Chapter 412 - Cloning Program
Yu Hanjiang came near the vicinity of the Twin Palaces and took advantage of the lack of people to take off the mask on his face. He changed back to the appearance of the captain of the royal guards and walked calmly toward the Twin Palaces.
According to Qu Wanyue, the guards at the door had been knocked out by someone. Yet when Yu Hanjiang arrived in front of the Twin Palaces, he found the two guards on duty standing there properly.
Yu Hanjiang asked, "What about His Highness?"
The two of them saluted respectfully while answering, "His Highness is resting in the bedroom."
Yu Hanjiang stared into their eyes and questioned in a deep voice, "Did anyone go in during the time I was away?"
The two people exchanged looks and answered with certainty. "No!"
Based on the reaction of these two men, they seemed to have no idea of what just happened.
Yu Hanjiang frowned, opened the door and quickly entered Xiao Lou's residence. He entered the bedroom and released Xiao Lou from the pocket of his military uniform. Xiao Lou changed back to his normal size and exhaled gently before he looked at Yu Hanjiang. "What do we do now? Continue to pretend we don't know or go to the emperor to ask for the reason?"
Yu Hanjiang answered, "Just pretend you don't know anything and continue to cooperate with His Majesty's script. Otherwise, once they realize that you know you are a clone and have a sense of resistance, the emperor and crown prince might just get rid of you."
Cards couldn't be used in the palace so it wouldn't be easy for him and Yu Hanjiang alone to deal with the wily emperor.
The best way was to pretend they didn't know anything.
Yu Hanjiang added, "Previously, the emperor asked you to prepare to attend tonight's birthday banquet but when it actually came, he didn't let you attend. He will definitely give you a reasonable explanation so that you continue to believe you are the true crown prince."
Xiao Lou nodded. "Yes. Then I'll wait for his explanation."
As they were talking, guards suddenly came to the corridor. "Your Highness, Major General Yu, His Majesty has asked you to see him at the White Dew Palace."
Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou glanced at each other. Xiao Lou quickly took off the military uniform and changed his clothes. Then he and Yu Hanjiang went out together toward the White Dew Palace.
The emperor asked Yu Hanjiang to stay at the entrance of White Dew Palace and summoned Xiao Lou alone.
The White Dew Palace was the place where the birthday banquet had been held tonight. At this time, all the guests had left and the place had been cleaned very thoroughly. The emperor sat in the meeting room with his hand against his forehead in a tired manner. It wasn't known what he was thinking.
Xiao Lou stepped forward and bowed. "Father."
The emperor looked up and stared at him with deep eyes.
Xiao Lou looked as usual as a trace of concern filled his eyes. "Are you feeling unwell?"
The emperor rubbed his temples. "I'm just a bit tired. Come and sit down."
Xiao Lou walked over and sat on the chair to his right hand side. The emperor, Xiao Qin took a sip of tea. "Major General Yu should've told you about the clone?"
Two days ago when Yu Hanjiang had gone to see the emperor with Xiao Lou, the emperor had asked to talk to Yu Hanjiang alone and mentioned the matter of the clone. Based on the relationship between the two, it was normal for Yu Hanjiang to tell Xiao Lou.
Xiao Lou answered honestly, "Yes."
"Isn't there anything you want to ask?" Xiao Qin put down his teacup and fixed his eyes on Xiao Lou.
Xiao Lou was silent for a few seconds before asking softly, "Father, you had him attend the birthday banquet for me. Is it because you were afraid someone would do something to me?"
Xiao Qin smiled and nodded. "You're smart."
Was this lying to a three year old child? Xiao Lou ignored the displeasure in his heart and continued his words, "Father is really thoughtful. Can you tell me who wants to kill me?"
Xiao Qin replied, "If the crown prince dies then according to the regulations, the next successor will be elected through Parliament. At present, the speaker, the marshal and the three generals are all highly respected and might benefit from it. There might even be more than one person who wants to get rid of you. I have to be extremely cautious before you take the throne."
Xiao Lou said, "In other words, if I die and you have no more heirs, the inheritance of the imperial throne will definitely be broken by me. I might rarely show up in public but the concept of 'the imperial crown prince inherits the throne' is deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. They need me to die before they can implement the next plan?"
