Closer to Revealing My True Self
Chapter 178 - 148: Testing Poison on a Chicken_1

Chapter 178: Chapter 148: Testing Poison on a Chicken_1

After dinner at Tang Kui’s place, which was delayed due to buying chickens, it was already dark by the time I got home.

Bai Lu had wanted to check out the koi at Feng Yi’s home. The koi he had fished out from Feng Yi’s pond last time had slimmed down quite a bit after being raised for a while. Even though the feed was carefully selected and the pond was the largest and best located one, that fish just visibly lost weight! Luckily, it still seemed spirited.

It actually looked roughly the same as the other koi in his home, and to outsiders, it would mostly garner praise, but Bai Lu always felt they weren’t as delightful as when they were in Feng Yi’s pond.

Having learned from Feng Yi that the koi at his home were still plump, Bai Lu grew more curious and wanted to have a look, hoping to learn some tips. Regrettably, it was already late, so he made plans for another time.

Mo Xiaoguang also said he would come over with Bai Lu next time; he wanted to scoop up a couple of koi to take back with him.

It wasn’t that he believed in feng shui or anything like that; he was merely joining in for fun and out of curiosity. Aren’t all koi the same? How much fatter can they get? Could they be fatter than those silly ones in the park that people often fed?

Mo Xiaoguang and Bai Lu dropped Feng Yi off at his place before leaving.

Feng Yi hadn’t brought much with him when he left today, but he returned carrying a box of fish and holding two chickens.

Lively chickens.

Bing knew about Feng Yi’s appetite, certain he wouldn’t have eaten his fill outside, so he had timed the dinner preparation just right.

Feng Yi handed over the fish he’d brought back to Bing, knowing that Chef Bing would take care of it.

As for those two chickens...

Bing, with his years of cooking experience, could tell at a glance that these chickens weren’t the kind raised entirely on feed, and their meat quality was bound to be good!

He was rubbing his hands in eager anticipation, thinking about where to start cutting.

"These chickens look so tasty! Boss, are we going to slaughter these two tonight, or shall we keep them for fresh slaughter and cooking tomorrow?"

"We’ll kill them tonight."

"Got it!"

Bing said, moving over to take over.

Feng Yi sidestepped him.

"I’ll slaughter these two; I’ll give them to you to handle later."

Bing was taken aback, "Oh... Oh! Okay!"

Then he scratched the back of his head, looking at Feng Yi in puzzlement as he carried the two chickens toward the basement.

Not far from the kitchen was an area specifically designed for slaughtering live animals, and this was where he usually killed live fish and fowl. Feng Yi knew this, too.

"Why go to the basement to kill a chicken?"

Could it be that the boss has some peculiar hobby?

Thinking it over, the boss was always a bit different from ordinary people, so having some other peculiar hobby was understandable.

He just hoped the boss would maintain the integrity of the chicken’s body as much as possible when slaughtering.

He knew that some novices could make a scene of chicken slaughter look like a grisly crime scene. Not only was it painful for the chickens, but it could also give people a mental shadow for a long time.

Feng Yi had no idea what terrible, bloody scene Bing was imagining. He had indeed never slaughtered a chicken before, but he had carried them for others.

His work experience during university was too extensive, ranging from early jobs like distributing flyers to assisting in the kitchen, from being a signpost at a hair salon to working at a hot pot restaurant front. Although all of his jobs were simple, like posing for promotional photos or passing along ingredients, he had learned a few tricks, at least enough to carry the chickens steadily all the way to the basement.

The lab downstairs, currently equipped with basic instruments, still looked rather empty.

Today, though, Feng Yi didn’t need any of those instruments as he took the chickens to a room on the periphery with an experimental table in it.

He placed the two chickens on one end of the experimental table, then changed his clothes, put on gloves, and carried a test tube rack over, placing it at the other end of the table.

The rack held two test tubes and two long droppers.

While changing clothes, Feng Yi had already brushed his teeth and rinsed his mouth. The test tubes had been cleaned and sterilized and were ready to extract venom directly.

There was also a mirror on the experimental table. Feng Yi opened his mouth to expose his fangs and checked them in the mirror. His fangs were rarely used but had not been neglected in cleaning; they were white and clean, without any yellowing or stains.

"There’s no use for you in peacetime, huh?"

Had he lived in a time of war, these fangs could have wreaked havoc!

Perhaps they could have slain dragons in ancient times! Well, dinosaurs.

If it were the apocalypse, they might even poison zombies! Theoretically, zombie toxins control the lymphatic system and central nervous system, so if an external toxin could enter a zombie’s system controlled by the toxin and disrupt it, that could work!

While entertaining himself with various scenarios, Feng Yi didn’t rush to extract the poison but instead took out an alcohol swab to wipe his arm.

Sitting here and not using alcohol felt like there was no sense of ceremony.

After wiping his arm, he bit down with the two fangs.

He did so skillfully, infusing a bit of venom.

The wound had no reaction, no signs of inflammation, and no burning sensation. His mind remained clear.

It would scab over shortly.

In any case, there was no sensation. It was hard to tell how toxic it was, or to discern its properties.

He wondered if his body’s resistance had increased, or if the venom glands had atrophied due to disuse.

If you don’t use venom glands for a long time, will the body consider them superfluous, deeming their occupation of brain space as impacting neural reflexes and decide to "atrophy" them?

Similar to how a sea squirt eats its own brain when it feels the brain is unnecessary.

The more Feng Yi thought about it, the more anxious and uneasy he became.

Taking the test tubes from the rack, he positioned each underneath a fang, then, released some venom.

