r18novel Page 97
Page 97
"Deep Blue! Come quick, there's news about Xiao Hao!!!"
Chapter 224 Call
Mai Xiaowen's shout not only successfully summoned Shen Lan from the gym, but also caused all the doors on the second floor to open silently, starting with Roy. All the onlookers peeked out in unison, exchanged glances, and then began to head towards Mai Xiaowen's room.
"What's going on with Mai Xiaowen? Is there news about Xiao Hao? Hey Weilong, get out of the way, don't block the way."
Shen Lan rushed upstairs in a hurry, intending to go in and see what Mai Xiaowen wanted to do by calling her up, but a group of onlookers successfully blocked her way.
Deep Blue, impatient, picked up Wei Long, the number one bystander in front of him, and threw him out of the room.
Wei Long: Waaaaah, it's over! The best spot for watching the drama is gone. I can't enjoy watching the drama anymore. /(ㄒoㄒ)/~~
Upon seeing Shenlan arrive, Mai Xiaowen pointed to the section on the computer screen showing online game friends and explained:
"This is a game that Xiaohao and I usually play together. Since we always play on the Chinese server, we can communicate normally here. I just didn't expect that Xiaohao would be able to play on the computer there."
But Deep Blue couldn't care less about that now. He immediately told Mai Xiaowen to contact Zhang Hao, while behind him, Roy whispered to Wei Long:
"Damn, I didn't expect Xiao Hao and Mai Xiaowen to still be playing your Chinese server games. Does that mean they're running a VPN in Asara? Speaking of which, Xiao Hao has games to play everywhere, his life must be... awesome?!"
Thinking about this situation, Roy silently felt indignant for his own actions. This Deep Blue was just too protective of Xiao Hao; with Xiao Hao's looks, how could he possibly suffer? If it weren't for his own daughter being so young, and the three women in the Special Operations Department eyeing him so covetously, he...
Roy sighed and gently touched his "European-style perky butt." It seemed he would have to sleep on his stomach for the next few days.
While Zhang Hao was playing the game, he discovered that a message had been sent to his chat channel, and his only friend was... Sister Xiaowen?
Zhang Hao clicked on it and was surprised to find that Mai Xiaowen had become Shen Lan's mouth double and started babbling on and on.
Seeing this, Zhang Hao immediately surrendered and quickly finished the game amidst his teammates' insults. He then hurriedly started replying to Mai Xiaowen, wondering how she could still access the internet when there was supposed to be no signal at the Special Operations Unit.
Mai Xiaowen: This child... well, I taught her, she's perfectly fine, very beautiful!
Xiaowen: Xiaohao, Xiaohao, can you see this message? If you do, please reply quickly. What's the situation on your end? Are you being abused or anything? Do you need me to bring a shield to rescue you?
Zhang Hao immediately realized that Shenlan and the others wouldn't be able to put their minds at ease with just a letter, so he quickly added Mai Xiaowen's game account to his team and turned on the team's microphone.
"Hello? Uncle Shenlan, can you hear me?"
Upon hearing that familiar voice, Shen Lan almost burst into tears. This was their Special Operations Unit's treasure, and now it had been snatched back. He had been worried all night, fearing that Xiao Hao had been taken away for human experimentation or something.
"Xiao Hao, are you alright? Where are you now? Have they been bullying you? Just tell me directly. With my abilities, I can immediately call people to rescue you. If that doesn't work, I'll directly put pressure on the higher-ups of the Hafk Group and bring you back."
Hearing Shenlan's urgent concern, Zhang Hao quickly recounted his two days there to Shenlan and the others, adding that even Rometheus hadn't recognized him as [Zero].
"Huh? Rometheus? That bastard is in the Tower of Babel? And... you said you also saw a woman named Ella?"
Zoya had only squatted by the door to listen to see if Zhang Hao was alright, but she didn't expect to hear a familiar name in Zhang Hao's description—the man who had parted ways with her after accepting investment from the Hafk Group.
Zoya felt hopeless about the man who ignored her warnings and chose to join the dangerous organization, Hafk Group. Back when they were developing the first generation of Relink brain-computer interface together, Hafk Group had already approached them, but he couldn't resist the conditions offered by Hafk, which made Zoya completely despise him.
