Ch. 1481..1490
Chapter 1481: 1480 penalties
Busodi and his cohort had been convinced that His Majesty the King was ill, so when they saw the King stride out in perfect health, they were utterly dumbfounded.
“How is this possible?” Busodi asked subconsciously, “Weren’t you sick?”
The King said, “I was indeed feeling a bit unwell, mainly because of the anger your good queen caused me. I didn’t make an appearance these last few days partly because I wished to rest, and partly because I wanted to test Laka’s ability to handle official duties. His performance was less than ideal; he still needs to work harder.”
Laka immediately stood up, leaning against the wall, “Yes, Your Majesty, I will continue to make efforts!”
The King nodded in approval, “Hmm, your ability to handle matters is insufficient. When necessary, you can seek advice from your aunt. Although she is a princess, she has her own unique insights in many areas, so you should ask her for more guidance.”
Samiyi responded, “I will assist the Prince with his official duties.”
...
Although the King intended for Samiyi to inherit the throne, the time was not yet ripe, and he could not expose the real heir to the nobility; for now, it was best to use Laka as a shield.
It wasn’t that he didn’t love his son; in fact, he loved him dearly. Rather than pushing Laka into a position he was not meant to take, he would prefer Laka to remain a prince free to go wherever he pleased.
As for his sister, he believed Samiyi would make a fine queen.
After giving instructions on official matters, the King turned his attention to private affairs.
“So, who exactly wants to see me?” the King seated himself in the spot cleared by Samiyi, as he could stand but not for too long.
Busodi scrambled to his feet, “Your Majesty… Your Majesty, we were concerned for your safety…”
“Heh,” the King laughed and asked, “Busodi, the palace is my home. What danger do you suppose I would encounter in my own house?” As he spoke, it was as if something occurred to him, “Oh, indeed there could be danger. Your intrusion certainly brought danger to me.”
Busodi said in a very tense manner, “Your Majesty, I apologize. I was too afraid that you might be being manipulated, so…”
“So you decided to barge into my sleeping chamber and fight?” The King interrupted Busodi, “Busodi, you are my closest cousin, and I always thought you were a wise and capable man. I never imagined you could be so foolish!”
Busodi was too angry to speak but dared not express it, “Yes, I was too foolish!”
“Your actions have had a terrible influence. I originally wanted to punish you severely, but since your work must continue, you’ll be confined to your house for a week,” said the King. “Do you have any objections to this punishment?”
Even if Busodi had any objections, he wouldn’t dare voice them, “I understand. I have no objections to your punishment, Your Majesty.”
Having dealt with Busodi, it was now the others’ turn. The second person named was Mahri. Before the King punished Mahri, Princess Samiyi briefly informed the King about the events of the past two days.
After listening, the King was visibly displeased and emphasized, “Samiyi was carrying out my orders. To have objections to her is to have objections to me. Mahri, do not think you can defy orders just because you are nobility. Your noble status is not your lifesaver. Do you understand?”
Mahri, who was more faint-hearted than Busodi, panicked when the King threatened him, “Your Majesty, it was… it was Prince Busodi who brought me here to cause trouble!”
As soon as he spoke up, the other nobles immediately shifted the blame to Busodi. But it really was Busodi who had sought them out, claiming that the King was ill and that Princess Samiyi would not let them see the King. She must be plotting to seize power herself, and they could not allow this woman to become King.
Upon hearing this, the nobles all thought Busodi made sense. If that foolish Prince became King, they were sure to have good days ahead.
But they had heard that the King’s sister was a tough character with a lot of issues with the nobility. If she were to steal the throne, the nobles certainly wouldn’t have good days ahead.
Putting their heads together, they formed a group and came to the palace to see the King. Little did they expect that His Majesty was not sick at all; his absence was merely to exercise the Prince’s capacity to handle affairs. Now, thanks to Busodi, they were all in deep trouble!
Chapter 1482: 1481 is even weaker
A group of nobles was arguing noisily, all pushing their responsibilities onto Busodi, but Busodi had only one mouth, how could he outshout them all? Thus, Busodi tried to raise his voice, attempting to drown them out with his louder volume.
The King was already feeling unwell, and their quarreling made his headache worsen. He pressed his temples and said, “Stop arguing, everyone keep quiet.”
His voice was not loud, so the quarreling nobles did not hear him at all.
“Stop arguing!” Samiyi heard the King’s voice and shouted loudly, “How dare you cause such a commotion in the presence of His Majesty the King? Do you think life is too good now and want to improve your lot in prison?”
Samiyi’s voice was loud, and at her shout, the nobles instinctively shut their mouths, though still two nobles continued to mutter, declaring their innocence and blaming everything on Busodi.
Samiyi was nearly driven to laughter out of irritation. She asked, “Are you three-year-olds? Do you not have your own judgment? If someone tells you to do something, you just do it? What if someone told you to commit suicide? Would you do that too?”