The emperor was silent for a moment before declaring, "In fact, you once had a brother."
Xiao Lou was taken aback. "A brother? Why don't I remember?"
"He was one year older than you and he was assassinated before you were born."
Xiao Lou, "......"
There was a trace of pain in the emperor's eyes. Due to sorrow, his voice was hoarser than usual. "He was so young. He couldn't even speak but he was secretly poisoned in the palace. I could only watch him die in front of me... his body slowly became cold and stiff. He couldn't even call me Father once before he died."
Xiao Lou didn't know what to say. When speaking of the past, the emperor's sad emotions really didn't seem to be an act...
Could he believe this 'father'?
The emperor paused before continuing, "Your mother was in poor health. She had just fallen pregnant again and the death of your brother hit her too hard. She was stimulated to give birth to you prematurely. The doctor said she wouldn't be able to give birth again in the future and you became our only child. I named the place of your residence the Twin Palaces to commemorate your brother."
Xiao Lou, "......"
Did the Twin Palaces mean this?
The emperor spoke up to here and suddenly grabbed Xiao Lou's hand, his eyes filled with a father's love. "I have experienced the pain of losing a son so I want to protect you well. Over the years, it isn't that I don't want you to go out. It is just too dangerous outside. Even in the palace, there is a possibility of an assassin sneaking in. Today was your birthday party and your first public appearance. I was worried that someone would take advantage of it to enter the palace. This is why the clone attended the banquet for you."
"You mean, you wanted to use the clone to lead the snake out of the hole?"
The emperor sighed. "Yes."
"What is the result?"
The emperor smiled bitterly and shook his head. "They were very cautious. Instead of coming to the banquet, they went to the Twin Palaces. Fortunately, you and Major General Yu weren't there at the time. Otherwise, the consequences would be really unimaginable."
Xiao Lou watched the gray-haired emperor in front of him and his mood was really mixed.
The emperor's sincere attitude and sad expression today really looked like a father who was worried about his son's safety. However, Xiao Lou's sense of reason told him that things couldn't be as simple as the emperor stated.
Xiao Lou lowered his eyes. "Father, rest assured. I will protect myself and listen to your arrangements."
The emperor patted the back of Xiao Lou's hand with relief. "Go now. Major General Yu is by your side and I can rest assured that he is indeed the most loyal guard."
Xiao Lou turned to leave the White Dew Palace and saw Yu Hanjiang at the door.
The two people were connected with Heart has a Tacit Exchange of Romantic Feelings and Xiao Lou had passed on the emperor's words to Yu Hanjiang.
Yu Hanjiang didn't say much. He turned and returned to the Twin Palaces with Xiao Lou.
Once there was no one around, Yu Hanjiang wondered, "Do you believe it?"
Xiao Lou shook his head. "I don't believe it." Then he inquired, "Still, something he said does make sense. Do we know if there are any records about my dead brother?"
Yu Hanjiang suggested, "Let Mr Tang check it out."
He sent a message to Tang Ci and the other party soon responded with the result of the inquiry. "The emperor and the empress did have a child but he unfortunately died at the age of one. It was said to be due to illness. Since the emperor and the empress were very sad, the media didn't dare report about it indiscriminately. There was only a brief obituary by the official media about this matter."
Xiao Lou looked at the black and white image in the obituary. The young prince didn't even have a portrait. This was probably the unspeakable pain of the imperial family and he was never mentioned again after his death.
Today, officials and the public agreed that Xiao Lou was the only prince and heir to the throne.
Xiao Lou thought carefully about the emperor's words. "We don't know which of the emperor's words is the truth or a lie but at the very least, it should be true that the young prince was poisoned. Perhaps this is why he took his second son's cells to participate in the genetic experiment? He had already lost a son and didn't want to lose a second one."
"So he made countless copies of his child? In any case, all the clones have the same genes and are considered his sons. As long as one of his sons survives, he won't lose."
Xiao Lou, "......"
Ye Qi's guess might be correct. There were more than two Xiao Lous in this world.