Observing the markings on the test tubes, he placed about five milliliters of venom into each. The amount of venom wasn’t significant – he didn’t feel any strain releasing it.

Today, Feng Yi was just experimenting and didn’t need to extract too much venom.

He marked the test tubes with "left" and "right" to indicate they contained venom from the left and right fangs, respectively.

He then carried the test tube rack to the other end of the experimental table.

He took a knife from the toolbox and cut a small incision on the legs of the two chickens.

A dropper was used to take a little toxin from the test tube marked "left" and drop it onto the wound on the hen’s leg.

The hen twitched slightly and quickly stopped breathing.

Feng Yi had also set a timer to measure the time but realized it was completely unnecessary.

Faster than the old ladies killing chickens under the building in his residential area!

The trepidation in Feng Yi’s heart diminished slightly.

Whether it was unconsciousness or death, Feng Yi could sense it, thus he was sure that his poison was still very potent.

He switched to a new dropper, took the toxin from the test tube marked "right," and dropped it onto the wound of the cock that had eaten the centipede.

This chicken’s struggle was a bit more vigorous, but it too quickly ceased movement.

Feng Yi watched the two chickens closely.

On the surface, it seemed like the poison gland had not degenerated much.

He took out two small tubes, transferred the remaining toxin from the test tubes into them, secured the caps, sealed them with tape, marked them with "left" and "right," and then placed them into the freezer.

Visiting Tang Kui’s territory today, he learned that fresh snake venom would spoil and deteriorate if left at room temperature for 24 hours. The temperature inside this lab was only slightly lower than the exterior temperature, not significantly so, and the toxins would also spoil quickly if left on the countertop.

Therefore, Feng Yi froze the remaining toxins in the refrigerator. According to Tang Kui, they should last about half a month to a month, but after too long, the potency would decrease, so they still needed to be treated sooner rather than later.

It would be better once the desiccator arrived.

After dehydration and drying, the shelf life would be extended.

There wasn’t much toxin left from today’s experiment, but Feng Yi couldn’t bear to throw it away.

Ever since he discovered that some snake venoms were more expensive than gold, Feng Yi began to think about storing the toxins. Supporting a family is a lot of pressure!

He had already ordered a batch of storage tubes that would arrive tomorrow. Once he received them, he would start storing toxins every day!

Although he didn’t know how to utilize these toxins yet, he would store them for now and wait for the doctor. When the doctor arrived, he should know how to convert them into cash without others discovering the secret here.

After all, he couldn’t publicly announce it was snake venom...

Wait, it’s not exactly snake venom, is it?

He’s not a snake!

After tidying up the lab bench, Feng Yi took the two chickens and handed them to Bing.

Bing was in the middle of killing fish and, upon seeing Feng Yi bring over the chickens, quickly stood up to take them.

"You should wear gloves, just to be safe," Feng Yi suggested.

Bing hesitated in his movements.

"Boss, these were... killed by the toxin?"

"Yes, mind the protective measures."

The toxin was too potent, and he worried Bing might inadvertently rub it into a cut on his hand.

He had wiped the toxin from the wounds on the chickens’ legs, but Feng Yi couldn’t guarantee the extent of toxicity from the residual poison that had entered their bodies.

Bing’s expression grew serious as he put on a pair of gloves.

After taking the two chickens, he examined the wounds on their legs.

Bing’s expression became even sterner.

"So, boss, are we keeping these chickens for cooking, or should we get rid of them outright?" Bing asked.

After a moment’s thought, Feng Yi replied, "If they can be cooked, then cook them. Don’t waste it. I’ll eat it, but you guys shouldn’t try it."

"Understood, boss. However, the meat quality might be affected, and the dish’s appearance might differ from the usual," Bing commented.

People usually kill chickens by cutting the throat to bleed them since bleeding from the throat’s artery is quick. This also prevents the chicken from twitching too long, which affects meat quality.

But the way Feng Yi killed the chickens, with the blood not drained from the vessels, would result in the blood coagulating inside the meat, causing it to turn dark.

Furthermore, with the presence of toxins, the cooked dish, in terms of color, aroma, and taste, might differ from normal, impacting the texture of the meat. Bing couldn’t guarantee it would be safe to eat.

Bing felt he had to clarify this with Feng Yi first.

Feng Yi indicated that he understood.

It didn’t matter if the chicken meat carried toxins since it wouldn’t affect him if he’d poisoned the chicken himself.

And considering that proteins denature and deactivate at high temperatures, it was uncertain whether there would be any remaining toxicity after cooking.

At worst, he would taste a little bit once it was prepared to ensure there were no issues, then finish it off. It would be a pity to waste it.

Bing had said his piece, and since Feng Yi had made his decision, Bing didn’t press further.

"Go have dinner, boss. I’ve kept the food warm in the kitchen for you," Bing said, taking the two chickens to prepare them for cooking the next day.

Feng Yi felt hungry, too, as he hadn’t taken the time to eat upon returning before starting the toxin tests.

Heading to the kitchen, he saw that the butler had already prepared and laid out the meal on the dining table. The butler’s consideration and thoroughness truly lived up to his reputation.

Feng Yi ate quickly and, after finishing his meal, even helped the butler clean up the dishes. The old butler smiled with extra warmth.

Before going upstairs, Feng Yi went over to check on Bing, curious about what he planned to cook with the two chickens the next day.

He found Bing plucking feathers, donning a protective face shield.

Feng Yi: "..."

The protective measures were indeed thorough.

If he wore a face shield for plucking feathers, what would cooking be like?