"Damn it, Xiao Hao, listen to me, you're going to be living the high life in the Tower of Babel from now on, you know? If you can, ask Rometheus for a big red envelope, fill it with lots of valuables, and bring them back with you next time we come to pick you up. Let me tell you, that bastard Rometheus deserves a beating. He won't dare say a word if you take advantage of him. If he gets angry, just say that you owe me, Zoya, and see if he dares to say anything then!"
Zhang Hao gave an awkward laugh on the other side. It seemed that... Uncle Rometheus was still very good to him, but since Sister Zoya said that, there must be a reason for it.
"Also, you said you've seen a woman named Ella? What's she doing in the Tower of Babel now?"
Zoya also had a headache dealing with her junior, Ella. Although she had already gone to GTI, she still kept in touch with her. This girl didn't learn anything good and actually worshipped that bastard Rometheus, even talking to her about that devil Rometheus's lofty ideals.
At the time, Zoya couldn't bring herself to scold this junior from her hometown. If it were now, she probably would have started by cursing her out. Of all people to idolize, why did she have to idolize that kind of useless man? And she even said she was going to work in Hafk after graduation. Zoya was so angry that she deleted her from her friends list.
"Oh, Sister Ella, she's now Uncle Rometheus's secretary and assistant, but she usually calls Uncle Rometheus 'teacher'."
"Damn, have they gotten this far together? Xiao Hao, don't get too close to that woman. I reckon she's probably head over heels in love. Don't let her corrupt you... well, maybe it would be good if she did."
Everyone: Damn it, your abacus beads hit my face! It hurts!
After chatting with the special operations team for a while, Zhang Hao ended the conversation because it was lunchtime and he had to go eat. Shen Lan saw that her little Hao seemed to be doing well there, so she calmed down and hummed a little tune as she pulled Terry downstairs to cook.
Deep Blue: I need to practice my skills more so that I can surprise Xiao Hao when he comes back next time.
Chapter 225 Claire Ann Byers
Meanwhile, in Demoulins' office at the space base.
"Ms. Desmuland, Miss Claire is here. Should we have her come and report for duty?"
"Oh?! You've finally arrived? Let her come to my place first. You can also make arrangements for her. After I finish talking to her, just take her to her room. She's different from ordinary soldiers; she can be placed with us."
After listening to what Desmoulins had to say, Mary became curious about this newcomer who had only arrived that day. If Ms. Desmoulins valued her so much, then she must have something special about her.
Mary: No, I must work even harder! I'll show that newcomer what a true right-hand woman for Ms. Demoulins is all about! (○｀ 3′○)
Mary also went out, while Claire, whom she mentioned, was leaning against the door frame, waiting idly.
“Miss Claire, Ms. Desmulan is waiting for you inside. I’ll go prepare a room for you. If you don’t see her when you come out, just wait here for a bit. I’ll get it done quickly.”
Claire smiled at Mary, said thank you, and went inside.
"Hello, Ms. Demulan, I am Claire Ann Byers, codename Gale."
Seeing Claire, who looked to be in good spirits, Demulan smiled gently at her. After all, both of them had been given a second life thanks to the technology of the Hafk Group.
"Well, since you're here, take a good rest first. How's the artificial spine you had implanted? Is there any... rejection reaction or anything like that?"
Looking at the young girl in front of him, Demulan did not want her to be schemed against by the group's higher-ups like he had been, so he mixed in some "personal agendas" with the things he added to her.
"Um...actually, it's all fine. My attending physician also told me that my phantom pain is unavoidable, but at least I can stand up again, so this little bit of pain is nothing. He also gave me a bottle of painkillers, but I haven't used them yet."
"Oh? Can I see your painkillers? To be honest, Rometheus from the Tower of Babel also gave me a bottle of painkillers to help alleviate the rejection reaction between me and Relink brain-computer interface."
Claire looked at Demulan in front of her with some surprise. After all, he was one of the high-ranking members of Hafk and was in charge of such an important place as the space base. She didn't expect him to have a rejection reaction.
However, she still took out a bottle of medicine from the backpack behind her and handed it to Demulan.
Demulan also took out the bottle of medicine that Rometheus had given him from the drawer. After comparing it with the other bottle, Demulan looked at the painkillers in front of him, which were exactly the same, and couldn't tell anything else from them for a moment.
