthless efficiency. The clash of metal and the sound of gunfire echoed throughout the building as the A.I left no room for mercy or hesitation.

After a moment of watching, Zhen Xuegang decided to leave the room. However, before crossing the door, he paused for a moment, his gaze lingered on Alfred who was now fully focused on dealing the enemies.

With a quiet voice, Zhen Xuegang said. "Although I didn't hear your proposal just now, you want to help the civilians, right? You may proceed as you see fit, but prioritize my order."

"…Yes. Thank you mas–" The A.I tried to respond, but before it could finish, Zhen Xuegang had already vanished, leaving behind only the lingering echoes of his footsteps.