“Explanation?” Li Shu laughed softly, but his laugh made the person speaking feel a sense of foreboding. His premonition was correct, as Li Shu quickly lost his smile.
Li Shu was an exceptionally handsome man; no one could deny that. At this moment, he suppressed all expressions on his face, and it felt like a 10,000 year old iceberg was standing before them, chilling them to the core.
This was the Professor Li that the base staff were familiar with.
He was serious, aloof, and cold. Nothing except research could catch his eye.
It was only because Li Shu had been less active recently that they had forgotten this man once single-handedly secured the research rights to the experimental subject S, snatching it from Director Jiang’s clutches. Before that incident, everyone had assumed that such a precious experimental subject would eventually fall into Director Jiang’s hands, but in the end, it was taken away by Professor Li without a word.
After that incident, Professor Li fully immersed himself in his research and his presence gradually faded from their minds. People’s memories have their limits, and as the months passed, those once-vivid memories slowly faded, buried in the corners of recollection, forgotten by most.
Jiang Tao knew that his plans had failed. Now that Li Shu was here, the premise of his argument no longer existed. He looked at the tall, poised man with a sour expression, unable to understand how this person had returned at just the right time.
But to give up on his plan so easily was something Jiang Tao couldn’t accept. How could he let such a good opportunity slip by? When they first came, the lab door was slightly ajar, revealing a glimpse of the mysterious interior. He was sure that the experimental subject S was not in the lab.
From the moment he set this trap, he had people watching the lab, and until now, he was certain that the experimental subject had neither left nor entered.
Yes, you’re here, but so what? If you can’t produce experimental subject S, you can’t escape the blame. Jiang Tao sneered, “Professor Li, someone suspects that you secretly transported experimental subject S out of the base. Shouldn’t you prove them wrong?”
It seemed this Professor Jiang was still unwilling to give up. Gu Li glanced at Li Shu worriedly. Others might not know, but she was aware that experimental subject S was indeed not in the base. Everything she had done in recent days was to mislead the people in the base. Now that the professor had returned, did S return with him?
Li Shu did not display any panic in response to Jiang Tao’s words. His expression did not even change in the slightest. He adjusted his glasses and spoke in his usual tone, “I wonder where Director Jiang heard this information. Indeed, S is not in the lab behind me. If you go in, all you’ll see is an empty room.”
He admitted it!
For a moment, everyone present felt a complicated mix of emotions. Their gazes toward Li Shu were filled with confusion, suspicion, and even regret. Even Jiang Tao hadn’t expected Li Shu to admit it so directly. A wave of immense joy washed over him, and his expression twisted as he struggled to hide his glee.
“But you…” He couldn’t wait to hear Li Shu admit it outright, but before he could finish, he was interrupted.
“Why is Director Jiang so excited? I haven’t finished speaking. S is indeed not in the lab, but he is still within this base. Weren’t you all clamoring to see him? I’ll grant your wish.”
Jiang Tao’s words got stuck in his throat and his face turned red. Hearing Li Shu’s words, he was both shocked and terrified. If S wasn’t in the lab, then where was he?
A subject as dangerous as S—if Li Shu didn’t keep him secured in the lab, could it be that he let him roam freely within the base? Remembering what had happened a few months ago, the faces of everyone present turned pale.
“Professor Li, are you saying that you released S from the lab? If he’s not in the lab, where have you placed him?” This person asked the question that was on everyone’s mind. They could no longer think of anything else; they just wanted to confirm if they were still living in a safe environment.
Even the advanced equipment in the laboratory barely managed to contain S. If he had left the lab, which part in the base could hold him?
At that moment, they all forgot why they had gathered there in the first place. They just wanted an answer from Li Shu, an answer that could put their minds at ease.
Seeing their reactions, Li Shu almost wanted to laugh. Some people in the base had been so terrified of Lu Xi that even a small rumor had them so tense.
If they could hear Li Shu’s thoughts, they would certainly disagree. Was it a small matter? That was S, someone who, if mishandled, could wipe out the entire base.
Li Shu opened the lab door. It was just as well—he could use this opportunity to resolve what needed to be resolved.
“Everyone, come in. Just as well, I have a few things to say.” With that, he walked into the laboratory first. Those people hesitated at the door, unsure if they should follow.
Finally, someone gritted their teeth and stepped in. Once one person took the lead, the rest looked at each other and followed.
Li Shu sat in the leather office chair, facing the newcomers. “I want to take this opportunity to announce two things. The first is about Director Jiang’s abuse of power for personal gain. The second is about experimental subject S. From today on, he will no longer be an experimental subject of this base.”
In just a few sentences, he conveyed news that was more important than the last. Before everyone could react to the first news, the second piece of news seized their attention.
“Professor Li, what do you mean by this? What do you mean S is no longer an experimental subject of this base? You hold all the research rights over S; there’s no need to do something like this, is there?”