...
Though her words were harsh, the analogy was quite apt. The two nobles bowed their heads and completely fell silent.
After things calmed down, the King spoke again, “Here, the law does not overlook the crowd. You came here today to cause trouble, so be prepared to face punishment. There is no need for words now, just go and accept your punishment. Apart from Busodi and Mahri, everyone is grounded for a month and must also pay a fine of fifty thousand.”
Being confined and fined, rather than being sent to jail, the nobles were quite satisfied with this punishment.
Seeing that it was about time, Tan Rou walked up behind the King, reminding him softly, “Your Majesty, it is very hot outside; you should head back.”
The King also felt his body becoming a bit uncomfortable, so he emphasized again, “I am already old, and in the future, this country will belong to the young. You have once been my capable aides, so you should continue to be capable aides for Laka. Let today’s incidents end here, and let there be no further mention of it.”
The nobles nodded unanimously. At this moment, they needed not make any more remarks. If they continued, His Majesty the King might change his mind.
“You all heard me, right?” the King asked loudly.
“…Yes,” Busodi replied with difficulty.
When he spoke up, the other nobles also voiced their agreement.
“Everyone, go back. Without my permission, no one is to enter the palace!” the King declared, “Anyone who defies this order will go directly to jail.”
The nobles were not afraid of confinement, but they were very fearful of going to jail, for the jail had nothing, and even though they were nobles, they could hardly obtain any privileges there, perhaps only slightly better accommodations.
Guards escorted a large group of nobles out, and once they were out of sight, the King could no longer hold himself up.
“Doctor Tan Rou…” the King asked very weakly, “Has my time come?”
Tan Rou bent down to treat him, then said, “Yes, your time has come.”
The King regretfully said, “I originally wanted to talk to you a bit more, but my body does not permit it. You must take good care of each other, handle the public affairs properly before I wake, but most importantly, ensure your own safety. Today has been hard on you all…”
After finishing his words, His Majesty the King fainted.
“Father…” Laka was the first to call out.
“Keep your voices down!” Samiyi scolded softly, “We cannot let others know the situation here.”
At her command, everyone else dared not speak.
“Quickly carry His Majesty back to the bedroom, and be gentle,” Tan Rou instructed.
Immediately, several guards came to carry the King away, and Samiyi and others followed behind, silent as they were heavily burdened, unsure of what to say.
“What happened?” Samiyi asked calmly.
Tan Rou knew what she was asking and simply answered Samiyi’s question, “His Majesty wanted to go out and relieve you all, so he asked me to give him an injection that would allow him to stand for a while.”
Samiyi said, “Hmm, I see. Thank you.”
Chapter 1483: 1482 did not disappoint his expectations
Tan Rou felt that Samiyi would blame her, even if Samiyi didn’t say it out loud, but she still felt a bit uneasy in her heart, because this was no small matter. If handled improperly, it could potentially harm the King’s life.
Seemingly detecting Tan Rou’s emotions, Samiyi hurriedly said, “I don’t mean to blame you at all, I am very grateful for your help, and if it weren’t for you getting my brother to stand up today, I really don’t know how to explain why my brother has been absent, so I really want to thank you. Don’t overthink it, and don’t be unhappy.”
Upon hearing Samiyi’s explanation, Tan Rou suddenly laughed, “Samiyi, for that speech alone, I must cure your brother, even if it means I don’t return to school. I will stay here to ensure your brother regains his health.”
After all, she often took leaves of absence, so taking another month off should be no problem, as the school’s expectations of her were quite low. After all, the school was hoping to form a long-lasting cooperation with TR.
As long as she returned for her exams and completed her studies, that would be enough. As for scholarships and such, Tan Rou was not lacking that little bit of money and honor, and she saw no need to compete with other students for them.
“Ah? You need to go back to school?” Samiyi heard for the first time that Tan Rou wanted to go to school, “Are you still a student?”
...
Tan Rou replied, “Eh? Haven’t I told you before?”
Samiyi shook her head, “No, you haven’t said anything.” She only knew that Tan Rou owned her own company and that this company was very impressive, enjoying a high reputation in their country, but she didn’t know that Tan Rou had not yet graduated.
“Oh, I’m still in school,” said Tan Rou, “I’m a master’s degree student, about to start my second year.”
Samiyi was silent. She had thought Tan Rou had graduated long ago, only to realize Tan Rou was still in school. In an instant, she recognized the gap between herself and Tan Rou; Tan Rou was a student, while she was an ‘aunt’ who had graduated many years ago.
“What’s with that expression?” Tan Rou saw Samiyi’s odd expression and asked, “Are you worried about your brother?”
Samiyi adjusted her mood, “Yes, I am very worried about him. Will his condition worsen?”
Tan Rou answered very confidently, “If someone else were to treat him, I can’t guarantee his recovery, but if it’s left to me, I will certainly make him healthy again. However, I can only restore him to the normal level one should have at his age. I cannot return him to the best condition of his life.”
