The Green Tea is Always Targeting The Wrong Person (GREENTEA)
Everyone was busy, while Yue Chu idly returned to the laboratory and continued to coax... or rather, to listen to Little Ball's secrets.
However, when he entered the storage room, he noticed that Little Ball seemed somewhat dull in color, and the floating red gauze appeared listless while drifting slowly and lifelessly.
He couldn't help but poke it twice.
Asleep? Why was there no sound?
Just as he was puzzled, Little Ball suddenly brightened up while seemingly startled upon seeing him, and rolled to the corner with a gurgling sound.
【……】
Yue Chu stretched out his hand to pull it back before holding it in his palm.
What was going on today? It was unusually silent.
Unfortunately, Little Ball had no face and made it impossible to judge its thoughts from its expression. Yue Chu felt a bit regretful.
"Do you know what happened today? An experimental subject actually escaped and killed two researchers."
【……】
Still no reaction.
He raised an eyebrow in disbelief.
What was wrong with the chatterbox Little Ball today?
"Logically, this shouldn't have happened. I asked Dr. Jiang, and he said the recorded data showed no issues at all, yet the mutation occurred so abruptly."
【……】
Yue Chu narrowed his eyes slightly as the smile on his face turned dangerous.
Did Little Ball take the wrong medicine? It suddenly turned mute.
He pressed his fingertip against the top of Little Ball and gave it a sharp push that made it spin rapidly, as a malicious smile curled his lips.
Not talking? Then spin a few more times.
【……】
【So sweet...】
Yue Chu was startled.
What was sweet?
It was then he noticed the candy on the table had disappeared.
He chuckled softly.
Little Ball was clearly playing hard to get by pretending not to care while secretly sneaking a bite.
【So gentle.】
Gentle? What did that mean?
Yue Chu stared at Little Ball while feeling that its state today was off, as if it were drunk and speaking in strange ways.
But it had been locked in the lab all day, and no one else would come in except him. How could such a strange mood suddenly appear?
However, Little Ball's dreamy tone soon turned cold and harsh.
【I won't be fooled.】
【Central air conditioning!】
Yue Chu blinked and barely held back his laughter to avoid revealing the secret that he could hear its words.
It was fine just a moment ago, but now it's suddenly angry. This Little Ball is so unpredictable.
Moreover, it didn't even know what sweetness tasted like, yet it knew about central air conditioning.
He wondered if it simply meant the air conditioner or if there was a deeper meaning.
But Little Ball was so naive that it probably didn't know the other implication.
Yue Chu sighed softly and continued to probe, "There's a meeting later. Jiang Quan is probably in for it. Others might be fine, but Lan Yao's scolding will definitely feel like needles to him."
【……】
【Serves him right.】
【Idiot.】
Yue Chu was speechless and wanted to facepalm.
Well, today probably wasn't the day to communicate with Little Ball.
This guy seemed to have been stimulated by something as it was spouting nonsense all the time.
But before leaving, Yue Chu didn't forget to take a small revenge.
He gave Little Ball a hard twist then made it spin rapidly before he leisurely turned and walked away.
Only after he left did Little Ball suddenly stop spinning with the red gauze inside flickering like twinkling stars.
【Liar.】
【Blue Star people, so hypocritical.】
【I won't be fooled.】
...........
Meeting Room
Lan Yao's expression was as cold as frost, and the chilling aura emanating from him made the conference room feel like it was covered in a layer of ice that caused everyone to shiver uncontrollably.
His amber eyes were sharp and carrying a predatory aggression as they swept over each person in the room.
Everyone had reported that everything was normal, yet within this so-called "normalcy," such a severe accident had occurred at the research institute.
Lan Yao's dark gaze finally settled on Jiang Quan while filled with dissatisfaction and displeasure, making Jiang Quan unable to bear it and lowering his head in embarrassment.
Lan Yao spoke in a deep voice, "Dr. Jiang, you'd better give me an explanation."
Jiang Quan didn't avoid the issue either.
He stood up and explained the results of his investigation over this period. However, countless research conclusions all indicated that this was just an accident.
In the blink of an eye, the virus had suddenly mutated that ultimately led to the accident.
Lan Yao's brows furrowed tightly with his anger palpable as he was completely unable to accept such a perfunctory explanation.
"Is this the result you're giving me?"
Jiang Quan pressed his pale lips together while gripping the pen in his hand so tightly that the tip pierced his palm without him even noticing.
His voice carried a weak sense of helplessness, "I'm sorry..."
Lan Yao's eyes were icy, "I don't want your apologies, I want your explanation! Who can take responsibility for such a major incident? Since you can't handle this project, then don't manage it anymore!"
Jiang Quan's heart sank to the bottom, feeling as if he had returned to that cold winter day when his mother had heartlessly abandoned him on a bustling street. Even though there were so many people around, there wasn't a single one he could rely on.
In the vast world, only loneliness remained.
Later, he met Lan Yao and thought he had found a home and family again.
Even though he had long sensed something was wrong, he buried his head in the sand like an ostrich because he was unwilling to see or hear anything while thinking he could pretend to be happy.
But happiness can't be faked, and that thin layer of pretense can easily be torn apart.
Lan Yao was completely unaware of the torment in his heart as he lightly tap the sapphire-blue pen in his hand twice before making up his mind.
He had long been dissatisfied with Jiang Quan's progress but hadn't found a suitable replacement until now.
Lan Yao's cold gaze subtly swept over Yue Chu.
Now that Yue Chu was here, Jiang Quan had become redundant.
