The Glandular Biomedical Research Institute was located in the western development zone of Jincheng. As the largest glandular research institute in the country, it employed upwards of thousands of researchers and staff members. It was precisely this place that researched and manufactured the suppressants and various regulated products that were absolutely indispensable to the daily lives of contemporary Alphas and Omegas (AO).
The cold grey building stood in quiet solitude. Sitting in the passenger seat, Ming Jiao gazed out through the car window toward the distance. Occasionally, she could spot a few people dressed in the institute’s uniform leaving and returning. They resembled precision engineered robots, bustling back and forth without a trace of fatigue.
The pink Mercedes Benz G-Wagon’s license plate was registered in the security system, allowing Lin Wanshuang to drive straight through toward the parking lot without any hindrance.
She didn’t utter a single word along the way, and her expression was far from relaxed.
Ming Jiao took note of her demeanor, yet she had no idea why the other woman was so incredibly tense and solemn.
The G-Wagon came to a steady halt in a parking space, with the research institute’s main entrance just a short distance away. Lin Wanshuang seemed to snap out of her thoughts. Taking a deep breath, she turned her head to look at Ming Jiao, hooking the corners of her lips in a feigned display of ease. “Welcome to the place that understands AOs better than anywhere else in the world.”
Ming Jiao stared at her intently for a few seconds before lowering her eyes to unbuckle her seatbelt. “Eldest Miss, your smile looks terrible.”
Lin Wanshuang’s expression collapsed instantly. She glared back at her with resentment, threatening, “Just wait until we get inside the lab. I’ll chop you into pieces.”
Ming Jiao gave a smiling, compliant reply. “Yes, yes, yes. I will absolutely not resist you, Eldest Miss.”
The only response she received was a soft snort from Lin Wanshuang’s nose. “Hmph!”
The two stepped out of the car and walked straight toward the security checkpoint. Along the way, they crossed paths with groups of two or three researchers, all of whom cast astonished glances in their direction. Lin Wanshuang remained completely unperturbed, walking forward with a frosty expression, entirely unmoved by the attention.
Ming Jiao, however, discreetly took a step forward to block those prying eyes from looking at Lin Wanshuang. “Eldest Miss, why aren’t you wearing the institute uniform to work today?”
There was nothing unusual about the institute’s uniform, it was simply a standard white lab coat featuring the facility’s logo on the chest, a symbol composed of an infinity sign and a syringe.
Lin Wanshuang replied speechlessly, “There’s a changing room.”
Ming Jiao nodded and continued asking trivial, harmless questions like an inquisitive child, wanting to know about everything. If Lin Wanshuang didn’t answer, she would just keep asking. This left Lin Wanshuang with no mental space to pay attention to the glances casting over from the corners.
It wasn’t until they reached the security checkpoint that Ming Jiao fell quiet on her own accord before Lin Wanshuang could even tell her to shut up, following behind with a perfectly natural expression.
The security guard was a very amiable looking, middle-aged Beta. He presumably recognized Lin Wanshuang, looking somewhat surprised but genuinely pleased to see her. “Director Lin, you’re back from your leave.”
Lin Wanshuang pursed her lips into a smile and nodded at him. The Beta handed her inspected bag back to her and lowered his voice, saying, “The cafeteria has your favorite wasabi shrimp balls for lunch today. Remember to head over early.”
The tips of Lin Wanshuang’s ears flushed a delicate shade of crimson. Feeling rather self-conscious, she nodded. Turning around, she signaled Ming Jiao to hand over her ID card to the Beta, explaining, “This is a new experimental volunteer for our team. Please register her first, and I’ll take her to apply for an access pass in a moment.”
“Understood.”
Once the paperwork was handled, Lin Wanshuang led the way straight toward the elevator. It wasn’t until she swiped her card and the elevator doors closed, leaving just the two of them inside, that Ming Jiao smiled subtly. “Does Eldest Miss like wasabi shrimp balls that much? Even the security staff know about it.”
Lin Wanshuang knew she must have overheard. Though she felt a wave of embarrassment and annoyance in her heart, she remained perfectly calm on the surface, keeping her eyes fixed forward on the elevator doors. “You misheard.”
With her hands shoved into her pockets, Ming Jiao shrugged with a smile. “Alright, alright, let’s just say I misheard then. But usually, food in this kind of research institute cafeteria doesn’t taste great anyway. How about we head out for lunch instead? My treat for a big feast, what do you say, Eldest Miss?”
Not much.
Lin Wanshuang had no desire to go out.
The contractor for the research institute’s cafeteria belonged to a subsidiary of the Shunlin Group, meaning Lin Wanshuang’s mothers had personally selected them. The purpose wasn’t to turn a profit, but rather to ensure their daughter could eat something delicious and healthy outside of her demanding work hours.
“Didn’t you already have breakfast? Are you hungry again? We’ll talk about lunch when lunchtime comes. Right now, the most important thing is to run a checkup on your gland.” This string of high-sounding words completely shut Ming Jiao up.
However, it couldn’t suppress the rich array of expressions and the amusement dancing in Ming Jiao’s eyes. “Yes, yes, yes. Eldest Miss is entirely right.”
Amidst the playful banter, the elevator finally ground to a halt on the 8th floor. As the doors slid open, a few people were waiting outside to get in.
The two groups inside and out collided eyes. Ming Jiao took in every single expression on the faces of the people outside. She instantly detected that Lin Wanshuang, who had briefly relaxed, grew tense once more. Judging by her reflection on the elevator doors, her demeanor turned even more cold and aloof.
