The two laboratories were close to each other, and not far down the corridor was the lab where the merman was kept. Li Shu never expected Lu Xi to appear at the door.
First of all, how did Lu Xi get out?
To prevent experimental subjects from escaping, access to the laboratory required permissions. The lab Lu Xi stayed in, due to him being the only merfolk, had several extra layers of security added laterbon. It was much harder to open than other labs. This was also why so many people coveted the merman but couldn’t lay a hand on him.
In this base, no one could enter or leave this lab without Li Shu’s permission. Its security level was the highest in the entire base.
Li Shu quickly walked past the two stunned researchers and stood in front of Lu Xi. He checked the merman from head to toe and was relieved to see that he had no wounds on his body.
For some reason, he just knew that Lu Xi appeared here all because of him.
The merman stood upright using his powerful tail, the long tail trailing behind him. The fin was spread out, the scales arranged in an orderly manner, shining with a brilliant luster under the glaring white light.
Although he didn’t know what had happened or why the merman suddenly appeared, Qin Le’an quickly suppressed her shock and trotted to Li Shu’s side.
The two researchers were still in shock from suddenly seeing the merman and ignored Qin Le’an’s actions. It wasn’t their first time seeing the merman. When the merman was first brought to the base, as Director Jiang’s confidants, they had briefly come into contact with the merman and knew what a miraculous creature he was.
They initially thought that with their status, they should have a part in researching the merman. However, the subsequent development was completely different from their expectations. Li Shu parachuted in and took over the merman research. It became difficult for them to even get close to the merman, let alone conduct any exciting experiments on him.
At first, some people in the base could approach the merman, but later, for unknown reasons, the merman suddenly attacked them. Since then, Li Shu no longer allowed anyone to approach the merman without his permission. They prided themselves as the elders of the base and always the ones to be flattered. How could they lower themselves to go to Li Shu just to see the merman.
Yes, after that incident, Li Shu did not allow anyone to experiment with the merman without permission. He had absolute authority over that laboratory. Even if some people were dissatisfied, they didn’t dare to say anything.
Of course, it wasn’t that no one had tried to force their way in regardless of the consequences, but the result was obvious. No one dared to approach that lab anymore.
Researchers Qian and Fang weren’t fools to have reached their current positions. They only bullied newcomers without backgrounds. Even if they were bullied, they could only endure in silence. For someone like Li Shu, who was tough and seemed to have a great background, they wouldn’t easily provoke him.
This time, they acted because Director Jiang’s nephew hinted that Li Shu wouldn’t stay at the base for long. After careful consideration, they decided to strike first. They thought that if they acted quickly, they might gain the research rights to the merman. After all, it was a merman, the only one in the world. Who wouldn’t be tempted?
Over the past few months, they used their connections to investigate Li Shu’s background. They found out he was a professor at Peking University and had won several international awards. They couldn’t find out anything very accurate about his identity, and it seemed that he just came from an ordinary family., but it was enough. Just because he had won a few more awards didn’t make him exceptional. Most people at the base had several accolades. Li Shu only had the advantage of youth.
After some deliberation, they decided on a time to confront him.
They didn’t have much contact with LinShu so they didn’t know much about him or his character. Although Li Shu wasn’t the original owner, some of his personality was very similar to the original owner, for example, if he was bullied, he would definitely fight back.
Li Shu was curious about how Lu Xi managed to open the lab door. He discreetly observed and found no damage to the lab, so how did he do it?
Unlike the merfolk he knew from fairytales, Lu Xi was not soft, or the type to be easily bullied. He had a strong figure, a powerful tail and sharp claws. Just standing there, he exuded a heavy sense of oppression.
The merman’s sharp features and long seaweed-like hair that was spread out didn’t make him look feminine at all. It was a beauty with a hint of aggression that made people unconsciously captivated.
Rather than being shocked at the merman’s stunning features, Qian and Fang only felt sheer terror. The moment their eyes met those crimson ones, a shiver rose from deep within their souls, fear spread from within, and their scalp were tingling. It felt like they were being watched by a large carnivorous beast.
The feeling of not having control over their lives was unsettling. Their bodies tensed and automatically entered a high alert state, but it was useless. They knew the merman could end their lives instantly if he wished.
When life is threatened, the brain sends out high-level warnings. The two men saw that Li Shu and Qin Le’an who were standing next to the merman were unaffected, and they swallowed hard. The merman was targeting them.
They couldn’t help but recall the tragic scene after the merman’s attack. The base had repeatedly educated them on the dangers of Experimental subject S but they had always ignored the warnings, thinking it was just an experimental subject that could be tamed. Hence, they dared to seize the research rights on the merman.
Now, they regretted it. Under extreme fear, they couldn’t think straight. For example, why could the merman open the lab door when Li Shu wasn’t inside. They could only see death, limbs torn apart and blood splattering, staining the walls…
They saw their own deaths.