Samiyi didn’t dare to hope that her brother could return to the physical level he had in his twenties; she simply wished for her brother to live healthily, to be able to dine with them and drink afternoon tea together.
“That’s more than enough,” Samiyi said with tears in her eyes. “As long as he can return to a normal level, I will be very happy.”
Tan Rou patted her shoulder, “Don’t worry about him anymore. You should worry about what you need to do next. Now that the King has been sick these days, there must be a lot of government affairs that have piled up. You need to deal with them.”
“Yes,” Samiyi wiped her eyes quickly, then gathered her spirits, “I will handle the government affairs after I finish watching your treatment.”
Tan Rou reminded her, “Don’t forget about the Dawn Society.”
Samiyi, of course, wouldn’t forget, and said, “I must handle everything well before my brother wakes up. I cannot let this country become chaotic!”
Tan Rou smiled, “I believe in you.”
Samiyi also smiled a little, looking at her brother, and then said, “He has a lot of expectations for me, so I can’t let him down. For my brother, for our kingdom, for all the people of this country, I, Samiyi will do my best!”
Tan Rou was somewhat surprised; she hadn’t expected Samiyi to bring up the people of the country. It seemed this future Queen was truly aware of her responsibilities. Perhaps under her leadership, the country really might develop into prosperity and strength.
After Samiyi finished speaking, she turned her gaze to Laka beside her, sighing, “Laka, don’t get too close to my brother, it will affect Doctor Tan Rou’s treatment for him.”
Laka was very remorseful, “Aunt, I’m sorry, I didn’t do well today.”
Samiyi shook her head, “No, you’ve done very well.”
Chapter 1484: 1483 Theft Techniques?
For Laka, Samiyi always had both encouragement and criticism, and she hoped that Laka would do better. However, knowing that Laka didn’t have that ability, she wouldn’t demand too much from him. Moreover, now she doesn’t need Laka to be the king any longer, so she even had fewer expectations from him.
Today, Laka truly didn’t handle things well, but he did stop a bigger trouble from happening, so Samiyi decided not to blame Laka.
Once again, she encouraged, “Laka, don’t always look so worried, you are a prince, you can’t be so timid.”
Laka replied, “Aunt, I understand.”
Samiyi said helplessly, “Forget it, I won’t ask anything more from you. Just do whatever you want to do; once your father’s health is restored, go abroad and have fun with Mr. Lin.”
Laka nodded, “Hmm, I’ll talk to Lin.”
...
After the conversation, Tan Rou started the treatment for His Majesty the King for today, which took an exceptionally long time, lasting five hours from morning to afternoon. During the treatment, Tan Rou didn’t even have time to drink water because she had to constantly monitor the king’s condition.
When the treatment was over, Tan Rou was so exhausted she almost fainted. She drank a few sips of the nutritional porridge that Samiyi had prepared for her, then went to rest in the adjacent bedroom.
When she woke up, it was almost dark. She checked her phone and it was already 5:30 in the afternoon. During that time, countless people had sent her messages and called her.
She quickly scanned them and replied to two messages from Zhuang Liu, then sent a few voice messages to her mother. She didn’t reply to the others, deciding to wait until after she had eaten.
Samiyi had arranged two maids to take care of her daily needs. As soon as Tan Rou stepped out, the two maids asked, “Miss Rou, would you like to have dinner?”
Since Tan Rou hadn’t eaten at noon, she was quite hungry, “Yes, please prepare some rice for me, I would like some rice.”
The maid replied, “The princess has already prepared your dinner.”
Since it was prepared by Samiyi, Tan Rou didn’t have to worry. Samiyi had specifically learned Tan Rou’s dietary preferences and arranged a new chef to cook for her, which Tan Rou rather liked.
“I’ll just go to the princess’s place to eat,” said Tan Rou. “There are fresh cherries in her fridge; wash a plate for me to have after dinner as fruit.”
The maids left to prepare the dinner, and Tan Rou wandered leisurely through the royal palace. The scenery inside was actually quite beautiful, but Tan Rou didn’t have much time to appreciate it; she was really busy.
She hadn’t walked far when her phone rang again. Thinking it might be a response from Zhuang Liu or her mom, she checked and found a message from Shang Jin.
Shang Jin had sent a voice message, “Tan Rou, there’s big trouble, someone is stealing our technology!”
Tan Rou was somewhat surprised. Was their technology even worth stealing? Right from the beginning of their engagement, Tan Rou had made it clear to Rake that TR would not hold back their technology during collaboration. Rake and his team were free to observe and learn as much as they could. Of course, they weren’t learning for free; they had to pay for it.
If Shang Jin said someone was stealing technology, then it must be happening. Therefore, Tan Rou called Shang Jin with a voice call.
“What happened?” Tan Rou asked. “Did you catch whoever was stealing our technology?”
