Chapter 7 — Midnight Snake Knocks On The Door

The captain nodded at him. Deputy Principal Tran stepped forward, looked at me and then looked at the snake coiling on the ground. His expression was calm, like he was examining a laboratory device.

“When No. 7 escaped from detention, it not only destroyed thirty million yuan worth of laboratory equipment, but also killed seven people.”

“The data on its aggressiveness has been clearly recorded in my records. It has no possibility of being tamed. Destroying is the only option.”

“Just now it was absolutely not…”

“During his time in captivity, he bit off the arms of three laboratory staff.”

Deputy Director Tran interrupted me, his voice calm as if he was reading a report.

“One of them is still in the intensive care unit.”

“Tieu Lam, the docility you see is only part of its ability to imitate human behavior.”

“It's tricking you.”

I was stunned.

“It can imitate human voices, expressions, even emotional reactions.”

“This was the original purpose of its design: to create a biological weapon that could perfectly imitate humans.”

Deputy Director Tran pushed his glasses.

“She thought it was asking for fish, thought it missed her. But it was just a mimicry program.”

“It is taking advantage of your feelings for it to achieve its goals.”

“What purpose?”

“Survive.”

He glanced at the snake, the corners of his mouth moving slightly. That expression wasn't exactly a smile, but more like the professional habits of a technician unconsciously revealed.

“An organism with thirty-seven percent human genes will stop at nothing to survive.”

“It's instinct.”

I turned my head to look at the snake. It still maintained that obedient posture, its head resting on its body, its human eyes quietly looking at me. Looks very good. Looks harmless. It looks like a pet that has just eaten its fill of fish and just wants to lie in the sun. But Vice Principal Tran's words were like a basin of ice water poured straight down on my head. Are what he said true? It remembers fish, remembers my name, politely knocks on the door, tilts its head in the cafeteria, moves its tail to make room for me in the cold storage... Is it all just imitation? Is it all a program? Is this all an act he deliberately performed to soften my heart? The snake looked at me. Then it opened its mouth, speaking one word at a time.

“Lam Vi.”

“Pain.”

PART 16 Does it hurt? I instinctively took two steps closer. The snake's body moved slightly. Then I saw a wound on its side that I hadn't noticed before. It was a very deep tear. The scales were flipped over, revealing the pink flesh and blood underneath. The edge of the wound was still filled with broken glass, probably stuck when it broke through the wall of Building B. It was still bleeding. But it never said. From the moment he knocked on the door until now, he only said "hungry", said "fish", said "don't kill". He never said he was injured. Never said I was in pain. Until now. Until Vice Principal Tran said it was all imitation, performance, and exploitation. It says pain. It doesn't speak to me. It is talking to those holding guns, talking to Vice Principal Tran, talking to the whole world. It hurts. It broke through the underground load-bearing wall. The piece of glass was embedded in the flesh. It crawled to my door with its body constantly bleeding. It doesn't crash door. Do not rush in directly. It knocks on the door. Three hours, stop, then three more hours. Polite just like a hotel staff. It's hungry. It hurts. It remembered that three months ago, someone fed it fish.

“Deputy Principal Tran.”

I turned around, my voice calmer than I thought.

"You said it was imitating humans, performing. Okay, let me ask you a question."

“It has thirty-seven percent human genes in its genome, right?”

“Yes.”

“So does that thirty-seven percent include pain?”

Deputy Director Tran did not respond.

“Is hunger included?”

He still didn't speak.

“Does that include wanting to reach out to someone you remember and trust in the moment of greatest pain and hunger?”

I squatted down, reached out and touched the wound on the snake's side. The moment the finger touched the overturned scale, its body trembled violently. But it didn't dodge or attack me. It just turned its head and looked at me with those horizontal human eyes. In my amber pupils reflected my face.

“That's right, there are also meat buns in the cafeteria this morning.”

I raised my head to look at Vice Principal Tran.

“That thing was also mixed the same day it escaped, right?”

Vice Principal Tran's expression stiffened. He did not deny it.

“Armed police comrades.”

I stood up and told the captain:

“I am not a scientific researcher, do not understand the genetic sequence, nor am I a lawyer defending it.”

“I'm just a cleaning worker, I've known him for three months.”

"He killed seven people, I know. If the law and those lives need him to pay, I have nothing more to say."

“But I want to ask everyone, before shooting, treat its wound.”

I stopped for a moment.

“Even death row inmates get a full meal before their execution, right?”

The captain looked at me and then looked at the bleeding snake but still curled up quietly on the ground. He was silent for a long time, then turned around and said to the person behind him:

“Call the medical team.”

Deputy Principal Tran frowned:

“I object. This thing has an extremely high level of danger…”

“Deputy Principal Tran.”

The captain interrupted him, his voice very calm.

“Just now you said this thing only imitates humans, has no real emotions.”

“But what I saw wasn't like that.”

He pointed at the snake.

“He was bleeding, ran to the door of the only person he recognized and knocked on the door.”

"But you say you don't have feelings?"

PART 17 The medical team did not dare to approach the snake. This is very normal. Anyone who sees a three-meter-long black snake will soften their legs. Finally, I took the antiseptic and bandage, squatted next to it, and slowly treated the wound. The moment the broken piece of glass was removed, a deep roar emitted from its throat. His body suddenly tightened and then relaxed again. But it didn't bite me. It laid its head on the ground, eyes half-closed, like a child trying to endure the pain without crying out.

"It's almost done, it's almost done. It won't hurt anymore."