According to Xiao Ba, Laboratory N08 was a mid-sized facility within the research institute. It was one of the many labs managed under Professor Xin Lean, but the equipment inside was the newest and finest in the entire institute, all because Lin Wanshuang was here.
The Shunlin Group was the largest investor in the GBRI. The funding they pumped into the institute each year was more than three times the amount allocated by the judicial council. Precisely because of this, Lin Wanshuang held a highly unique status within the institute.
Director Xin didn’t just have Lin Wanshuang under him as a senior researcher, but she was the only one who had completely taken over a mid-sized laboratory from his hands. She had even been promoted because of it, leaping straight to the rank of Director, though, for the time being, she was a commander without an army.
Still, the promotion came with perks. At the very least, Lin Wanshuang could launch her own independent projects and keep their progress completely under wraps.
Ming Jiao listened quietly to Xiao Ba’s introduction while her gaze swept across the meticulously arranged laboratory equipment on the counters. In this massive lab, Lin Wanshuang was entirely alone. Her mentor’s legacy had left her thoroughly isolated from everyone else.
So, on the way here today, those less-than friendly glances hadn’t been a figment of Ming Jiao’s imagination. Those people were freezing Lin Wanshuang out, and they were envying her.
“Hey, don’t make that kind of face.” Lin Wanshuang leaned against the counter, arms crossed, looking at Ming Jiao with a flat expression.
Ming Jiao looked up, her eyes falling on Lin Wanshuang’s arms. Another defensive posture.
“Just take whatever Xiao Ba says with a grain of salt. An artificial intelligence can’t fully comprehend human thinking. It was entirely right for Teacher to leave this lab to me. As for those people outside, they can go to hell for all I care.”
Lin Wanshuang didn’t care about being isolated. The opinions of those people weren’t worth her time at all. All her hesitation and tension upon stepping back into this place today were solely because of her teacher; the opinions of others couldn’t sway her by even a ten-thousandth of a percent.
Ming Jiao’s expression gradually shifted from dissatisfaction to admiration. “Miss Lin, you really are an incredible person.”
Lin Wanshuang curled her lips in satisfaction, letting her arms drop naturally to her sides. “Congratulations, Ming Jiao. Aside from your gland atrophy, your body is completely free of disease. You’re perfectly healthy.” A body as healthy and strong as an ox is perfect for experiments.
“So next, I need to extract a bit of your pheromones and perform a biopsy on your gland. Are you ready?”
Ming Jiao raised an eyebrow. Before she could answer, the laboratory door swiped open, and a figure clad in a white lab coat appeared in the doorway, silhouetted against the light.
The voice arrived before the person did, but it carried an undeniable wave of exhaustion and spiritual death, commonly known as the “I hate my job so much. I want to die” voice.
“Little sister, so you finally remembered how to come back. Why didn’t you just wait until the higher-ups shut down this lab of yours before showing your face?”
As the figure walked straight in, Xiao Ba was the first to react. The AI’s display screen instantly filled with star struck eyes that Ming Jiao had never seen before.
“Dr. Qiao! Long time no see! How are you?! I missed you so much!”
The Beta’s coffee-colored hair was loosely pinned back with a pen, and her bangs were casually clipped away from her forehead using a pen cap. Beneath her narrow, rimless glasses was a beautiful pair of peach-blossom eyes, though heavily shadowed by prominent dark circles. Her lab coat covered a black turtleneck and wrinkled dress pants, making her look like the literal embodiment of a corporate slave.
Xiao Ba’s slightly excited confession seemed to bring the Beta’s overall aura back to life. She leaned down to press a kiss to the top of Xiao Ba’s chassis and smiled, her lips curving up. “Xiao Ba, congratulations on seeing the light of day again. I missed you very much, too.”
Xiao Ba: ?
The newcomer was clearly an old acquaintance of Lin Wanshuang’s. Lin Wanshuang beckoned Ming Jiao over with a finger, not giving the newcomer a single glance as she said expressionlessly, “Qiao Yi, stop hitting on my intelligent assistant.”
“What a boring Omega,” Qiao Yi said, walking over unhurriedly while sizing up Ming Jiao, who was standing behind Lin Wanshuang. “Is this your fiancée?”
Ming Jiao held three different identities under Lin Wanshuang, with different explanations tailored for different people. Obviously, when facing the research institute, her identity was supposed to be just a lab volunteer, but the person in front of her seemed to have a rather different pipeline of information.