Shang Jin replied, “No, they got away really fast. They took photos and then left.”
Tan Rou was even more confused. In this day and age, who would need to take photos to steal technology?
“What did they take photos of?” Tan Rou asked.
After thinking for a moment, Shang Jin replied, “It seemed like they were taking photos of our staff.”
“…” Tan Rou asked again, “Are you sure they were stealing our technology?”
“Positive!” Shang Jin said. “After I spotted him, he ran away. Then, when we checked the documents, we found two data reports missing; they must have been taken by that person!”
“Are the missing data reports important?” Tan Rou asked anxiously.
Shang Jin replied casually, “Not important, they were obsolete documents that we were already planning to destroy. But before we could destroy them, they disappeared.”
Chapter 1485: 1484 Who stole the information?
Since it was unimportant data, Tan Rou wasn’t worried. “Mm, I am aware of the situation. Don’t tell anyone else for now, let’s see if that person comes back to steal anything. It’s getting late today, and if I go to handle it now, I won’t make it back in time, so I’ll head over tomorrow afternoon instead.”
Shang Jin was just informing Tan Rou, after all, this was no small matter. If the person stole junk data this time, next time they might steal something truly important.
“Okay, we will hide the data well before leaving the lab; we won’t give him another chance to steal,” Shang Jin said.
Tan Rou was hungry. After a few more words, she hung up the phone. Yet, she was still pondering who might have stolen the items. If it was someone from the inside, wouldn’t that be utterly foolish?
Tan Rou’s team had already handed the technology over to the other party as per her instructions, because they couldn’t stay here forever. So the ongoing maintenance of the machinery would have to depend on Rake and his team.
Moreover, when Tan Rou and her team were developing the new technology, they had already considered the maintenance issue. So from the beginning, the technology set was prepared for them—they didn’t need to steal the data, all the data would be openly available to them.
...
Tan Rou had already shared their thoughts with Rake. Although Rake wasn’t much of a talker, he wasn’t stupid. He must have already discussed this with his team. If his teammates had any brains, they wouldn’t do something as foolish as stealing.
There was another issue. Shang Jin mentioned that the person who came to steal the data also took photos, but what he captured wasn’t the data but the people working. What interest could the thief have in taking pictures of working people? Could it be that the voyeur had taken a liking to her teammates?
At this thought, Tan Rou couldn’t help but laugh. Such an idea was preposterous. They had only been there a few days, and already they had attracted attention?
Anyway, Tan Rou still had to take this matter seriously. She would have to personally visit tomorrow and have a talk with Rake about security matters, to prevent any further mishaps.
As night approached, Tan Rou rushed to have dinner. After eating, she still had to check on His Majesty the King.
When Tan Rou returned, Samiyi wasn’t there. The maidservant mentioned that Samiyi went to deal with official matters, and Laka was also there.
Therefore, Tan Rou decided not to disturb her, assuming she must have a lot of work to deal with. If Samiyi needed Tan Rou’s help, she would definitely let her know.
After relishing a wonderful meal, Tan Rou went to check on His Majesty the King. She walked slowly, partly to digest the food and partly to enjoy the palace at night.
The palace at night was even more beautiful than during the day, with colorful lights, fragrant flowers, and even a few fireflies buzzing about. It was also cooler at night, making for a very comfortable stroll. If there weren’t other mosquitoes, it would have been perfect.
As she walked, Tan Rou suddenly collided with someone in a hurry. The person immediately apologized after bumping into her, “Sorry, sorry, I’m in a rush.”
Tan Rou was really hurt by the impact, she touched her arm, and asked, “Where are you headed to in such a hurry, Mr. Lin?”
Lin Yu, seeing it was Tan Rou, stopped to say a few more words, “Oh, I have urgent matters to report to His Majesty the King, but he has fallen asleep due to feeling unwell. Mr. Puli informed me that Princess Samiyi is in charge of all official matters for now, and if I have to deal with anything urgent, I need to find Her Highness the Princess.”
Tan Rou looked down the road; Lin Yu was indeed coming from the direction of the King’s sleeping chamber, but he was heading not towards the King’s study but Samiyi’s residence.
Tan Rou advised, “Her Highness the Princess isn’t in her sleeping chamber. If you have official matters to report, you should go to His Majesty the King’s study. She and Prince will be there dealing with official matters.”
“Alright.” It seemed Lin Yu really had urgent matters to report, so upon finding out from Tan Rou where Samiyi was, he quickly bid farewell.
Tan Rou rubbed her aching arm and wondered what she had just collided with. It couldn’t have been Lin Yu’s flesh; his was not that hard.
She collided with something like a box, about the size of her palm, and it was very solid; it really hurt to bump into it.
Chapter 1486: 1485 are all here
After Tan Rou finished the King’s health check, she went back to sleep. She hadn’t slept well last night and needed to catch up on her sleep tonight; she didn’t want to work with dark circles under her eyes all the time.
