Though in many ways less straightforward than walking in openly, the two still act like thieves as they get out of the car and tiptoe into the building. Once inside, Xi P calms down somewhat. He reminds himself to treat this as a routine inspection. Surprisingly, this solace works quite well. By the time they reach the laboratory's main entrance, he even feels a hint of anticipation. This isn't because Xi P is a workaholic or has peculiar tastes; he is simply curious to see what an alien laboratory might look like. Even if it isn't vastly alienish to him, an old-fashioned laboratory is worth seeing — a chance to understand the working environment of his predecessors.

  After spending a month with Min, Xi P has gained insights into his area of expertise through conversations and books. As he'd initially suspected, Min belongs to the same broad field as him — both fall under the umbrella of biology. The distinction lies in their specific subfields: Min leans more towards microscopic biology, while Xi P primarily identifies as an ecologist. Well, if Min specialised in anatomy, Xi P would never have dared to enter his lab for study....

  With these in mind, Xi P watches as Min produces the key and unlocks the door in deliberate slow motion. Labs that still rely on physical keys for security are practically extinct on Lierus. On the other hand, even with advanced biometric access systems available here, it is unlikely that Min's small lab will see the need for them...

  "Hm?"

  In sci-fi films, scenes featuring "alien biology labs" often include the following elements: "creatures suspended in cylindrical containers of every conceivable colour", "glowing green lights from all directions", "blue/red liquids in vials" and "teleporters capable of sending people light-years away". There is a fifty-fifty chance that the creatures in those containers will suddenly burst out and slaughter everyone until the lab's lights are stained orange-red with blood — or rather, bright red in this case. Then, the blue/red liquid in those vials might be the only cure for the pathogens carried by those creatures. The protagonist will escape the aliens' encirclement and return to their home planet with the vials via the transporter. Utterly clichéd.

  Xi P chuckles at his own thoughts, causing his jaw to snap open and shut rapidly. This inhuman laughter leaves Min beside him utterly baffled.

  It's clear to anyone with even a basic grasp of science that these elements are purely for box-office appeal. Such things would not be found in any real biological laboratory. Take the colours of the solutions, for example — no one would add dyes to critical solutions; most of them should be colourless and transparent. And what about the revived monster going on a killing spree? There are so many things to criticise that it is hard to know where to begin.

  The incandescent light flares on, revealing a simple, compact laboratory. The interior is not at all out of the ordinary. Indeed, it looks completely normal: there are rectangular tables and platforms covered with experimental instruments arranged in parallel rows. Xi P can even spot several familiar pieces of equipment here, such as a clean room and a centrifuge. Apart from looking outdated and the platforms being rather high, it is almost identical to the university labs on Lierus. The most obvious difference is the blindingly bright lights — without sunglasses, Xi P finds them almost unbearable.

  "You can take off your cloak now." Min says.

  Xi P hastily pulls it off. He is, of course, wearing proper clothes underneath this time – the evening air is pleasantly cool, so an extra layer is not an issue. Instead of beginning research immediately, Min gives him a brief tour of the lab. Truthfully, there isn't much to see in this room measuring less than 200 square metres — the tour is more about casually teaching Xi P the names of the equipment.

  Though experimental equipment doesn't prioritise aesthetic design, much of it looks vastly different from what he is used to. Reasonably, Xi P refrains from touching the instruments. Even if they won't suddenly transform into laser cannons or other lethal devices, touching them won't reveal their functions.

  '...'

  While Xi P continues to observe the instruments, Min tiptoes up behind him, trying to approach silently. Then, out of the blue, he moves closer to Xi P's ear and says in a creepy voice: 'The experiment is about to begin~"

  As Min had anticipated, Xi P is startled, flinching and turning to glare at Min with obvious displeasure, as if complaining about the sudden fright.

  Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

  In reality, however, Xi P hasn't been genuinely scared by Min. Min's rustling sound, which he thinks is quiet, is perfectly audible to Xi P, even without turning his ears back. The reason he trembles is not even because of the remark, but simply because the sudden breath on his ear feels uncomfortable...

  In any case, after seeing these experimental instruments, Xi P's original sense of unease has actually lessened. The equipment installed in this lab is primarily for analysing and processing small microbiology samples. To Xi P, they even carry a certain historical resonance. Unlike dissection tables or bone saws, this type of apparatus hardly evokes any unpleasant associations. Otherwise, he would have turned tail and fled the moment he entered the lab.

