Ch 112: TGCIR

After Li Weilan returned to the surface, he handed the female researcher over to Tang Lu, as well as the children who had been rescued.

This incident was a double-edged sword.

Many people told him that the “experimental subjects” used by the Institute were often taken away without understanding what was happening. They woke up to find artificial embryos implanted in their bellies and watched in horror as their stomachs grew.

If the Institute were to preemptively justify their actions, they could claim they were trying to create children born with innate abilities.

But if the women were allowed to speak out, if those people realized that the same thing could happen to anyone’s wife, daughter, or mother, then the significance would be different.

The real problem with this matter was that the victims could be any woman in the base.

Even those in the Institute’s own ranks were not exempt.

The bias of public opinion depends on how those in power guide it. Li Weilan believed that since the Institute currently dared not openly disclose this research, it meant they themselves knew it was morally reprehensible.

Tang Lu got hold of this leverage. As the authority figure in Base J, he had ways to guide public opinion and stir up opposition against the Institute. This was much easier for Tang Lu, who was always in the whirlpool of power struggles.

Tang Lu listened to Li Weilan’s account of what had happened, took the tree core with the obvious Institute logo from Li Weilan’s hand, and his expression became very complex.

He hesitated and asked, “What conditions do you have for giving me such a big leverage?”

“Conditions?” Li Weilan smiled and patted his shoulder. “Consider this as my gratitude for waiting for me here for a day and a night.” He stood up. “I have other matters to attend to. I’ll come to Base J to find you in three days.”

“You’re not leaving with me?” Tang Lu frowned. When he noticed that the woman next to Li Weilan suddenly disappeared, he felt a tremor in his heart. After all, they had been taken away by monsters to the depths of the earth. Her sudden disappearance was not a good sign.

But seeing Li Weilan’s calm expression at the moment, and unable to articulate his original question, if she was fine, asking such a question sounded like a curse.

Li Weilan was sharp-minded and saw his hesitation. He immediately understood and said, “She’s fine.”

“Oh, that’s good.” Tang Lu didn’t know if he truly believed it or not, but he nodded anyway. “Be careful then.”

Almost as soon as the tree fell, a screen connected to countless machines suddenly flashed the words “ARNG Alert.”

The researchers who were busy in front of the screen paused, about to call for help, but the sharp alarm had already alerted the dean indoors.

Xia Jinshi walked out.

He glanced at the screen, frowned slightly, and said, “The vital signs of R02 have disappeared.”

“Dean,” the person operating the machine hesitated, wanting to say that R02 was originally one of their safest experimental groups. After all, that tree was quite cunning and could save its life, hiding so deeply underground. But now, while the other groups were fine, why did it have to be R02 that had an accident?

Xia Jinshi pushed his glasses up his nose. “There was one of our own researchers in that group, right?”

“Yes.”

Xia Jinshi nodded. Just as he was about to say something, someone whispered a few words in his ear. His expression froze for a moment, then he told the researcher who was waiting for his orders, “Handle it according to the old routine,” and hurried away.

Xia Jinshi saw his junior brother, who was covered in dust and dirt, at the entrance of the research institute.

Fu Yanzhou looked at him, hesitated, and lowered his eyes without saying a word.

Xia Jinshi immediately understood what was going on and smiled faintly at him. “Junior Brother, the research institute will always have a place for you. If you’re willing to come back, I’ll be happy to see it.”

Fu Yanzhou slowly raised his head, then quickly lowered it again, saying nothing.

Translated on ho lo lo novels dot com.

Xia Jinshi opened the institute gate and led Fu Yanzhou inside, saying to him, “You probably can’t get used to the people at Noah, right? Can they even understand what you’re saying?”

Fu Yanzhou clenched his fist.

He remained silent, his gaze cold as he met the gazes of those around him who were bowing their heads. However, a hint of anger flashed in his eyes against what his senior said.

They might not understand what I’m saying, but I have plenty to talk about with them.

He remembered Xi Bei.

Only someone as arrogant as you, senior, would think that only people like you are worthy of conversation.

However, he didn’t say anything.

He just listened to Xia Jinshi talk about the current research directions and progress of the Institute. Just as he was starting to get excited, Xia Jinshi asked him, “How far has Noah’s research progressed now?”

Fu Yanzhou mentioned the direction, mainly focusing on the advancements of abilities in daily life and convenience.

As expected, Xia Jinshi frowned, but he didn’t question Fu Yanzhou’s words. Instead, he asked him to submit the research progress first before further discussion.

Fu Yanzhou nodded.

Before heading to Base J, Li Weilan had to settle his old grudges.