Samiyi hadn’t come back all night. It was unclear whether she had been dealing with official duties all night or if it had simply gotten too late, so she stayed to sleep there.
The next morning’s breakfast was still eaten alone by Tan Rou, but Samiyi had thoughtfully prepared rice porridge for her, which was very fragrant and thick. Tan Rou was so pleased that she had an extra bowl.
“Has the princess not come back yet?” Tan Rou thought she would ask about Samiyi.
The maid responsible for taking care of Tan Rou answered, “Her Highness the Princess came back once this morning, she came to get some things and instructed us to prepare breakfast for you, then she left again.”
Tan Rou asked, “Is she still in His Majesty the King’s study?”
...
The maid shook her head, “I don’t know.”
Tan Rou didn’t press her; she finished the last sip of her porridge and then said, “Please clean up the dining table. After that, you don’t need to follow me. I’m going to visit His Majesty the King.”
The maid nodded, “Sure, Miss Rou.”
The King was still sleeping, so after Tan Rou completed her check, she prepared to look for Samiyi. Before she reached the study, she saw Samiyi hurrying somewhere else, and Lin Yu was there too; they seemed to have some urgent matter to deal with.
Tan Rou didn’t disturb Samiyi. Since Samiyi had matters to take care of, Tan Rou would report the King’s condition to her in the evening. Right now, she had other things to handle as well.
Whether it was Samiyi’s instructions or not, when Tan Rou got to the palace gate, a guard immediately approached her and asked, “Miss Rou, are you going out?”
Tan Rou thought they wanted to stop her, so she said, “I have an urgent matter to deal with, but Her Highness the Princess is not here, and I can’t get a pass from her. Could you let me out and I’ll give you the pass when I return?”
The guard replied, “You misunderstand, I was wondering where you would like to go; I can arrange a car to take you.”
Tan Rou asked, “Is this arranged by Her Highness the Princess?”
The guard nodded, “Yes, Her Highness the Princess has already ordered that your movement in and out of the palace should not be hindered. You can go anywhere you wish, and if you need a car, we will provide one for you.”
Tan Rou was quite satisfied with this arrangement; palace cars were certainly a bit safer, “Okay, please arrange a car for me, I want to go to your experimental facility.”
“Eh?” The guard was a bit too talkative, “Are you also going there?” After speaking, he realized his question was inappropriate, and so he added, “Please don’t mind my question, I was just a little curious.”
Tan Rou grew even more curious about who else was there, “Is anyone else going?”
“Her Highness the Princess went there too.” The guard talked quite a bit. For every question she asked, he had an answer. Fortunately, he didn’t know too many secrets, or else he might spill national secrets.
“Alright, I got it,” Tan Rou nodded, “Please arrange the car for me, I need to go there to take care of some things as well.”
The guard responded, “Please wait a moment, the driver will be right here.”
When Tan Rou arrived at her destination, she found the place was indeed bustling today because not only she and Samiyi were there, Xite, who she had injured, was also there, along with his father Mahri.
Was it always this busy here? Could there be an event going on? Why was everyone coming over?
What Tan Rou was curious about was whether even the King’s orders weren’t effective. Wasn’t Mahri supposed to be under house arrest? How had he come out again?
Mahri and his son entered the building before Tan Rou, and to avoid encountering them, she waited five minutes before going in herself.
Upon entering, Tan Rou felt that the experimental building was extremely quiet today. Apart from those seriously working at their stations, there were no more people slacking off on the side.
Initially, Tan Rou had hoped to blend in with the crowd, but now the entire building was empty, making her stand out significantly.
“Who are you looking for?” The security guard was about to come over and ask her, and then he suddenly realized that he recognized the woman, “It’s you!”
The incident where Tan Rou had fought with the researchers and security guards last time had spread, and all the guards had received her photo, “Why are you here again?” The guard raised the baton in his hand.
Chapter 1487: Rectify 1486
“I can’t come here?” Tan Rou looked at the security guard calmly, “Do you have a rule that says I can’t come over?”
The security guard was quite afraid of her, though he was holding a weapon, but this woman was far more formidable than any ordinary weapon, which simply couldn’t stop her.
“Don’t come any closer, if you do, I’ll have to… I’ll have to shoot!” The security guard said, retreating and trying to threaten Tan Rou to leave.
Tan Rou wasn’t planning on troubling them, but the guard kept pointing his baton at her, which made her uncomfortable, so she had to teach him a lesson.
Suddenly, Tan Rou quickly approached the guard and snatched the baton from his hand, throwing it stylishly into the distance where it landed perfectly in a one-meter-high potted plant. The plant had many leaves, and the baton got stuck among them as it fell.
The guards were stunned. From their position to the potted plant was at least ten meters, and even if he threw it with all his might, he might not be able to send the solid baton that far, but this terrifying woman not only threw it, but also landed it firmly in the pot—it was truly frightening.