Chapter 413 - Mysterious Assassin
If it was as the two of them speculated and the emperor cloned many copies of Xiao Lou, how many clones were there in the palace?
The Xiao Lou that Yu Hanjiang saw next to the emperor on that day looked very obedient and his eyes were a bit dull. Yu Hanjiang recognized instantly that he wasn't Xiao Lou. Meanwhile, the Xiao Lou attending the birthday banquet tonight was calm and polite. His words, deeds and demeanor were indeed like a noble crown prince. Were they different people?
Xiao Lou noticed Yu Hanjiang's thoughts. "The appearance and voice of the clones won't be different but the eyes and temperament are all formed after birth. It is impossible for it to be exactly the same. So the Xiao Lou you saw that day and the Xiao Lou you saw tonight are probably two people."
Yu Hanjiang frowned. "This means that there are already three Xiao Lous in the palace, including you?"
Xiao Lou was also very puzzled. The emperor was worried about experiencing the pain of 'losing a son' again and cloned many versions of Xiao Lou with the same genes. This was logically understandable. However, the relationship between father and son needed to be cultivated. Only the child raised by his side would have a bond with the emperor.
If the successfully copied cells were placed in a petri dish until they reached adulthood, such a person wouldn't be close to the emperor and wouldn't understand all types of knowledge. Wouldn't it be dangerous for him to inherit the throne?
Nevertheless, if all the clones were kept by the emperor's side then wouldn't it be a mess?
Xiao Lou thought about it and came up with a speculation. "Suppose there are three Xiao Lous in the palace. I grew up living in the Twin Palaces and on the surface, I am the 'crown prince'. The second is the obedient Xiao Lou you saw that day. He can be pushed out to block danger in an emergency. The third is the true crown prince hidden by the emperor?"
Yu Hanjiang wondered, "In other words, on important occasions like the engagement dinner and birthday banquet, the emperor will invite the true crown prince out. Then what if the emperor is careless and the true crown prince is killed?"
"So let me become the real one?"
In Xiao Lou's memory, he received a good education from a young age. The emperor personally selected teachers for him and the courses he studied included astronomy, geography, history, politics, economics, trade, military command, mecha control, etc. It covered all aspects and laid a solid foundation for succeeding the throne. There was no need to do this if one was just raising a clone.
Yu Hanjiang agreed. "The emperor put so much effort into you and always made you think of yourself as the real crown prince. This way, if the crown prince is killed, you can replace him at any time? Of course, if you are killed then the other son he raised is just as good."
Xiao Lou nodded. "This is double insurance. The emperor made me think of myself as the crown prince while also letting the other Xiao Lou think of himself as the crown prince. We all feel that we are the real one. This way, there is no need to pretend and we won't betray the emperor. If one of us has an accident, there is still the other one left. In any case, to the emperor, we are all genetically his offspring."
Then which one was the real crown prince? Or were all three Xiao Lous in the palace clones? How did the emperor distinguish it?
The more he thought about it, the more confused Xiao Lou became and the more his head started to ache. It was as if there was some dusty memory about to break out but it was blocked by something. Yu Hanjiang lightly held his hand. "If you can't think of it then don't force yourself. Let's wait and see the result of Chief Shao and Teacher Qu's investigation."
Xiao Lou stopped thinking about it and took a deep breath to ease the sharp pain in his mind. He glanced at Yu Hanjiang and spoke. "There is another problem I don't understand."
"Is it about the guards at the door of the Twin Palaces?"
Xiao Lou nodded in a puzzled manner. "Teacher Qu said she saw someone sneak into the Twin Palaces but just now when you returned, the two guards firmly declared that no one entered. Obviously, they were knocked out and didn't know what happened at the time. The guards thought I never left the Twin Palaces. So how did the emperor know that someone entered the Twin Palaces to assassinate me?"
Apart from his teammates, those who knew that Xiao Lou wasn't in the Twin Palaces could only be... the invisible person who infiltrated the Twin Palaces.
Thinking of this, Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou exchanged looks and Xiao Lou lowered his voice. "There is no need for the emperor to go to such trouble to send someone to kill me. He could just kill me directly. Moreover, he put so much effort into me. There is no reason to suddenly get rid of me."