Ming Jiao didn’t open her mouth. She just quietly followed her employer, subtly observing Lin Wanshuang’s state.
Calm, casual, and even a bit exasperated.
It seemed this Beta was different from the researchers who were freezing Lin Wanshuang out.
Qiao Yi didn’t care whether Lin Wanshuang answered or not, guessing away on her own. “They say she’s your fiancée, but now you’ve brought her to the lab as a volunteer. You didn’t tie down your lifelong happiness just for the sake of an experimental project, did you?”
Lin Wanshuang rolled her eyes at her. “Why do you talk so much? If you have nothing to do, come give me a hand.”
Qiao Yi stepped forward to take the instruments from Lin Wanshuang’s hands, expertly injecting a local anesthetic into Ming Jiao’s gland.
“A biopsy and a pheromone collection? You still haven’t given up on Director Xin’s.”
“Qiao Yi!” Lin Wanshuang cut her off before she could finish.
“Alright, fine, I’ll shut up.”
The two women stopped talking. As Ming Jiao stood there quietly, she began to ponder Qiao Yi’s words. Director Xin’s what? Project? Experiment?
She knew Lin Wanshuang had her own selfish motives when she signed the contract with her, otherwise, there was absolutely no reason for the other woman to take on a mess like her. At first, she thought Lin Wanshuang just wanted to conquer GHS, but now it seemed things weren’t that simple.
Perhaps her illness had given Lin Wanshuang new inspiration for another research project altogether.
Ming Jiao didn’t mind, nor did she care to investigate. Her relationship with Lin Wanshuang was purely a professional partnership written in black and white. As long as Lin Wanshuang had no intention of harming her, the other woman’s true purpose had nothing to do with her.
Once she reasoned through this, Ming Jiao found the whole thing rather dull. She let herself be handled by the two of them like a puppet, and was then ushered out of the testing area by Xiao Ba.
“Ming Jiao, let me continue showing you the different zones of the lab! We just left off at the office area!”
“No need. Just find me a place to rest for a bit.” Ming Jiao curled the corners of her lips slightly, appearing much more polite and quiet.
Xiao Ba blinked its digital eyes, its display screen showing a bit of confusion, but it dutifully led Ming Jiao to a resting area anyway.
Standing back in the testing area, Qiao Yi watched Ming Jiao’s departing figure thoughtfully. She casually picked up the report Lin Wanshuang had generated earlier, and her eyes immediately caught Ming Jiao’s rank.
“An E-rank?!” Qiao Yi raised an eyebrow in surprise as she looked at Lin Wanshuang. “You really made quite a sacrifice for this experiment.”
Lin Wanshuang shot her a sidelong glance. “Has work driven you completely insane?”
Tossing the report back down, Qiao Yi rested her chin on her hand, gazing at Lin Wanshuang. “Insane or not, your little fiancée seems a bit unhappy.”
“Experimental volunteer, thank you.” Lin Wanshuang put down the items in her hands, peeling off her gloves as she turned to face Qiao Yi. “What did you come to see me for?”
Qiao Yi’s expression turned serious. “Director Lan has taken over most of your teacher’s projects and personnel. You didn’t think she would just let you occupy the best lab all for yourself without a fight, did you?”
“The lab access permissions have already been transferred to me. No one can revoke them except the Director-General. Even if she’s unhappy, she’ll just have to suck it up.”
Qiao Yi countered, “She’s been at this institute longer than your teacher was. Aside from the Director-General, she holds the most seniority and is practically the second in command. If she orders you to do a few trivial, annoying tasks just to delay your progress, it’ll be a walk in the park for her.”
Lin Wanshuang frowned. She had always loathed the institute’s unwritten rule of prioritizing seniority above all else. “Whatever. If it’s something I can do, I’ll do it. If not, I’ll decline.”
“Aren’t you a naive little sister? Aside from giving you a heads-up, I came to tell you that Director Lan wants you to go see her after lunch. She has a favor to ask. You can see for yourself then whether you can decline or not. But for this first time, I suggest you accept it. Don’t give her a reason to hold a grudge against you.”
“Understood.”
The young heiress let out a long sigh, tilting her head slightly to look up at the ceiling.
So annoying. I really just want to go home and keep vacationing.