...
He deeply regretted being on duty alone today. If his colleagues were here, they might have stood a chance to resist.
Tan Rou stepped closer and asked, “Fire a shot? Was it you who said you would shoot me just now?”
The guard instinctively shook his head, “No, not me.”
Tan Rou chuckled, “There are only the two of us here, if it wasn’t you who said it, could it have been me?”
Faced with a life-or-death question, the guard chose to remain silent.
Tan Rou flexed her wrists, and as she was about to punch the rude fellow, someone stopped her.
“Tan Rou, you’re here already!” Shang Jin saw her from upstairs, so he shouted loudly, “What are you doing there? Can’t find your way?”
Hearing Shang Jin calling her, Tan Rou lost interest in teasing the guard. She smiled and said, “I have urgent business to do, I’ll let you off today. But if next time I come and you still try to stop me, your fate will be the same as that stick over there.”
The guard nodded frantically, “Yes, yes, that’s right, I won’t stop you again!”
While they were talking, Shang Jin had come down in the elevator. Seeing Tan Rou, she said very happily, “Tan Rou, I’ve missed you!”
Tan Rou helplessly said, “Didn’t we just meet?”
Shang Jin didn’t care, “I just miss you anyway. If you could work over here too, I could ask you directly if I had any problems.”
Tan Rou asked, “Let’s talk about that issue later. You mentioned yesterday somebody was taking secret photos, have you found him? Has he come back to take more?”
Shang Jin shook her head, “No, that person hasn’t come back. We wanted to check the surveillance, but the person in charge here wouldn’t let us. He said the surveillance in our lab is broken, so we can’t check it.”
Tan Rou said, “So haven’t you hacked into their network system to take a look?”
Shang Jin replied, “We don’t have that capability. Only you can hack into someone’s system without getting caught, but I didn’t want to disturb your rest, so I didn’t tell you about it.”
“Hmm, I’ll handle it in a bit,” Tan Rou looked around the environment and asked, “Hey, why is it so quiet here today?”
Shang Jin looked puzzled, “You don’t know?”
“Know what?” Tan Rou didn’t understand.
Shang Jin answered, “Princess Samiyi is here; she took away more than half of the staff, and even called the person in charge here from his home.”
Tan Rou sneered, mocking, “The person in charge here really has it easy! It’s working hours now, and he’s not here working, but staying at home, it’s truly incomprehensible.”
Shang Jin spread her hands and said, “I think his easy days are coming to an end.”
“Why do you say that?” Tan Rou asked.
Shang Jin whispered to her, “I’ve heard from an inside employee that Princess Samiyi has come to reform them.”
Tan Rou felt that Samiyi was being a bit hasty. The research institutions in J Country indeed needed an overhaul, but she was not yet the King. If she started to reform now, would they refuse to accept it?
Chapter 1488: 1487, come and watch the excitement
“Where are they?” Tan Rou thought about going over to check out the situation.
Shang Jin said, “Why do you care what they’re up to? It’s their own business, let them handle it. We should focus on our own tasks. We still haven’t found the person who took the candid photos.”
However, Tan Rou said, “Didn’t we just say that the person in charge was also called away by Samiyi? If we want to investigate the surveillance, we need to get the approval document from the person in charge. Otherwise, even if I hack into their network system and get the video, it can’t be used as evidence.”
“Why not?” Shang Jin asked, “As long as we lay the evidence out before them, won’t they have no way to deny it?”
“You’re thinking too simply,” Tan Rou shook her head and said, “This evidence won’t help us find the thief; it could actually bring us big trouble. Just imagine, if you were a leader of a country, would you allow a foreigner who can hack into your country’s network system to stay close to you?”
Shang Jin was startled; she had almost forgotten that this was not their country. Although both the prince and princess had been very friendly to them, there was still a barrier between them.
...
Tan Rou indeed could present the evidence, but how would they explain where it came from? They had no way to explain.
“Alright,” Shang Jin said, “it seems we still need to find that person in charge.”
Neither of them knew where the person in charge was at that moment, so they sent a message to Rake. Rake responded to their message, but it was akin to not replying at all.
“What did Mr. Rake say?” Shang Jin leaned in to look at the message, “What does he mean by that?”
Tan Rou translated for Shang Jin, “Rake said the person in charge is with him.”
“Oh,” Shang Jin nodded, “then where is the person in charge?”
Tan Rou shook her head, “I don’t know, he didn’t say.”
Shang Jin was speechless, “He doesn’t seem very smart.”
“A bit. Never mind, I’ll just call him directly,” Tan Rou said.
But this time, Rake didn’t answer the phone. After Tan Rou tried again, Rake simply turned his phone off.
“Still no contact?” Shang Jin asked.
Tan Rou furrowed her brow and said, “He turned his phone off.”