"Sigh, you should try not to take this painkiller. Okay, you should rest for a few days. I'll start assigning you tasks soon."
Claire nodded. It was her first time visiting Asara, and she was indeed still in the stage of knowing nothing. She would see if there was any information she could look at later.
Once outside, Mary was already waiting at the door. She greeted Byers as he came out.
“Come on, Miss Claire, I’ll show you around your dorm and the space base.”
Mary then took Claire on a tour of the space base, explaining in detail the various core areas and precautions.
“Miss Mary, is there any file here that records the recent events in the Asara region? This is my first time here, and I need to know more about the situation.”
Hearing Claire say this, Mary thought to herself, "No wonder Ms. Desmulland thinks highly of her. She's already gotten into work mode so quickly. It seems like working with her will be easy in the future."
"Oh, you mean that? They're basically all kept at the Tower of Babel in Bakshi. We don't have much here. How about this, I happen to know the secretary in charge at the Tower of Babel. I can ask her to let you borrow them. See when you plan to go."
"Oh? Then... how about tomorrow morning?"
Claire also chose to go tomorrow morning, hoping to learn more as she went earlier. She also hoped to see from the files of the Hafk Group whether the group was as dark as Luna had described.
Claire also wanted to repay the kindness of the Hafk Group. She had thought she would be bedridden for the rest of her life, but the Hafk Group gave her hope. Although Luna, who came to see her, told her very seriously to refuse the offer from the Hafk Group, she would find a better way for her in GTI.
However, for a drowning person, as long as they are given even the slightest hope, they will do anything to grasp that sliver of hope!
"Luna, I can stand up now, and I miss you so much."
After Claire returned to her room, she took a photo out of her backpack. It was a picture of her and Luna when they participated in a shooting competition. The two of them were smiling happily in the photo. Whenever Biles saw this photo, she would recall the time when they trained and played together.
"After I've finished giving back to the Hafk Group, Luna, I'll come find you. Wait for me..."
After placing the photos, Claire first turned on the computer that had been prepared in the room, verified her Hafk identity, logged into Hafk's internal website, and began to look at the recent events that had occurred within the Hafk Group.
"What? How come this is so confusing...? This Reis, it seems he's the culprit who caused so many losses to the Hafk Group! This guy even managed to infiltrate and blow up the industrial zone? Is he insane? He seems to be a complete armed terrorist!"
After briefly learning about Asara's leaders, Claire thoughtfully labeled them with tags and danger levels.
Reis: Armed terrorist, extremely aggressive, 5-star danger.
Yusuf: The current leader of the terrorists and rebels. Although he has not shown any aggression at present, given his strength and resources, he is rated 4 stars in danger.
Saeed: A farmer. Satellite footage showed him and his people planting potatoes under the midday sun. The dam currently appears to pose no threat to the Hafk regime. Danger level: 2 stars. (Saeed himself still poses a threat to the Hafk regime.)
After a quick look, Claire gained some understanding of Asara's current leaders, but as she scrolled down, she came across an article that piqued her interest.
Chapter 226 [Zero] is about to obtain a body
If Nameless saw this, he would probably give her a thumbs up and say she has good taste, as it clearly shows that Zero successfully escaped from the heavily guarded Tower of Babel.
Rometheus: Oh no! I clearly let them win before, how did it become an indelible stain on my Tower of Babel? (＞人＜；)
"How could such a young boy escape from the Tower of Babel? And... his fighting ability seems pretty good. I wonder if he's been found yet. I'd really like to spar with him."
Rometheus: Miss, it's certainly a good thing to be confident, but I don't recommend you go head-to-head with my "good son." I'm afraid you'll just get sent flying, and then that old woman will come looking for trouble with me again after you become withdrawn.
Claire kept this "zero" in mind. If she could catch it next time, it would be a contribution to the Hafk Group!
Meanwhile, our [Zero] is silently excited in his mental space, watching the mall that will be upgraded in two days (expressionless).
"Hey! You're planning to just hand that prosthetic body to you right here? How are you going to expect Xiao Hao to explain this to people afterward? That he woke up to find a man in his bed?"
After listening to 9527's question, [Zero] said calmly:
"I'll make it clear to Rometheus that my current goal is to protect Xiao Hao. If all else fails, I'll take Xiao Hao and run again. This time, nothing unexpected will happen."
