Chapter 1345
Chapter 1345 - 1331 Big Cat’s Goal
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9 min read
"Chris, are you feeling a bit off?"
After entering the city, Lu Ping’an had felt that Big Cat was becoming increasingly strange.
She suddenly brought up the matter of her descendants, whereas before, unless it was a critical moment, her attitude had been one of complete disengagement; now, she was actually initiating the transfer of her "inheritance" to Lu Ping’an, and even started talking more.
This was like a miser who would even skimp on coffin money suddenly becoming generous, which was puzzling... and more so, there was worry that she might be plotting something.
"...I’m just revisiting old places, and I’m a bit excited."
"Have you forgotten that when your ’emotions’ are too intense, they can be conveyed to me? You’ve become ’excited’ more times in the past two days than in the entirety of last year."
"I... I will think about it."
Chris knew she might not be able to hide it any longer; some things, if they were truly to be successful, couldn’t be achieved without Lu Ping’an’s support.
Eventually, she let it out.
"There’s a password-protected chamber in the sub-level of the lab. You’ll know once you go inside..."
Having entrusted her fate to Lu Ping’an, she returned to her silence.
But the "emotions" coming from the link clearly showed that this was a rare moment of her losing emotional control, unable to keep her composure any longer.
Lu Ping’an was curious, but the faint sense of "fear and unease" coming from her... made him even less rushed; he patiently chatted with the "senior brothers," also enjoying the increasingly outrageous emotions from a certain cat.
"Lu Ping’an, you’re really inhuman..."
"...Yo, are you sure you want to offend me at a time like this?"
"You, you guessed it..."
"I hadn’t before, but now I’m sure."
With just a bluff, Lu Ping’an got what he wanted, and that made him even less in a hurry.
Meanwhile, the projects that the "senior brothers" presented were indeed worth taking seriously.
As time progressed, so too did the opportunities and changes it brought. Wanjing University, as a top-tier academic organization with intricate connections to the Eastern Country government, represented on some level the entire nation’s technological progress.
With the advancement of the era, they had a new historical mission... This time, it was not an overstatement or metaphor; as a front-line research institute domestically, their research missions were quite heavy.
Not only did they have their own projects, but also various temporary tasks urgently reallocated... Considering the research lab’s projects, if they couldn’t complete the "Strategy Guide for XX Life forms" on time, the losses would be astronomical.
Unlink a certain timeline, not only did each district have severe autonomy here, but even the central authority was most effective around the core; it was quite natural for local governments to support their local universities, especially in matters related to supernatural events.
Perhaps it was not a most profitable trade, but for the sake of the future and the long-term, it was a rigid expenditure that had to be made regularly... that is the new era’s research institutions, also serving as a reserve for mid-to-high-level combat power and backup for potential leaders.
"Dr. Zhang Hui is incredibly brilliant; so young and yet already owning an A3-level lab, with seven A-level research projects and eleven B-level projects under her each year. The most impressive thing is the two A3-level projects that only she can initiate personally, which have been directly included as sub-projects of the national key projects of 1999..."
The more he listened, the more something felt off to Lu Ping’an.
He looked at the animated doctoral students talking and subconsciously murmured.
"This, being taken pride in... they couldn’t have been mind-controlled, could they..."
At least, at this point in time, the word wasn’t that popular, but someone understood it.
"How is it mind control? Here, I am the top biological researcher in the industry, and my results in the field of Protection against dangerous life forms still stand at a textbook level..."
Big Cat understood and, faced with Lu Ping’an’s disdain, she was truly a bit anxious today.
But listening to her explanation, coupled with the ongoing commentary from senior brother, Lu Ping’an had also more or less understood what had happened back then.
It might not be the Pharmacist who is the most adept at detoxification, but rather the poisoner. As the infamously known "Dangerous Life" creator of this world, when it comes to protecting against hazardous artificial life forms, mutant creatures, and life from the Foreign Domain, "Disaster Beast" Kerdalais was top-tier in the entire world.
About ten years ago, she infiltrated this university under the guise of a human Scholar and, through a regular academic research process, secured her current position.