Yue Chu's ideas aligned more with his requirements, but he was still inexperienced and would be overshadowed by Jiang Quan for a long time and unable to fully take control of the laboratory. This meant Yue Chu's research couldn't progress faster.
Lan Yao couldn't wait any longer; he was too eager to unlock the value of the Luster Virus.
In his eyes, this accident wasn't entirely a bad thing.
If handled properly, it could be used to remove Jiang Quan from his position.
However, since Jiang Quan was someone he had watched grow up, Lan Yao would arrange a deputy position for him and allow him to assist Yue Chu.
This way, Yue Chu would be like a tiger with wings and naturally able to bring greater value.
The cold white light shone on Lan Yao's handsome, marble-like face that made him look like a heartless monarch cruelly deciding the fate of every pawn.
Jiang Quan understood the meaning in those eyes and forced a bitter smile but did make further resistance.
After all, his life had been saved by Uncle Lan; what reason did he have to complain?
He lowered his shoulders and awaited the final verdict.
Yue Chu's eyes flickered slightly.
This Lan Yao was indeed the ultimate boss, ruthless and merciless.
He couldn't allow Jiang Quan to withdraw, so he had naturally prepared in advance.
Yue Chu stood up, then picked up the remote control on the table, and turned on the projection screen after connecting his USB drive to the computer.
With a gentle gaze, he faced Lan Yao without arrogance or subservience: "Director Lan, Dr. Jiang is indeed involved in this incident, but I believe it is inappropriate to place all the blame on him alone."
"As the first person on the scene, the severity of the accident shocked me. To ensure everyone's safety and to prevent such issues from recurring, I conducted a small investigation."
"Dr. Jiang's negligence lies in his relaxation of vigilance and overlooking the potential risks of this unknown virus. However, this is only an indirect cause, and one might even argue it's not a cause at all. This virus is mysterious and bizarre; no one could have understood all its properties in the early stages of the experiment."
"As for the direct cause..."
Yue Chu's gaze calmly turned to someone else sitting in the meeting room: "Researcher Zhang, where were you between 8:30 and 9:30?"
The named Researcher Zhang was drenched in sweat and trembling as he stood up, but couldn't utter a word.
Yue Chu didn't need his answer.
He directly played the video, which showed the surveillance footage.
The footage revealed that Researcher Zhang, who was supposed to be monitoring the experimental subject, had left his post. Only the assistant, Xiao Fang, remained in the laboratory.
Xiao Fang, who had just arrived, was still unfamiliar with the situation and naturally missed the data changes during the virus mutation.
The experimental subject went berserk and attacked him first. Meanwhile, Researcher Zhang was squatting in the restroom while playing on his phone and completely unaware of the disaster unfolding.
During the subsequent investigation, he deliberately concealed the truth and claimed that the experimental subject had attacked Xiao Fang first, which gave him a chance to escape in the chaos.
Jiang Quan, the bookworm, was solely focused on the research data and never considered this angle. Lan Yao, who knew the truth, secretly suppressed Lan Yi's report and firmly placed the blame on Jiang Quan.
Lan Yao's deep gaze fell on Yue Chu.
He had thought his plan was foolproof but he hadn't anticipated Yue Chu's reaction.
His well-laid plans were disrupted, and he should have been angry. Yet, seeing Yue Chu's gentle yet resolute demeanor while standing up for Jiang Quan with principles and determination, all he felt was a sense of helplessness.
Fine, if Yue Chu wanted Jiang Quan to stay, then he would stay.
However...
A thoughtful glint appeared in Lan Yao's eyes.
He had clearly ordered Lan Yi to destroy the surveillance footage, so how did it end up in Yue Chu's hands?
Standing outside the door, Lan Yi gently placed a pure white handkerchief over his face before inhaling the faint fragrance. His brown eyes reflected a hint of blood-red, as if glowing.
When such a beauty personally came to ask for it, how could he refuse?
After finishing his explanation, Yue Chu looked at Lan Yao, "Director Lan, what do you think?"
Lan Yao expressionlessly returned his gaze, but the eyes looking back at him were as soft as the wind and as clear as water, unshaken by the icy coldness. Instead, the ice met warmth and could only melt away helplessly.
"Since Professor Yue has already uncovered the truth, we will proceed according to the standard procedures. From now on, Researcher Zhang will be dismissed, and we will provide the necessary information to the police for further legal action. As for Dr. Jiang, he will be penalized with a year's salary deduction, hoping that he will be more meticulous and cautious in the future."
Yue Chu was satisfied.
As he passed by Jiang Quan, he gently patted his shoulder to signal that he could speak.
Jiang Quan trembled slightly.
The spot where he was touched felt as if it had grown grass, causing an itch in his heart that he couldn't soothe.
He placed the pen on the table with its sharp tip still bearing faint traces of blood.
Jiang Quan wasn't foolish.
How could he not have thought of Lan Yao's ruthlessness? In Uncle Lan's eyes, he was probably just a useful pawn, one that could be discarded at any moment if problems arose.
The fragile facade was mercilessly torn apart that revealed the bloody truth and made him feel as if he were kneeling in a frozen wasteland while chilled to the bone.
Perhaps only someone as gentle and strong as Yue Chu would be so considerate and thoughtful of others.
He raised his head and, his voice as clear and cold as the chime of jade: "Professor Yue discovered that the mutated virus is contagious and entering the human body through the bite wounds of the experimental subjects that continuously infect cells."
"The injured researchers have all been isolated while showing varying symptoms of the disease, and need to be observed."
Yue Chu was momentarily stunned before glancing at Jiang Quan, who coldly avoided his gaze.
This fool, too honest for his own good.
Lan Yao's gaze sharpened.
This was indeed not a piece of good news.
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