“What?” Shang Jin said in annoyance, “He actually dared to hang up on you. It seems like he doesn’t want to cooperate anymore.”
Tan Rou was very calm, “Perhaps Mr. Rake has something to deal with. We shouldn’t just wait here foolishly, let’s do something else in the meantime.”
Shang Jin said, “Okay, let’s head to the lab then, I have a question I want to ask you.”
Before the two set out, Tan Rou’s phone rang. She thought it was Rake calling back. She checked and saw it was Lang Yue.
“Boss boss, have you arrived?” Lang Yue’s voice was very low; it seemed he was hiding somewhere making the call.
“I’m here,” Tan Rou answered, “I was just about to head your way.”
“You don’t have to come to the lab because we are not there,” Lang Yue continued in a low voice, “I’ll give you an address, hurry over for the excitement.”
Tan Rou didn’t understand what could be so exciting about the lab. Could it be that those nobles who came here to while away their time brought in a new game?
No, the nobles had already been summoned by Samiyi for reprimanding; they should have no time for games now.
“Alright, send me the address,” Tan Rou said, “I’ll be right there.”
Lang Yue sent Tan Rou an address, and she showed it to Shang Jin, “Where is this place?”
“The conference hall on the first basement floor?” Shang Jin pointed somewhere, “I remember we can get to the conference hall if we go this way. Are we going there now?”
“Lang Yue and the others are not in the lab; he said there’s excitement for us to see and told us to hurry over,” Tan Rou replied.
As soon as the prospect of excitement was mentioned, Shang Jin became energized, “Then let’s hurry over!”
So they followed the address Lang Yue had given. When they reached outside the conference hall, they saw a group of people in white lab coats eavesdropping at the door.
“What are you all eavesdropping on here?” Shang Jin asked.
“Shh shh shh!” Lang Yue immediately turned his head and made a “shushing” gesture, “Keep your voice down, don’t disturb the people inside.”
“Oh. Where’s the excitement you mentioned?” Shang Jin asked.
Lang Yue pointed to the conference hall, “It’s in there.”
Chapter 1489: Route 1488 just passing by
Shang Jin also pressed her ear against the door, “Can you guys make some room for me? I can’t hear anything.”
Lang Yue didn’t want to move over, “No way, if I give up my spot to you, then my translator won’t be able to pick up their voices.”
To eavesdrop using the translator, Lang Yue and the others had intentionally brought Bluetooth earpieces, otherwise the translator’s volume would be too loud and they could get caught.
Shang Jin didn’t bring a translator with her, so naturally, she couldn’t understand what the people inside were saying. Therefore, she tried to grab Lang Yue’s translator, “Hey, you’ve been listening for so long, you must have heard a lot. Now it’s my turn. Hand over the translator and let me listen for a while.”
Lang Yue was at a critical moment in his eavesdropping, he didn’t want to give the translator to Shang Jin, “No way, if you want to listen, go back and get your own translator. I’m not giving mine up.”
“Stingy!” Shang Jin stuck out her tongue, “I won’t ask to borrow it from you anymore.”
...
So Shang Jin turned her gaze to the other team members, but the rest of the team members also didn’t want to lend their translators to her.
“What exactly is happening inside?” Shang Jin asked anxiously, “Can’t any of you just tell me?”
Lang Yue said with a smile, “We told you to go back and get your translator. You didn’t want to, so there is nothing we can do.”
However, Tan Rou said, “Let me translate it for you. Right now, Samiyi is speaking. She specifically criticized a few scientific personnel and mentioned terminating them from their positions.”
Shang Jin nodded, “Some people indeed should be terminated. All they do is go upstairs to drink coffee every day, doing no work at all, and they bully those who work diligently. If such people can stay here, then I will stop working hard in the future too. Who doesn’t want to go upstairs for coffee and watch TV?”
Tan Rou glanced at Shang Jin and said, “We can’t adopt their work attitude.”
Shang Jin laughed, “Ah, I was just making an analogy. I didn’t actually mean to adopt their way of working.”
“Can you keep it down? I can’t hear what they’re saying inside.” Lang Yue pulled Shang Jin over, “Here, I’ll share one of the Bluetooth earpieces with you. Don’t talk anymore, got it?”
Shang Jin made an “OK” gesture and then she and Lang Yue listened together to what was being said inside.
As they listened, the sound from inside seemed to get softer, and the sentences translated by their devices were intermittent and made no sense.
“Is there a problem with the machine?” Lang Yue tapped the translator a couple of times, but the sentences it translated were still incoherent, “Is your translator experiencing glitches?”
The team members nodded in agreement, indicating that the sentences they heard were also incomplete.
The translator’s ability to differentiate sound levels wasn’t as good as the human ear, so when the voices inside became softer, the sentences they heard were incomplete.
The best solution was to get closer to the source of the sound. The louder the sound, the clearer the sentences heard, and the clearer the translation.