Rometheus: Not a buddy? You're just planning to show your face in front of me and then run off with Demulan's good son-in-law? What do you take me for? Elopement with Demulan's son-in-law? Your dear father will probably be torn to pieces by Demulan then.
9527 could only wipe away imaginary sweat. This guy really is... he'd rather use his hands than his brain. Just imagine how interesting Rometheus's expression will be when he sees his precious son and Xiao Hao walking out together.
"What explanation is needed? He can believe it or not. If Xiao Hao wants to go home, I can ask him to send him back anyway. In any case, he wasn't looking for Xiao Hao before."
There's nothing 9527 can do about Zero's thought process. We'll have Xiao Hao ask Rometheus to install a Relink brain-computer interface with all that knowledge pre-loaded into him, otherwise he'll really become a human machine.
Watching Zhang Hao furiously playing the game, 9527's face turned red with anger. 9527 could only think that Rometheus should also install a Rometheus for Zhang Hao, as this guy's cultural level... was pretty much ruined.
. . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . .
"Phew! Finally finished. Ella, have you finished recording everything? Send it to that old hag Demulan later. I'm exhausted. I can't believe Audrey downed a whole vial of nerve agent. That woman is amazing."
To be honest, Rometheus could only silently give Audrey a thumbs up for her audacious behavior. Who on earth would drink a whole bottle of medicine without even looking at it? Didn't she know to take a sip first? He couldn't believe he had ever thought Audrey was even smart.
Audrey: Thank you for being offended even underground, and I've always had my brain.
"Oh, that's a wrap for today. Time to go find Xiao Hao for lunch. After lunch, we'll play a game of cards together. Ah, this life is just too wonderful."
Ella rolled her eyes at Rometheus speechlessly, then sent the report she had just finished compiling to Mary. At this moment, Ella also saw the message that Mary had sent her not long ago.
“Teacher, the person named Claire has already reported to Demulan. She plans to come here tomorrow morning to look at our Hafk Group's files and learn about what has recently happened to Asara.”
"Oh? The person who received the artificial spine from Hafk actually came! There were no adverse reactions after the surgery? It seems this newcomer is really lucky, very valuable for experimentation! Okay, I'll meet with her personally tomorrow, it would be even better if she'd let me do an experiment with her."
When Ella saw Rometheus trying to get him to do experiments again, she subtly shattered his illusions:
"Don't even think about it. He's going to become Demulan's right-hand man, and he can even cooperate with you in an experiment. Aren't you really afraid that Demulan will come after you with the M700?"
Rometheus: Waaaaah, the dream has already shattered before it even started! I'm so sad, I'm so upset! Hurry up and find me [Zero], I want to install the most powerful Relink brain-computer interface that I prepared for him long ago so he can have some fun.
Seeing that it was getting late, Rometheus and Ella left the medical area and returned to the core area.
As soon as they returned to the office, Rometheus and Ella smelled a wonderful fragrance.
"Hmm? We haven't reached the cafeteria yet, have we? Masaka? Could it be that Xiao Hao made us something delicious again?"
When Rometheus and Ella arrived at the kitchen, the first thing they saw was a table full of delicious food. Just then, Zhang Hao came out carrying a bowl of soup.
"Oh, Uncle Rometheus, you're here! Wash your hands and have lunch. I saw there were some ingredients left in the refrigerator, and I thought I shouldn't waste them, so I used them to make lunch."
Rometheus simply lifted the bewildered Zhang Hao up and started spinning him around in the air.
"Haha, it has to be Xiao Hao! I'll definitely have Zero learn this skill from you, so that even if you're not here with me someday, I can still enjoy something this delicious!"
[Zero]: You're overthinking it. I'll be wherever Xiao Hao is. You should just go eat at the cafeteria with Ella!
"By the way, Ella, when will that information station be fixed?"
At the dinner table, Rometheus suddenly remembered that his information station was still not fixed. He had originally planned to secretly check where Nameless had gone, and maybe even find GTI's hometown.
"It's under repair, probably this afternoon. By the way, what's the rush? Even Xiao Hao isn't in a hurry yet."
Looking at Rometheus, who was about to start acting silly, Zhang Hao said calmly:
"Dr. Rometheus, do you know Sister Zoya?"