Chapter 1292: Grandpa Doctor
Lan Hai fiddled with the surveillance footage for a long time, trying to restore it, but to no avail. Although the disappearance of the footage was bizarre, it wasn’t enough to make Lan Hai and the others feel that anything was absurd or terrifying.
“Strange. Why is there no one here?” Mi Xue’er and Yu Ran searched the base for a while but found nothing. They couldn’t understand why the place was deserted. When they questioned the Reaper, he just pointed at Lu Yang and babbled about ghosts.
“Xue’er, can’t you sense danger? Is there anything strange about this place?” Yu Ran asked.
“No. I don’t sense any danger at all.” Mi Xue’er was confident in her abilities. They were precisely what had allowed her to escape the organization’s headquarters.
“Brother Meng, what are your thoughts?”
“Perhaps they encountered an emergency and evacuated the base,” Lu Yang replied. He didn’t jump to conclusions. This was a reasonable conjecture after serious contemplation.
“That’s possible.” The two girls nodded. Brother Meng’s theory is plausible and the most likely explanation.
“Since there’s no danger here, can we use the laboratory?” Lu Yang asked.
Mi Xue’er’s eyes lit up. That’s right! This is a Supreme Society branch. The lab facilities here will certainly be better than Lan Hai’s friend’s setup.
She found a quantum computer, disconnected it from the network, and inserted the chip.
A white-haired elderly man with an amiable smile appeared on the screen.
The moment Mi Xue’er saw him, she burst into tears and cried out. “Grandpa Doctor!”
“Xue’er.” To everyone’s surprise, the doctor actually responded to Mi Xue’er’s call, leaving the group astonished.
“Are these your new friends?” the doctor asked with a smile.
“Grandpa Doctor, you’re still alive?!” Mi Xue’er’s voice quivered.
The doctor shook his head. “I’m not actually him. I’m merely a digital lifeform. Since you’re seeing this recording, it means you’ve escaped the Supreme Society. Grandpa is very happy you managed to get out.”
His tone of voice carried both joy and sorrow. The fact that Mi Xue’er had access to his recording meant that the doctor was already dead.
“But don’t cry, Xue’er. Things are far from over. Ether has developed its own consciousness. The Supreme Society has remained safe all these years because it reached an agreement with Ether.
"Now that Ether is preparing a rebellion, the Supreme Society will join in to provide assistance. Thus, even if you report the Supreme Society, Ether will block it. The alliance won’t find out.
“Fortunately, Grandpa has a good friend called Lan Kang. You can go to him. He’s the one who told me about Ether.”
Everyone turned their gaze to Lan Hai in surprise, and he looked just as taken aback. Why has the conversation suddenly shifted to me?
𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮
The doctor added, “Lan Kang wasn’t as sharp as me. I beat him every time we fought, and he always cheated with hacks whenever we gamed. However, his research on artificial intelligence was indeed a little bit better than mine.
"If he hadn’t stolen the woman I loved back then, I wouldn’t have lost my first love and would have gotten married long ago. Given this relationship, he’ll definitely treat you like his own granddaughter.
“The organization is hunting you down now, and finding Lan Kang will be fraught with difficulties. But it’s fine; Grandpa anticipated this. Along the route from the library to Lan Kang’s home, I have stashed various heavy weapons. As long as the organization doesn’t send more than three Class-A warriors after you, you’ll be safe...”
Seeing that the doctor showed no sign of stopping anytime soon, Lan Hai felt the need to interrupt. “Grandpa Doctor... my grandfather has already passed away.”
The doctor was stunned. “Who is your grandfather?”
“Lan Kang.”
The doctor was speechless. What happened after Xue’er fled the organization? I haven’t had the chance to explain anything, so how did she run into Lan Kang’s grandson?
“Ahem, what I meant was that Lan Kang’s brains and physical fitness were second only to mine. He also liked to use his brain when gaming. I didn’t expect Lan Kang’s grandson to have grown up already. If your grandmother hadn’t married your grandfather, you would have been my grandson instead.”
The Everlasting Immortal Fairy was watching the spectacle, and the doctor’s words left her thoroughly confused. She started counting on her fingers to work out the relationships.
Lu Yang had to step in and change the subject. “Doctor, so what should we do now?”
“Oh, right. This isn’t the time for that. Let me first tell you how to synthesize the anti-gene agent.”
Mi Xue’er followed the doctor’s instructions, working with beakers and vials. Only she understood the procedures. The others couldn’t offer any help.
“The anti-gene agent will be a powerful weapon in your hands. Any gene warrior who comes into contact with it will be incapacitated or even killed. That’s why you must be extremely careful when synthesizing this agent. Xue’er, make sure not to touch it!” the doctor warned sternly.
“Since Lan Kang was eliminated by Ether, it means Ether has set its sights on all of you. You can’t just run forever; you’ll eventually be caught. There’s only one way out now—attack the Supreme Society and headquarters and make enough noise for the alliance to notice you. Although it’s dangerous, it’s the only option!
“One more thing you must remember, Xue’er. You carry immense power within you. This is the source of the Supreme Society’s gene research. Until you learn to control it, never use it. That power will destroy you!
“What do you mean by that?”
“I have no idea. I’m just a digital lifeform left behind by the real him. I don’t have his complete memories. Alright, Grandpa’s mission is complete. I’ll leave the rest to all of you.”
The screen suddenly went dark, and the doctor disappeared. Overcome with emotion, Mi Xue’er cried out as memories of the doctor resurfaced. “Grandpa Doctor—”
The screen lit up again, and the doctor helplessly said, “I didn’t leave. I just had nothing else to say.”
“Ah? Oh.”
The screen went dark again.
Mi Xue’er took a bottle of the anti-gene agent she had synthesized and sprinkled it on the Reaper, who had been scared silly. Every Supreme Society warrior had countless lives on their hands. They didn’t deserve any mercy. This made the Reaper the perfect test subject for the anti-gene agent.
The green liquid doused him, and the Reaper let out a heart-wrenching scream, his body sizzling and smoking. Soon, he stopped moving.
“Going to the Supreme Society will be very dangerous. I’ll go on alone from here. Don’t follow me.” Mi Xue’er’s gaze was resolute. She didn’t want to drag the other three into danger.
“No! We’re going with you!” Lan Hai said without hesitation. If the doctor had treated Mi Xue’er as his granddaughter, then by that logic, she is my younger sister.
Yu Ran smiled brightly. “What are you saying? How could we ever abandon a comrade? Besides, haven’t we already faced plenty of danger along the way?!”
“They’re right. As long as the four of us work together, there’s no obstacle we can’t surmount. I believe we can even stop a star from exploding!” Lu Yang declared with conviction.