This was the unique attack method of the Sirens. They possessed powerful mental abilities to confuse their prey for easier hunting. However, for Sirens who enjoyed killing, they rarely used this method; they preferred the thrill of the chase.
‘These two people… there’s something wrong.’ Li Shu saw their pupils constrict rapidly and he frowned. The fear on their faces was growing more apparent and their breathing was labored. He suddenly realized this might be Lu Xi’s doing.
Qin Le’an detested these two researchers. Seeing them humiliate themselves in front of the merman, she only felt like gloating and didn’t have the slightest sympathy. She would never waste her emotions on scum.
“Xiao Qin, take these documents and sort them out.” Uncertain about the extent to which Qian and Fang had provoked Lu Xi, Li Shu decided to send the female protagonist away first.
Qin Le’an didn’t ask questions and carried the documents into the lab.
She believed the professor could handle everything.
Lu Xi was exuding cold air. The merman’s senses were very keen. He had “seen” everything that was happening beyond the wall clearly. He was angry and at the same time, blamed himself.
He never knew that Li Shu’s position here was so awkward. He only saw that the few people Li Shu often brought with him treated him respectfully but never thought about Li Shu’s situation in the larger environment.
The person he acknowledged was being casually bullied by others.
These two people deserved to die!
Worried that Lu Xi might really kill someone in this situation, Li Shu shook his arm.
When he looked at Li Shu, Lu Xi had already softened his expression, but his tightly pursed lips showed he was still unhappy.
“Don’t be afraid, I won’t let them bully you.”
Lu Xi was more than a head taller than Li Shu, and his eyes looked particularly gentle when he looked down. Li Shu was stunned for a moment. He suddenly thought of that dream, of the bright moon hanging high in the night sky, the gentle eyes like the moon that night, and his heart suddenly softened.
So he was this angry because he was worried about him being bullied?
Li Shu smiled slightly. “How do you want to deal with these two people?”
“They offended you, so they deserve to die,” Lu Xi answered without thinking.
As if to validate his words, Qian and Fang’s faces turned red, like fish out of water about to suffocate, on the brink of death.
Li Shu didn’t care whether these two lived or died, but they couldn’t be killed by Lu Xi under such circumstances. Once Lu Xi had a history of killing, it would be difficult to handle in the future.
“Lu Xi, can you spare them this once?” Li Shu placed his hand on Lu Xi’s arm, and the soft hair fell on the back of his hand. While Lu Xi wasn’t paying attention, he scooped some into his palm.
It was so soft and smooth, completely different from the texture of human hair. Immersed in the wonderful feeling, Li Shu’s eyes subtly brightened.
Pretending not to notice Li Shu’s little actions, Lu Xi’s mood obviously improved. He didn’t ask the reason and replied, “Alright.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, the two researchers, who were nearly suffocating themselves, collapsed to the ground, gasping for air.
They looked at each other, saw their disheveled state in each other’s eyes and an undeniable fear. It was the first time they had faced the threat of death. After this “unforgettable” experience, they would never dare to covet the merman again, no matter how tempting the conditions were. They had to survive to enjoy it.
Getting up with lingering fear, they didn’t dare to look in Li Shu’s direction and stumbled away. At the same time, a thought crossed their minds: demon, it was definitely a demon!
Leaving directly was good too. Li Shu didn’t want to argue with these two. Privately, he didn’t want to explain anything about Lu Xi to people.
“Lu Xi,” Li Shu sat on a chair by the petri dish, “how did you open the door?”
After entering the lab, Li Shu checked and found that no facilities had been violently damaged. This meant Lu Xi had opened the door in a legitimate way.
Lu Xi’s gaze wandered and he pursed his lips, unwilling to answer. Seeing his resistance, Li Shu’s heart softened- anyway, Lu Xi had left because he was worried that he would be bullied.
“I’ll record your fingerprints later and have Xiao Gu bring a door card,” Li Shu said, staring at Lu Xi’s fish tail. Even after seeing it countless times, he still found it mesmerizing.
The fish tail was not only a hunting weapon for Sirens but also a weapon courtship. When encountering an object of affection, the Siren would continuously display their beautiful fish tail until they captured the heart of their beloved. The more beautiful the tail, the more popular it was.
Lu Xi unconsciously waved his tail and was successfully appeased.
The dark blue tail swayed gently, creating ripples around it, and the tail fin was large and overlapping, looking extremely gorgeous.
Li Shu had never seen other Sirens’ tails, but he was inexplicably confident that Lu Xi in front of him had the most beautiful, most splendid tail in the entire ocean.
At this moment, Li Shu did not know that Lu Xi’s current actions were equivalent to courtship, and Lu Xi, who was doing this, was also unaware of what he was actually doing.