“Crack the door open a bit wider,” Shang Jin commanded, “that way, the sound we hear will be louder.”
Lang Yue protested, “No, if we open the door too much, we’ll be discovered.”
“That won’t happen,” Shang Jin reassured, “they are busy with their meeting right now; they won’t have time to bother with us.”
Lang Yue was somewhat tempted, “Okay, I’ll push the door open a bit, then slip the translator inside. That way, we’ll be able to hear more.”
Tan Rou was zoning out, pondering whether Samiyi’s decision was the right one and didn’t notice what Lang Yue and Shang Jin were doing. When she came back to her senses, those two had already pushed the door open. Just as they were about to slip the translator through, an accident occurred.
Lang Yue and Shang Jin were tenaciously stuffing the translator inside, and the other team members, also wanting to hear more, did the same. With too many people in one place, it becomes crowded, and crowding leads to problems, so the whole group ended up pushing the door wide open.
“Oops!”
“This is bad!”
“Who’s pressing on me?”
Looking at them, Tan Rou felt her brain twitching in pain, “Uh… If I say this was an accident and we were just passing by, would you believe me?”
She figured probably nobody would.
Chapter 1490: 1489 inciting discord
Samiyi was stunned too. She instantly forgot what she was about to say, and merely watched the group of people at the door silently.
Shang Jin was extremely embarrassed. She covered her face and apologized, “I’m sorry, we didn’t mean to, we were just passing by. It’s our fault for disturbing you; we’ll leave now.”
Since their translators were connected to Bluetooth earpieces, those inside had no idea what she was saying, aware only that she was muttering to herself.
At this point, it seemed necessary for the boss to come out and explain for them. In other companies, employees would handle issues for the boss, but their company was different, the boss resolved the problems.
Tan Rou said, “I’m sorry, we didn’t know you were having a meeting inside. I was just looking for a place to hold a meeting for my employees, and they mentioned there was a conference hall here, so we came over.”
“When we heard voices inside, we didn’t rush in. We planned to wait outside until you had finished your meeting. But the door here seems a bit flimsy, we barely touched it, and it just opened on its own.”
...
“Who believes your nonsense?” Xite, previously chastised by Tan Rou, jumped up and shouted, “You must have wanted to eavesdrop on our conversation, that’s why you came here.”
Tan Rou sneered, “Is there a secret you don’t want me to know? Oh, you were being lectured, are you ashamed?”
“You…” Xite was pointing at Tan Rou, but his hands were secured, and he couldn’t move them at all.
“Does Miss Rou need the conference room?” Samiyi asked, “I’m afraid it’s not available today, you would have to come back tomorrow if you really want to use it.”
Tan Rou was puzzled. Was just firing some people such that it takes so long?
“Oh, alright.” Since the other party didn’t ask her to stay, Tan Rou couldn’t linger there any longer. “Then we’ll be leaving now.”
Just as Tan Rou was about to leave, Samiyi suddenly called out to her, “Miss Rou, do you have time now?”
Tan Rou certainly had time, she wouldn’t be here eavesdropping otherwise, “Yes, I do.”
Samiyi nodded slightly, “Then please stay a bit longer, I have a matter I need your help with.”
Tan Rou also wanted to stay. She was curious about how Samiyi would handle those people. Could it really be that all the aristocratic children would be fired? Then the population in this research building would decrease by a third all at once.
“Okay.” Tan Rou secretly waved at Shang Jin and her group, signaling them to hurry up and leave.
Shang Jin and Lang Yue, feeling awkward about staying longer, quickly scrambled up from the ground and ran off.
“Why do you allow a foreign woman to hear our meeting?” Tan Rou hadn’t even reached Samiyi when she heard Mahri expressing his dissatisfaction, “No, this is an internal matter, outsiders shouldn’t be involved!”
Samiyi scoffed, “Duke Mahri, you are not a researcher either, so you actually have no right to be here today. If Xite hadn’t been injured, do you think I would have allowed you to accompany him here?”
Mahri clenched his teeth in anger, “Princess, aren’t you trusting these foreigners too much? Don’t forget, we are your subjects, these foreigners are not. They won’t come to your aid when you face danger.”
Tan Rou suddenly felt it was a bit ridiculous. So far, all the dangers Samiyi had faced came from the people of this country. Yet here she was, the criticized foreigner, doing her utmost to protect Samiyi.
“Mahri, you have no right to speak here!” Samiyi glared at Mahri, “If you dare speak another word, I will have you thrown out of this conference hall!”
“Your Highness!” Mahri said, deeply grieved, “These foreigners will definitely cause us trouble. They keep finding faults with us, one moment they say our labs aren’t good enough, and the next they complain our food doesn’t suit their tastes. They aren’t here to discuss collaboration, they are here to create trouble!”
“Isn’t that the truth?” Samiyi was nearly amused by his desperation, “Mahri, don’t try to stir discord between us, I can judge for myself.”