Mike's heart pounded, his stomach churning. Rhea, however, remained unresponsive to the "boss's" contorted face, instead tilting her head to admire it. After a moment, she loosened her grip, and the "boss" slumped back into the chair.

Rhea wiped her fingers with a wet wipe and drawled, "What do you think of my bargaining chip?"

"Bargaining chip?" Mike stared, stunned. Two seconds later, comprehension dawned. "You're saying he's your bargaining chip?" He pointed at the man.

"Yes," Rhea replied. "He used to be somebody, but not anymore."

"Didn't you say the organization abandoned him, that he means nothing to them?" Mike inhaled deeply, trying to calm himself, disgusted by the scene. The initial shock at the boss's appearance paled in comparison to his current revulsion. The man's terrifying, scarred face, now further marred by bloody wounds, was unnerving and repulsive. Yet Rhea, young and beautiful, calmly, fearlessly, admired it. The sight was deeply unsettling to Mike.

A sudden realization struck him. "Did you do something to him?"

Rhea smiled smugly. "You're not as dumb as I thought. Look at his face. Isn't he uglier now? It'll get worse; all his skin will rot and fall off…"

Feeling nauseated, Mike said, "I don't need to hear it." He averted his gaze, his stomach churning anew.

Rhea leaned back, pleased by his reaction. "Come on, it's just a process. Every transformation is painful. That's the price to pay for transformation."

"Transformation?"

"That's right!" Rhea's eyes gleamed with fervent enthusiasm. "Like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. Have you seen a snake shed its skin? It's similar. The old, decaying flesh falls away, replaced by new. This involves cellular repair and regeneration… If I succeed, I'll be remembered for generations!" She stood, excited, as if success were already assured.

"But you're not sure yet?" Mike asked.

"Of course, it's still experimental. Anyway, I'm running out of time." Rhea shrugged, her earlier excitement gone, replaced by frustration. She had been researching this secretly, hoping for positive results. She knew the organization only cared about the R10 experiment; other projects were mere diversions. Yet she was proud of her work and desperate to succeed. Her secret research had yet to yield results, and the organization's accelerated plans left her with no time to spare. She couldn't allow them to abandon her project.