Yu Hanjiang suggested, "There is another possibility. He has placed surveillance in the Twin Palaces."
At this point, Yu Hanjiang suddenly raised his hand.
There was an exquisite silver-white ring on his thumb that had been given to him by the emperor. The emperor had said it was a fragment of Spirit Fox that activated the S-grade smart mecha. Xiao Lou saw it and asked softly, "Spirit Fox? Does this S-grade smart mecha have the ability to monitor the entire Twin Palaces?"
"Try it."
He gently pressed against a knob on the ring and called the intelligent robot, Spirit Fox.
The next moment, the teenager-like robot came to them. Then a long silver-white tail appeared behind him that rose more than three meters high. Fortunately, the ceiling height of the Twin Palaces exceeded three meters or the tail of Spirit Fox would definitely pierce the roof.
The tail rose and split into two halves instantly, one to the left and one to the right. These formed the sharp wings of the smart mecha. The body also started to transform quickly. In the blink of an eye, a combat mecha that was five meters tall and three meters wide appeared in front of the two of them.
The entire body of the mecha was covered with silver-white high-tech synthetic metal that was shiny and smooth. It had smooth lines and the two eyes emitted a dazzling white light. A clear, juvenile voice entered their ears. "Master, the Spirit Fox intelligent body has been activated."
The smart mecha that could transform instantly made Xiao Lou and Yu Hanjiang widen their eyes.
Xiao Lou stepped forward and reached out to touch the beautiful metal wings of the mecha while asking softly, "Spirit Fox, are you monitoring the Twin Palaces?"
Spirit Fox was very honest. "Yes, Master. The entire Twin Palaces has an electronic defense network and invisible surveillance cameras which I have set up to ensure your safety at any time."
Yu Hanjiang heard this and immediately said, "Call up the video from 9 to 10 o'clock this evening."
A holographic screen appeared in front of Spirit Fox and showed a 360 degrees monitoring of the entire palace. There were no dead ends. The two of them saw that around 9:10 p.m. tonight, someone did knock out the guards at the door. The dark figure flashed into the Twin Palaces and all the way to Xiao Lou's bedroom. He opened the door and found no one inside, so he jumped out the window and escaped.
The entire process was recorded but unfortunately, only the shadow of the assassin was captured on the screen. Judging by the shadow, this person should be a male with a height of 180 cm. Why was the other party invisible? Did he have an invisibility card?
Xiao Lou watched the surveillance thoughtfully. The two guards at the door woke up at around 9:30 and looked at each other. "Why did you fall asleep?"
"I don't know..."
Looking at the door of the Twin Palaces, they found that the door was closed tightly and there didn't seem to be anything unusual. The two of them were worried about being held accountable so they insisted that nothing happened when Yu Hanjiang questioned them.
Yu Hanjiang wondered in a low voice, "Spirit Fox, did His Majesty ask you to transmit the surveillance data to him?"
Spirit Fox replied, "Yes, His Majesty can control me remotely."
Xiao Lou speculated, "It seems he knew that someone sneaked into the Twin Palaces because he can have Spirit Fox monitor the movements in the Twin Palaces at any time. Then..." Xiao Lou thought about his affection with Yu Hanjiang on the bed the night before and his ears turned red. He asked Spirit Fox, "Did you send the video of the night before yesterday?"
Spirit Fox's voice was filled with a trace of confusion. "The night before yesterday, I was dormant and nothing was recorded."
Yu Hanjiang raised an eyebrow. "You don't record in your dormant state? What if someone sneaks into the Twin Palaces while you are asleep?"
Spirit Fox explained, "Once an outsider approaches the Twin Palaces, my infrared detector will automatically sense it and immediately turn on the hidden surveillance network. If this person is someone unfavorable to His Highness, I will immediately sound the alarm."
Yu Hanjiang glanced at Xiao Lou. "It is like a dash cam. The recorder will automatically turn on when someone passes near the vehicle. However, Spirit Fox is much more advanced than that."
"After all, it is an S-grade smart mecha that can transform. Perhaps it can take us on interstellar flights?"
Spirit Fox was very confused. "Master, what are you talking about?"