"...My main purpose at the time was actually to learn, to learn the rapidly advancing biotechnology of this world. Cloning technology was being aggressively developed during those years, as well as new interpretations of pan-evolutionary theory. Later, I found that it was much easier to achieve results here than at my own Church, so I worked hard at it..."
It was too real for Lu Ping’an to scoff at.
But then again, how could a homespun lab in the middle of nowhere with limited resources from that cult compare to a top-notch laboratory supported by a national university?
"...I conducted the technical proof of my Ascension here, by just making minor adjustments and being careful with research materials, they wouldn’t be suspicious of my findings..."
Chris demonstrated a certain flexibility that a researcher has on some levels. In fact, experimental materials obtained through some unscrupulous means could not compare to the clean, cultured experimental animals in the lab. The only downside to cultivated animals was probably that they were more expensive.
Getting funded by the state, researching topics of personal interest, having diligent apprentices who are striving for their degrees, and if something was needed, it was possible to apply to other national laboratories... This was much more promising than conducting dangerous sacrifices.
Lu Ping’an opened his mouth, unsure of how to describe the situation. Heaven knows how many of the proud doctoral projects had another version, how many of them hid Big Cat’s selfish motives.
"All of it... Look at this Pollution Biological Scouting Radar; I have all the versions. The latest model used the feature codes I wrote, and it’s very sensitive, especially to various Evil Gods, Quasi-God Creations... except for my own Creations."
"See that emergency oral dewormer, that’s good stuff. It’s especially effective against certain coded insect Demons... It was with this that I took down the faction of the insect-faced Quasi-God competing against me, hah..."
The more Lu Ping’an looked, the more embarrassed he felt. Senior brother was brimming with pride, speaking as if "Although I didn’t make money or graduate, I contributed to humanity"... Meanwhile, Big Cat was muttering the dark truths behind these items, which were either for her personal use or could be slightly modified to become extremely potent weapons.
"...You, how could you be so reckless, and no one found out? Isn’t this city full of Strongmen?"
"Of course not, I was discovered as soon as I presented a result."
"Uh, then how did you..."
"If you discovered that an Quasi-God level Evil God had settled in the Ancient City, would you trouble yourself to confront it?"
Alright, I wouldn’t. Who would seek trouble and provoke a nuclear warhead for no reason?
The biggest trouble was if a fight started, both sides might be unharmed, but the city would definitely suffer, and this caliber of being is difficult to kill. Expelling them would only lead to them returning for revenge before long. From a cost and efficiency standpoint, it was truly better to pretend to be ignorant and maintain a peaceful coexistence.
"So you just settled down here..."
"Not exactly. It’s just they pretend not to know who I am, and I pretend they don’t know I’m me... Occasionally, I also receive some projects, the kind that are a bit over the line, but the payoff is substantial. Isn’t this a case of mutual needs, pleasant cooperation?"
Lu Ping’an fell silent. The truth was harder to deny than imagined. The benefits an Exotic Realm Quasi-God from the Biological Department could offer were indeed too great. As long as she researched earnestly here, it was indeed much more cost-effective than forcibly ’defusing a bomb’.
By being openly monitored, it actually made people feel more at ease.
In that moment, Lu Ping’an also realized that if Big Cat’s presence here was semi-public, then inheriting certain things from this place would likely entail embracing the identity of "Big Cat’s successor", which was bound to bring additional turmoil.
"...I hope, your so-called legacy is truly worth the risk I’m taking..."
Walking alone towards the passageway below the office, through a webbed gate and a door made of gray Biomatter, Lu Ping’an had finally arrived at the laboratory’s restricted area.
And just as he opened this secret door, Lu Ping’an knew why Big Cat had been so excited.
It was a large cultivation tank, within which a "human’s" upper body was floating. She seemed both dead and alive, and while Lu Ping’an could hear her heartbeat, he could not sense her breath.
But the face, he knew all too well...
"...Chris, she looks exactly like you. Is she your other half? Or a bargaining chip for your Revival?!"
— End of Chapter 1345 —