The last thing Jiang Qiu asked him before he died was not to trouble his girlfriend, Lin Xiu, but Li Weilan didn’t agree.

He still remembered thinking back then, You fool, this isn’t worth it.

However, now, facing Shen Cheng, he spoke his mind, “I just want to see Lin Xiu. If she shows even the slightest remorse, or even a slight change, I’ll let her go as Jiang Qiu requested. I’ve fulfilled my friend’s request. I’ve done right by him.”

“Regret?” Shen Cheng fell silent for a moment and sighed. “I don’t think she will.”

She thought of her own uncle.

Later, they even called her.

But every time she answered, it started with begging her for money, and if begging didn’t work, it turned into angry curses. Eventually, it became harassing insults. They cursed with such venom, not caring about her ancestors; they were only concerned about themselves.

Shen Cheng held the phone while nibbling on an apple, unconcerned. She wondered if her uncle and the others ever thought that taking her family’s house and driving her, an orphan, away was wrong, even just a little bit.

But they didn’t.

That apology, after so many years, even when they were being harassed by the doorstep debt collectors, turned into calls from small loan companies, she never received it.

In the end, Shen Cheng changed her phone number, and the world became quiet.

She even felt that her past self, who thought they might regret one day, was naive.

“Yeah,” she heard Li Weilan’s voice. “She won’t regret it. I don’t think she’ll regret it. If she does, it’s probably regretting that I didn’t die in the institute but came out alive.”

“Lan Lan, you still have me,” Shen Cheng comforted him. “Don’t be sad for unworthy people.”

Li Weilan smiled slightly. “Yeah, Cheng Cheng, luckily I have you.”

Seeing the smile on his face, Shen Cheng quietly breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn’t forcing a smile; that was good.

According to the explanation from the Research Institute, Lin Xiu dared not stay in the large base anymore, so she hid in a small base.

Li Weilan arrived there in the evening.

This small gathering place didn’t even have a wall. The accommodation area was just sections of tents, and a few large canopy cars parked on the side of the road. It seemed that some people lived in tents while others lived in the cars.

Compared to the tents with almost no protective capabilities, the cars seemed to be a relatively safer choice. The location of this small gathering place was constantly changing. Even on Shen Cheng’s map, they were marked as “mobile vendors.”

If it weren’t for the Researcher Xu who tracked their movements, they probably would have had to rely on luck to stumble upon this “mobile vendor” group. Lin Xiu was inconspicuous, truly like a needle in a haystack, completely untraceable.

This was indeed quite a safe choice.

When Li Weilan entered this small gathering place, the person in charge immediately noticed.

Approaching him, they stopped him briefly. Li Weilan’s Thunder Blade flashed slightly, and with the lightning snake darting past, they already knew that the person in front of them was an Ability User.

Possibly even a high-level one.

Such individuals were naturally not to be antagonized by vendors.

They immediately made way, and a smiling middle-aged man came forward, greeting Li Weilan, “Where are you from, and how should I address you, honored guest?”

Li Weilan calmly surveyed the base.

Low tents and people coming and going with indifferent expressions.

He didn’t rush to speak, just raised an eyebrow and lowered the blade in his hand. “Passing through. You’re mobile vendors, right? What good things do you have for trade?”

The man’s face immediately lit up with delight, and he ingratiatingly said, “My surname is Li, my nickname is Wood, you can just call me Old Li. Our main trading goods are vodka, candy, tobacco, and some things that make people happy. Would you like to inspect the goods?”

A faintly mocking smile played at the corner of Li Weilan’s lips.

However, he quickly suppressed the hint of sarcasm in his eyes and corners of his mouth, smiling as he nodded. “Let’s take a look at the goods first.”

“Sure thing.”

The vodka was vodka, amber liquid sealed tightly in bottles. The candy was fructose, which hadn’t been produced since the apocalypse, wrapped in colorful paper. The tobacco was cigarettes, also no longer in production.

These were all hard currency, not in large quantities. But the moment Li Weilan saw the vodka, a cold light flashed in his eyes. He lightly tapped the tray with his finger, almost wanting to say that he was very familiar with everything here.

It was ridiculous, how the things he had brought out back then were now being presented right in front of him.

But things had changed.

He remembered how they had slowly accumulated goods back then, and he also remembered how excited he had been when he saw those hard currencies.

Suddenly, he lost interest.

Perhaps seeing his indifferent expression, or maybe sensing that he wasn’t particularly interested in these goods, the man shook himself out of his reverie and immediately greeted the people at the tent entrance. Just as Li Weilan snapped out of his thoughts, he heard footsteps approaching the tent entrance.

It was a group of people, getting closer and closer.

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