  ***

  Sitting in what appears to be an employee chair, Xi P watches Min, who is studying him in turn. Min's scrutinising gaze makes him feel thoroughly uncomfortable, as if he is being examined like a laboratory specimen. Or, more accurately, like some rare species. He can't quite pinpoint how he'd read this meaning from the local alien's face, but the feeling is undeniable. Min has never looked at him like this before!

  After scrutinising him for over ten seconds, Min finally begins. The first request is for one of Xi P's long hairs. At that, Xi P plucks one from his arm and an orange-red strand comes out easily. Perhaps because the shedding hadn't fully ceased, pulling out this strand required no effort and caused barely any pain.

  Min takes the freshly plucked hair and turns away, humming softly as he studies it. Xi P breathes a sigh of relief, finally free from that uncomfortable scrutiny. He swivels his chair around, closes his eyes and rests for a moment.

  'Ye Min always seems to enjoy teasing me, making jokes — especially about my appearance. I can understand the motivation behind it. That creature called... hmm, a fox? We do bear a certain resemblance. But even though are harmless little jokes, constantly being on the receiving end is downright annoying.'

  'Maybe I should tease him back — no, play a prank on him like he does to me. But what kind? I've never seen a species on Lierus that looks like them. There are a couple of creatures in movies that look like human, but I don't have pictures of those stored on my computer. Think outside the box...'

  'Appearance... behaviour... social habits... current activities... Got it!'

  For the next several minutes, Xi P refines the specifics of his plan in his mind.

  'After all the pranks Ye Min pulled on me, it's time he got a taste of his own medicine. Jokes aren't fair game for everyone — wait, no, it's more like 'if you don't return the favour, it's not a prank at all.''

  ***

  Suddenly, Xi P feels someone nudging him. Not wanting to open his eyes and face the gaze that treating him like a rare specimen, Xi P replies: "Do it yourself."

  He thinks that Min has probably come over to take an underfur sample for research purposes. Although having underfur plucked would be painful, doing it himself wouldn't make much difference, so he lets him be.

  Hearing Xi P's response, Min hesitates. He feels obligated to warn Xi P to prepare and cooperate. But since Xi P has spoken so...

  With his eyes still closed and bracing himself for the plucking, Xi P suddenly feels Min seize his jaw and force his mouth open. Immediately, a rod-like object is thrust inside and begins to stir. Caught off guard, Xi P instinctively tries to close his mouth. However, the moment he clamps down, he relaxes his grip again, afraid of biting Min.

  "Ah!" Min pulls his hand out of Xi P's mouth, revealing a tear in his glove. Those sharp teeth are no joke.

  Seeing Min still shaking his hand and the cotton swab between his fingers, Xi P immediately understands the situation: Min wants to extract tissue samples from his mouth. But that's surely a brutal way to do it, especially without warning...

  'Wait, didn't I say he could do it himself?'

  Xi P dashes towards the sink, determined to rinse his mouth out. Either way, that was utterly disgusting.

  ***

  Thanks to the protective glove, and the fact that Xi P didn't bite down hard, Min's hand wasn't hurt. A close call.

  'Hmm, putting myself in his shoes, I'd probably bite too if faced with that situation. Only his teeth are just too sharp...'

  Regardless, the sample has been collected. After changing into a fresh pair of gloves, Min dives back into the research. The cellular-level analysis is the main event of this study, and delay is not an option.

  ***

  Progress is slower than Min has hoped. Despite Xi P's full cooperation throughout the process, he cannot be of much assistance due to language barriers and unfamiliarity with the equipment. The number of free cells extracts is clearly insufficient, and repeatedly switching between different staining agents is time-consuming. By the time he wants to collect new samples again, it is already late at night — he has to prepare to go home.

  However, some results still emerge: while the overall characteristics exhibit a high degree of similarity, the individual components that formed these characteristics show significant differences. Take organelles as example, with the exception of the cell nucleus, Min is unable to visually identify any of the others. If he were to write a treatise based on these findings regarding extraterrestrial life forms, he would certainly become famous.

  Convincing others of this would be difficult, though, and he doesn't want to make such a stir all at once. He needs to "lay the groundwork" with smaller achievements first. Perhaps it would be better to publish them in separate instalments...