"Nothing. You go to sleep." Yu Hanjiang pressed the ring and the mecha in front of him quickly changed back to the appearance of an ordinary intelligent robot, obediently retreating back.
Yu Hanjiang and Xiao Lou were ready to wash up and go to sleep.
Xiao Lou let Yu Hanjiang wash first. Yu Hanjiang went into the bathroom and turned on the shower. Xiao Lou turned to sit on the sofa. He just wanted to turn on his communicator to read the news when he noticed a cold wind blowing behind him. Xiao Lou looked back alertly. The next moment, a cold hand grabbed his neck and a low voice entered his ears, "Don't move."
A gun was placed against his back and Xiao Lou slightly stiffened.
He told Yu Hanjiang about his current situation through Heart has a Tacit Exchange of Romantic Feelings. "Someone is attacking me. I can't see him. There is no image in the mirror so he should be invisible."
In the bathroom, Yu Hanjiang turned the shower on high and pretended to be washing. In actual fact, he quickly put his clothes back on and hid behind the door, asking Xiao Lou in his mind, "Is it the assassin? Did he stay in the Twin Palaces instead of running away?"
No matter whether it was Qu Wanyue or Spirit Fox's surveillance, all they saw was that the window opened and a dark shadow went out the window...
They didn't see anyone go out. So this man had been hiding in Xiao Lou's bedroom all the time?
Chapter 414 - Repair
Meanwhile, Shao Qingge and Ye Qi followed Lu Jiuchuan's car to his residence.
Lu Jiuchuan had been worried about Tang Ci's leg injury. Today, they happened to meet the Shao Ye duo and everyone had time. Lu Jiuchuan privately asked Shao Qingge to heal Tang Ci's legs tonight and Shao Qingge readily agreed. After arriving at the villa, Lu Jiuchuan locked the door and carried Tang Ci onto the sofa.
Shao Qingge said, "Xiao Ye, use your card. Mr Tang, let me look at your legs."
Tang Ci calmly rolled up his trousers. The place below his knees was empty. They had been cut off by some kind of sharp weapon. It was really distressing to see and it was hard to imagine how this person had persevered to live.
Shao Qingge patted Ye Qi's shoulder. "Get ready and let the bugs repair the severed limbs." He added warmly toward Tang Ci, "Mr Tang, it will take about 30 minutes to regrow your legs. The healing of the bugs won't be painful but the image... it can be a bit disgusting."
Ye Qi added, "Yes, the two of you should close your eyes."
"Is it really that bad?" Lu Jiuchuan sat next to Tang Ci and gently placed an arm on Tang Ci's shoulders, joking, "Xiao Tang, close your eyes or else I'm afraid you won't be able to bear the stimulation."
Tang Ci ignored Lu Jiuchuan's joke and stared at his severed limbs without caring. "It doesn't matter. Come on."
Ye Qi asked, "Start now?"
Tang Ci nodded. "Yes."
Ye Qi took out the Bug King card and turned into the bug king. Tang Ci found that Ye Qi's eyes suddenly turned blood red, which was quite cool.
Then he gently touched Tang Ci's severed limbs with his fingers. Many bugs crawled out along Ye Qi's fingers and tightly clung to Tang Ci's severed legs. Lu Jiuchuan was disgusted by the scene and felt numb, but Tang Ci's expression was calm as he commented, "They are cute bugs."
The three people, "......"
Cute?
Lu Jiuchuan helplessly said, "I forgot he likes bugs. He also made a bunch of mechanical ants."
Shao Qingge smiled and touched his nose. "Mr Tang's preferences are really special."
Ye Qi looked very serious because he needed to focus on the treatment.
Every time the bug king treated wounds, it consumed the bugs. The consumption for a normal wound ranged between 1% to 10%. Meanwhile, Tang Ci had lost almost half his legs. In order to completely restore it, this Bug King card needed to consume around 50% of its reserves. The strength of the Bug King card was directly proportional to the number of stored bugs. From now on, the strength of this card would be halved.
