Dragon Raja 5; Chapter 181: Leviathan’s Song (18)

Dragon Raja 5

 “During this country’s most prosperous era, we stood alone against the powerful Western alliance. It was a time filled with ideals, but inevitably tinged with politics and violence. Our economic strength was far inferior to that of our Western enemies, so we had to rely on military might to achieve balance. We were once the absolute leader in medium-range missiles. Despite scarcity of daily necessities and fuel, we built heavy fighter jets and submarines that surpassed the Americans. We also invested in new technologies that could potentially turn the tide on the battlefield. We built the 1K-17 laser tank, the Kirov-class arsenal ship, the TV-1 nuclear-powered tank, the Tu-119 nuclear-powered bomber… We built weapons straight out of science fiction movies, and now their wreckage is sealed in underground warehouses or simply abandoned on the beach, rusting and forgotten,” Vatutin said. “Among these advanced military research projects, Project Delta was the most unique. Its subject of study was humanity itself.”

“Its goal, as foolish as it sounds, is to create super soldiers. Americans create super soldiers in comics, like Captain America and Spider-Man, while we create super soldiers in the lab. Of course, I believe the Pentagon has similar research programs, but ours is more radical. We selected children from various Soviet republics who we believe had obvious genetic advantages. Some of them had amazing explosive power, some had a strong tolerance for pain, and some had incredible calculation ability. These genetic advantages were often accompanied by certain defects, such as autism. From a genetic point of view, they were all problematic children and completely useless in war. But if their genetic advantages were combined, they would become the dominant force on the battlefield. A platoon equipped with heavy weapons might be able to wipe out an entire American division. Super soldiers would be even more useful in the field of espionage, such as single-handedly blowing up the Pentagon.”

“A genetic engineering project, is it that simple?” Zero frowned slightly.

“It was a bloody project. We repeatedly created embryos and destroyed them. Life was consumable in this project. They created all kinds of deformed babies, most of whom didn’t even make it to the age of two. Some seemingly successful products had very short lifespans. Dr. Herzog always gave us hope. Each generation of his products was indeed an improvement, making us always yearn for the next one to be perfect. But before the super soldiers were deployed on the battlefield, the country collapsed.” Vatutin said, “That’s all I know.”

“Do you remember this person?” Zero pushed a photo in front of Vatutin.

Lu Mingfei subconsciously clenched his fists. The photo showed Herzog in a Soviet military uniform, a stark contrast to the image of Herzog he had seen in Japan. However, he later checked the academy’s report, which contained previous photos of Herzog.

“Dr. Herzog, the head of Project Delta, has come to Moscow for several meetings, and I’ve met him there,” Vatutin said. “Where did you find this photo?”

“The KGB archives. What can you recall about Dr. Herzog?”

“He had a very high level of confidentiality, even higher than I did. My contact with him was limited to those few meetings. He was a German genetic engineer who was captured during the fall of Berlin in 1945. By that calculation, he’s older than I am, but strangely, you can’t tell his age. It’s said that he brought all the technology with him. Members of the National Academy of Sciences said they couldn’t communicate with Dr. Herzog because his research methods were completely different, but they were amazed at his understanding of genetic engineering.”

“What about Bondarev? Have you heard of this name?” Zero asked again. “It is said that he was sent to shut down the ‘Delta Project’. He claims to be a descendant of a very powerful family in the Soviet Red Army.”

Vatutin was silent for a moment, then shook his head slightly. “It’s not an uncommon surname in Russia. I know more than one Bondarev, but none of them had anything to do with Project Delta. I lost control of Project Delta when it was shut down, and I don’t know anything about what happened after that.”

“So, it’s just a genetic engineering project, a bloody genetic process project.” Zero confirmed again.

“Of course it was bloody for the failed experimental subjects, but at the national strategic level, those were the prices that had to be paid. One super soldier deployed on the battlefield could save hundreds of lives,” Vatutin said coldly.

It was rare for Lu Mingfei to see an expression of disgust on Zero’s face. She stared at Vatutin with a cold and even terrifying look in her eyes.

“Disgust, huh?” Vatutin immediately read the meaning in Zero’s eyes and sneered, “This world is not something a child can understand. I’m a soldier, and a soldier’s duty is to defend our country. For my country, I can sacrifice anyone, including myself!”

He poured himself another glass of vodka. “You can leave now that you’ve heard your story. You didn’t come here to visit your fake adoptive father. Such crude food is too shabby for Your Highness. Your offer is tempting, but I don’t want to leave this country.”

Zero stood up suddenly, grabbed Lu Mingfei’s wrist and was about to leave. Lu Mingfei stumbled as she pulled him.

“Take your coats with you. It will be very cold this autumn.” Vatutin threw Zero’s coat and Lu Mingfei’s hunting jacket over from a distance. Lu Mingfei caught them nimbly and trotted a few steps before putting the coat on Her Royal Highness the Princess.

When they reached the door, Vatutin’s voice came from behind again, but it was not an attempt to keep them.

“Zero Razumovsky Romanova, I hope this is the last time we meet,” General Vatutin said slowly. “You and your family are unfathomable, and I am only an old man who has lost his power. I can’t help you, and I won’t betray my country for you.”

Zero didn’t answer and took Lu Mingfei’s hand and left.

The music had stopped, but the firewood in the fireplace was still crackling. General Vatutin sat alone at the table, eating his bowl of cold borscht in silence.

The sound of car engines had long faded away, and the wind rustled the birch trees, as if someone was whispering in the woods.

The sound of military boots crunching fallen leaves approached. Someone knocked on the door of the cabin. Before Vatutin could answer, the man pushed it open. He was wearing a crisp Russian military uniform and bore the rank of major. He didn’t say anything. Instead, he pulled a cell phone from his pocket, pushed it across the table toward Vatutin, and then turned and left.

The wooden house was fully equipped, but there was no telephone. Vatutin, who was under surveillance, did not have the right to call the outside world without permission, so Zero had to contact him through a messenger.

Vatutin stared coldly at the phone until it rang. He answered it and put it to his ear without saying a word.     

“Hi, Vatutin, my good friend, how are you?” The call came in fairly standard Russian, though with a distinctly foreign accent. It was a man, his age unpredictable, and his voice was warm and cheerful, like an old friend who’s been away on a trip to the seaside and occasionally missed you and called to check in.

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