The crowd outside stared strangely at Lin Wanshuang before shifting their gazes to Ming Jiao behind her. Some showed blatant disgust, while others harbored dark envy, in short, not a single person wore a pleasant expression.
More striking still was Lin Wanshuang’s utter disregard for them. Treating them like thin air, she walked straight through the gap in the middle, forcing the group to step aside to both sides to clear a path for the two of them.
Ming Jiao followed quietly behind Lin Wanshuang, calmly observing her back. If the Lin Wanshuang curled up in the lazy sofa soaking up the sun this morning resembled a beautiful calico cat, then the Lin Wanshuang at this moment was the proudest swan. In her presence, anyone else could only feel inferior by comparison.
Behind them, the elevator doors closed again and resumed operation. Even though Lin Wanshuang made no visible movement ahead of her, Ming Jiao could feel that the other woman had shed a layer of rigid armor.
It seemed that beneath the swan’s exterior lay that same lazy calico cat.
Lin Wanshuang led Ming Jiao to the changing room to swap clothes. She put on the research institute’s white lab coat, while Ming Jiao changed into a patient gown that extended down to her calves. Lin Wanshuang explained that this would make the upcoming examination more convenient.
The destination Lin Wanshuang wanted to take Ming Jiao to was located at the very end of the corridor. The hallway was long and quiet. Cold white walls and sterile lights fell silently around them. The closer they drew to their destination, the more Ming Jiao’s heart tightened with nerves. She could even clearly hear the accelerating thud of her own heartbeat.
Over the past six months, she had accumulated nothing but disappointment. Journeying all the way from the distant Capital City to Jincheng, there had been moments where she had simply accepted this broken version of herself. Fortunately, fortune follows misfortune, she had encountered Lin Wanshuang and was now standing right here.
Lin Wanshuang stood with her charge at the entrance of the laboratory. Looking up, she saw an unvarying serial number: [N08].
Swiping her ID card gently against the access control panel, a green authorization light flickered on. The laboratory doors, which had been sealed away for several months, slowly slid open, accompanied by the voice of the laboratory’s intelligent assistant.
“Director Xin, welcome back. Intelligent Assistant N08 at your service.”
The lights inside the laboratory illuminated one by one, revealing sterile experimental equipment before their eyes. Even breathing felt like inhaling nothing but condensed, chilly air, the place had lacked a human presence for a long time.
The intelligent assistant’s voice continued, but the words it uttered brought a heavy silence.
“Detected a change in laboratory access authority. ‘Xin An’ confirmed deceased and has been removed from the system. Laboratory N08 is now under the full management of ‘Lin Wanshuang’.”
“Director Lin, welcome to Laboratory N08.”
“Please accept my condolences.”
The cold, mechanical female voice echoed through the laboratory, crashing heavily upon Lin Wanshuang, who had frozen at the doorway. Ming Jiao watched firsthand as Lin Wanshuang’s hands, hanging at her sides, clenched into tight fists that trembled uncontrollably.
Ming Jiao thought to herself that she finally understood where the tension Lin Wanshuang had displayed since stepping into the institute originated.
Ming Jiao had seen the name “Xin An” before, printed on some of the academic papers Lin Wanshuang occasionally left on the tables at home. She was Lin Wanshuang’s mentor.
Ming Jiao didn’t rush her. She merely stood quietly behind Lin Wanshuang, projecting a calm, silent stability that brought peace of mind, acting like a solid mountain so that even if Lin Wanshuang were to fall backward, she would catch her securely.
To Ming Jiao’s surprise, however, Lin Wanshuang did not stay silent for long. Perhaps after just a few seconds, she watched as Lin Wanshuang lifted her head once more and walked straight ahead without looking back.
“Xiao Ba, register Ming Jiao’s access authorization for the laboratory. Encrypt all physical data regarding her. No one is permitted to view or retrieve it except for me. Project confidentiality level: Top Secret.”
“Understood, Director Lin.”
Without turning her head, Lin Wanshuang walked deeper into the laboratory. “Just follow what Xiao Ba tells you to do. I’ll go prepare the items we’ll need in a moment.”
Knowing these words were meant for her, Ming Jiao nodded. Realizing the other woman couldn’t see her, she spoke up in response, “Alright.”
As soon as her voice fell, a robot reaching only up to her waist slid over to stand in front of her. It was square-shaped, resembling a trash can, with a movable display screen acting as its face. Right now, it showed a highly friendly expression, OvO.
“Hello, Miss Ming. I am Intelligent Assistant N08. You can call me Xiao Ba. This is the nickname Director Lin gave me, and I like it very much.”
“Xiao Ba, don’t do unnecessary things!” Lin Wanshuang’s voice drifted over from a distance.
Ming Jiao let out a soft chuckle and looked down at it. The human and the machine completely ignored Lin Wanshuang, focusing entirely on making friends with each other. “Hello, Xiao Ba. My name is Ming Jiao. I’m the newly arrived guinea pig. Please look after me.”
Xiao Ba: ?
“Miss Ming, your body scan data indicates that you do not belong to the class Mammalia, phylum Chordata, order Rodentia, family Muridae. You are a human being~”
Ming Jiao couldn’t help but burst into laughter with a “pfft.” The strand of platinum blonde hair sticking up on the crown of her head quivered along with her amusement. She reached out and patted Xiao Ba’s head. “Xiao Ba, you really are just as cute as Director Lin.”
“Yes, yes. Director Lin won first place in the laboratory’s cuteness poll~ OvO”
Lin Wanshuang ground her teeth. “Xiao Ba!!!”