Fortunately, Shao Qingge also had the Bug King card. Moreover, the transformation of the bug king lasted 24 hours and they wouldn't necessarily encounter danger during this time. It was a bargain as long as Ye Qi's card healed Tang Ci. It was because the data of S-grade secret rooms wouldn't be cleared. As long as it was cured now, Tang Ci's legs would be healthy after leaving the secret room!
Thanks to the efforts of the bugs, Tang Ci's severed legs started to slowly grow new flesh and blood...
The new flesh was tender and the skin of the calves was almost transparent under the light.
This scene was very magical. Lu Jiuchuan watched for a while before some pictures flashed in his mind and a feeling of pain struck. Lu Jiuchuan hugged his head and his voice was hoarse. "Bugs&#k2026; the bugs&#k2026;"
Shao Qingge turned to him. "What are you thinking of?"
The bug secret room was the 8 of Spades room that Xiao Lou's team had cleared. At that time, Lu Jiuchuan and Tang Ci hadn't joined the team yet, so they hadn't experienced the bug's instance. This was the first time Lu Jiuchuan had seen the scene of bugs treating wounds. The strange thing was that this scene... seemed to have been left in his memory for a long time. It was familiar.
He took a deep breath and spoke while pressing a hand against his pained temples. "Where have I seen these bugs before?"
Tang Ci was startled and observed the bugs on his legs. "I also have a small impression of them."
Shao Qingge narrowed his eyes as he thought about it. "You haven't been to the bug's secret room. The first secret room after everyone joined the team was the Diamonds World Weekly. The Bug King card was banned, so neither Ye Qi nor I have used it. According to your previous words, you haven't seen the bugs before. Since they are now present in your memories, perhaps you have seen them in this world?"
Tang Ci looked up. "Is it the Hilt No Man's Land? Does it have to do with our lost memories?"
Lu Jiuchuan knocked on his head. "It is possible. The bugs are alien creatures and we are now in the interstellar era. It doesn't seem strange to see bugs on distant planets."
Shao Qingge added, "The bugs are originally aliens and it is indeed possible to see them again in an interstellar world. However, the bugs in this world should be an upgraded version different from the ones we encountered. Otherwise, I would be able to use the Bug King card to order all the bugs to listen to my commands and have an army of millions of bugs. I don't think the keepers will be so kind."
Lu Jiuchuan also felt it was impossible for the keepers to send an army of bugs to Shao Qingge as helpers.
What were those bugs in his memories?
30 minutes soon passed. Ye Qi focused on the treatment and was sweating profusely when he finally put away the bugs. He stared at Tang Ci's legs and exclaimed excitedly, "They really grew out!"
Tang Ci's legs were completely grown and even the white toes were very distinct. Tang Ci was joyful in his heart and tried to stand up. It was just that he hadn't stood for a long time and his legs were weak. He almost fell back on the sofa.
Lu Jiuchuan hurriedly supported him, letting Tang Ci lean against his arms while reminding him in a low and gentle voice, "Be careful."
Tang Ci glanced at Ye Qi and Shao Qingge. He seemed to be holding back a certain emotion as a layer of water appeared in his eyes. "Thank you. I never thought I could... stand up again."
Ye Qi smiled and scratched his head. "Mr Tang doesn't need to thank us. It is just using a card and we should do so."
Lu Jiuchuan told Shao Qingge, "Don't be polite. If you need anything in the future then feel free to ask."
Shao Qingge nodded. "Yes. In any case, Mr Tang's legs have just grown out. We haven't used the severed limbs healing ability of the bugs before and I don't know the effect. Don't walk too much for the next two days and adapt slowly."
Lu Jiuchuan smiled. "Don't worry. I'll watch him."
Since it was very late, Shao Qingge and Ye Qi left to return to their residence.
Tang Ci had to walk a few steps to try it out but his legs trembled after only two steps. Obviously, he hadn't yet adapted to the new legs. Moreover, he walked barefoot on the marble floor, which made Lu Jiuchuan feel distressed.
Seeing Tang Ci's face turn pale, Lu Jiuchuan simply picked him up and brought him back to the bedroom, solemnly ordering, "Take a good rest. You have to adapt to your new legs. Patients who have a leg fracture have to rehabilitate slowly let alone you who hasn't walked for six months. What is the hurry? I'll walk with you tomorrow."