“S is really valuable. I don’t think I need to remind you of that. Professor Li, aren’t you being a bit too ambitious?”
Li Shu paused for a moment before realizing why these researchers were so indignant. They thought he intended to monopolize S. They were unaware of what had happened outside the base and naturally did not consider S as an independent intelligent being. In their eyes, S had only one identity: that of an experimental subject, just like the other experimental subjects in the base, only more precious.
“It’s not what you think,” Li Shu initially wanted to explain, but something came to him, and he changed his tone. “Let’s not talk about S for now. Let’s discuss Director Jiang. Director Jiang, are you aware that what you’ve done over the years is enough to earn you a trip to the police station?”
Stealing research results, framing others, treating the base as his personal playground, privately selling the base’s research outcomes… If Li Shu hadn’t sent someone to investigate, they wouldn’t have known that Director Jiang had done so many dangerous things.
During this period, Li Shu wasn’t just dealing with matters related to Lu Xi; he hadn’t relaxed his efforts to rectify the base either. As soon as he left the base, he had someone investigate Professor Jiang, and the findings shocked him.
All the accumulated offenses didn’t even require him to find a place to deal with Director Jiang.
He hadn’t expected Director Jiang to be so bold. The evidence didn’t take much effort to obtain; Li Shu had initially thought it would take some time to get it.
But this was good. He could uproot all these hidden dangers at once, leaving him time to focus on figuring out the requirements for completing the mission of this world.
Director Jiang stood at the forefront of the group. It was an undeniable fact that he was good at maneuvering and held significant authority within the base; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to drag these experiment-obsessed researchers out of their labs. But in the end, he got caught in his own trap—what he had prepared to use against Li Shu ended up backfiring on him.
Jiang Tao’s face twitched and he refused to admit defeat. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Li Shu, you can’t just slander me like this because I brought people here today. Everyone knows what kind of person I am. I won’t admit to these accusations.”
“Yeah, Professor Li, maybe you’ve got it wrong. Wasn’t it Director Jiang who resolved the issue that came up in the base before? Maybe those things were done by that other person?”
The person speaking was referring to an incident that had occurred half a year ago, before the original owner had entered the base. Jiang Tao had schemed to drive away a rival of equal standing. His methods at the time weren’t particularly sophisticated, but strangely, all the researchers in the base had sided with him. It was unknown how he had managed that.
Hearing someone defend him, Director Jiang, who had been somewhat flustered, gradually relaxed. That’s right, with that person’s help, he would never be the one to be held responsible for these actions.
The day had been an emotional rollercoaster for him. He forced a smile and spoke with more confidence this time. “Professor Li, you shouldn’t make baseless accusations. If you’re trying to retaliate against me by throwing mud on my name, I won’t stand for it.”
“Whether it’s baseless or not, Director Jiang, you know the truth better than anyone, don’t you?” Li Shu swiveled in his chair, looking at the dozen or so researchers standing across from him. These were all individuals with significant research achievements and were the pillars of the base. Although the original owner didn’t care, these people’s accomplishments had brought considerable benefits to the Li family.
“Clear water has no fish.” Li Shu was someone who had held a high position before; he knew how to manage a group and how to manage subordinates. He had no intention of taking over this base. Once this crisis was over, he would, like the original owner, not be confined to this small world. But precisely because of this, he needed to deal with Director Jiang’s matter. The base couldn’t afford to have someone like Director Jiang.
“Li Shu!” Seeing Li Shu’s confident demeanor, the panic that Jiang had been suppressing began to take root. He raised his voice, trying to appear more formidable. “Don’t say things without evidence!”
As he said this, his words carried a hint of a threat. He didn’t believe that a researcher with no real background like Li Shu could shake such a big tree.
“Of course, I wouldn’t speak without proof. If you want evidence, I can provide it.” With that, Li Shu clapped his hands, and the sound of synchronized footsteps echoed from outside the lab.
Everyone in the room turned to look and saw a group of men in black suits walk in. The leader had long black hair loosely tied at the back, revealing a smooth forehead and sharp features.
Some people’s eyes widened in disbelief when they saw the man leading the group. Others even rubbed their eyes, thinking they might be mistaken. The resemblance was too striking.
Many in the laboratory had had close contact with experimental subject S, and even after all this time, the merman’s perfect features were still vividly etched in their memories.
This person clearly, clearly looked exactly like S!
Li Shu hadn’t expected Lu Xi to come in person. Before entering the base, he had told him to wait outside, but this worked out too. What could be more convincing than seeing it with their own eyes?
Lu Xi had already walked up to Li Shu’s side. Li Shu stood up, placed a hand on Lu Xi’s shoulder, and said calmly, “Weren’t you all asking to see S? Here he is.”
The researchers were all stunned by this revelation.