Tang Ci's face showed a rare shallow smile when he met Lu Jiuchuan's concerned gaze. "Brother Jiu."
Lu Jiuchuan waved his hand. "There will be no discussion."
Tang Ci's voice was very soft. "Thank you for staying with me. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have been able to hold on until now."
Lu Jiuchuan was startled. "What?"
Tang Ci got into the bed and covered his body with his quilt. "I won't say good words twice. Forget it if you didn't hear it."
Lu Jiuchuan, "......"
He really didn't hear it clearly. He only vaguely heard' thank you'. Lu Jiuchuan smiled and touched his nose. "There is no need for thanks. Since when have you treated me with such formal courtesy? Have a good rest and we'll talk about it tomorrow."
He leaned over to pull at the quilt for Tang Ci, unable to help the widening smile on his face.
It was a miracle that Tang Ci could stand up.
He would no longer have to sit in a wheelchair, pretending to calmly cover his empty trouser legs with a blanket.
The Tang Ci in front of him had straight and slender legs and walked with confidence and calmness. For six months, he had been in a wheelchair with limited mobility and even going to the bathroom was a form of torture. Thus, Tang Ci tried to reduce his meals and his entire body slimmed down. Lu Jiuchuan felt pain in his heart when he thought about this. He wanted to take this on for Tang Ci.
Now the Tang Ci who could walk was back. It was great.
Lu Jiuchuan sat by the bed and looked at the pale person lying on the bed. He secretly swore in his heart that this time, he would protect Xiao Tang and never again let him suffer any grievances.
***
Shao Qingge and Ye Qi arrived home and turned on their communicator. There was indeed a message left by Tang Ci.
The two of them had rushed to attend the crown prince's birthday banquet and missed this special message. Fortunately, the 'Xiao Lou' in the palace didn't do anything against them. Shao Qingge and Ye Qi weren't affected by the clone.
Ye Qi was tired from the day. He changed out of his military uniform and went to take a bath. Meanwhile, Shao Qingge went to the study and opened his communicator.
His father had already passed away and handed the Noah Medical Technology company to Shao Qingge. At that same time, he handed Shao Qingge a key to activate the safety deposit box of the Shao family in the bank.
It was an induction ring that had been locked in a cabinet of the study by Shao Qingge.
After entering the study, he thought of it and immediately opened the lock with his fingerprint. He saw the blue ring quietly lying there.
He took out the ring and put it on, remembering that it was given to him by his father before his father's death. Many wealthy people would rent a safe at the bank to store gold or cash for emergencies. This type of safe required a special token to open. What would be in his father's safety deposit box? It wouldn't be a sum of money, right?
Could it be related to the Noah's Ark project?
Shao Qingge frowned. He opened the management system of the medical company and entered his identity and password. Currently, he was the most powerful person in the company with the highest system authority.
He checked the company's investment projects over the years and found the Noah's Ark project 20 years ago.
After opening the project plan, Shao Qingge read it carefully and found several suspicious points.
First, this project was about the Noah's Ark Restart Plan. The restart meant there had been a Noah's Ark plan before. When was the first time? What did they study?
Second, if the investment amount was converted into yuan then it would be as high as 3 billion yuan. The plan for such an important project didn't list any details, including the direction of funds, the cost budget, the profit distribution, etc. The plan was too brief. It only said 'the gene project will benefit humanity'. It was a false slogan without any core content.
An investment of 3 billion would definitely require discussion and approval from the board of directors. Obviously, this top secret plan was approved by the senior executives of the board of directors at that time. They also knew that there were too many medical ethics issues involved in this matter so they didn't dare make it public. They deliberately made the plan vague.
Shao Qingge glanced at the information. The plan had his father's signature. In addition, there was information about some cooperative scientists. Among them was a well-known professor from the Imperial Academy of Sciences... Zhang Shaohua?
Wasn't this Lin Yan's mother?
Shao Qingge narrowed his eyes and copied the information, intending to send it to Xiao Lou tomorrow.
In addition, the ring for the safe must be an important clue. Once the bank opened tomorrow, he would go there first and open the safe left by his father.