Ch. 1491..1500
Chapter 1491: 1490 wide-eyed
Tan Rou was not so moved by these words that she would forget what she had to do. She carried on as she should, just like Mahri had said—after all, they were from two different countries. While they could offer each other some help, it had to be without infringing on the interests of their own nations.
Since Samiyi wanted to put in every effort to maintain the relationship between them, Tan Rou would grant her that respect. Before she left, she would do some things for Samiyi.
Samiyi looked at Tan Rou and then said, “Miss Tan Rou, please come over here. I have something to discuss with you.”
Tan Rou walked over to Samiyi’s side, “Yes, please instruct me, Your Highness.”
Samiyi did not quibble over titles and said, “I have some documents that need to be reviewed by professionals. The workload is significant, so I hope Miss Tan Rou won’t mind.”
Tan Rou nodded, “Alright, please hand me the documents.”
...
Samiyi pointed to a few boxes on the ground and said, “All the materials are inside. There is a name on each document bag. When Miss Tan Rou calls someone’s name, that person will come forward for assessment. Anyone who fails the test can get out!”
Xite was the first to object, just like his father, he came to make trouble for Tan Rou, “Your Highness, forgive me for not accepting your decision at this moment. Why should a foreign woman determine our fates?”
“We have worked here for so many years, not to mention the contributions we’ve made—least of all, the significant effort we’ve put into building this lab. I do not agree to let her be part of the assessment.”
Samiyi did not wish to explain anything to Xite. She said with utmost calm, “As I’ve already emphasized, those who do not wish to comply can get out. Don’t waste my time here.”
“I disagree!” Xite protested. “I believe other researchers will not agree either. We have worked here for so many years; do you not care about us at all?”
Samiyi let out a cold laugh, “Do you really have the face to say you worked here for so many years? Don’t think I don’t know what the break area upstairs is there for! Do you spend more time working or drinking coffee?”
Xite said, “The break area is there to ensure everyone is well-rested. You must understand that scientific research is incredibly exhausting; we only go there to rest when we’re tired.”
With Xite leading the charge, others chimed in, saying they only went there to rest when tired and didn’t spend all their time in the lounge.
“Are you sure?” Samiyi’s expression was mocking. “I’ll give you one more chance to repeat what you just said, in case you won’t have the opportunity to speak later.”
Xite did not understand why Samiyi would say this, but he repeated his words nonetheless.
After he finished speaking, Samiyi suddenly said, “Please turn on the display in front. I have some things to show these researchers.”
Then she turned to Tan Rou, “Miss Tan Rou, please take this time to review the documents. Anyone whose research results do not meet the standards should be immediately dismissed. We do not tolerate idlers in the kingdom’s research facility; if they are not competent, they should leave the research institute!”
Tan Rou was not yet aware of the standards, but Rake said, “Miss Tan Rou, please come with me. I will tell you what the standards are.”
“Alright.” As Tan Rou walked toward the documents, she glanced up at the big screen, curious about the evidence Samiyi would present to silence Xite and the others.
At that moment, she caught sight of someone in her peripheral view. This person was standing off to the side, so not many had noticed him. He was connecting multiple USB drives to a computer. As he operated the mouse, the electronic screen on stage changed accordingly.
With some thought, Tan Rou could guess that it was Lin Yu controlling the screen. She had heard in the morning that Samiyi had come with Lin Yu, but she had not seen him on stage just now; he had been working on the computer below the stage.
Lin Yu had finished adjusting the computer, then nodded at Samiyi.
Samiyi said, “Didn’t you want to see evidence? Well, keep your eyes wide open and watch closely!”
Chapter 1492: 1491 evidence
The large screen displayed a scene—this was a video, and the protagonist in it was Xite. The bottom-left corner of the video showed the time: 10 a.m., when everyone should have been working in the lab. However, Xite was not in the lab; instead, he carried a cup of coffee, strolling leisurely in the relaxation area.
“Hey, young master Xite, taking another break, are you?” a pretty waitress inquired, “Would you like some cake?”
Xite responded, “No need, I’ve already had three slices of cake just now. I’ve gone over my sugar quota for today, I can’t eat any more.”
Then Xite moved on to the next place, continuing to chat with the service staff there. The staff seemed quite accustomed to Xite’s wanderings—it appeared they had even prepared the items Xite needed in advance. As soon as Xite arrived, they would immediately hand him what they had prepared.
The video spanned fifteen minutes, but it was not all from one stretch of time—it apparently covered a period of three days, from morning to afternoon. Yet nearly every time segment showed Xite loitering around. If he wasn’t loitering in the relaxation area, he wasn’t inside the lab building because he hardly ever visited his laboratory.
Upon seeing the video, Xite’s complexion turned ugly. He angrily asked, “Who filmed my video? This is an invasion of my privacy, and I’m going to sue.”
...
“I ordered the video to be filmed,” Samiyi spoke indifferently, “Do you have a problem with that?”
If it had been any other time, Xite would have likely started arguing with Samiyi. A caged canary of a princess, what right did she have to interfere in his business?
But Xite had been warned by Mahri not to oppose Samiyi. Samiyi now represented the King, and if they opposed Samiyi, they would be the ones to suffer.
“Your Highness, why did you order someone to film me?” Xite asked, displeased.
Samiyi countered with a question, “Do you know what this place is?”
Xite replied, “A research base, what else could it be?”
“Then tell me, what should the scientific researchers within a research base be doing?” Samiyi asked with a smile.
Xite responded, “Researchers should be conducting scientific research here.”
“And what have you been doing?” Samiyi asked in an even tone, “My people have been following you for three days. I know exactly how long you’ve spent in your lab. If you doubt the authenticity of this video, we can check the surveillance footage.”
Rather than admitting to his laziness, Xite shifted the blame onto others. “Your Highness, although this is our research base, it has been overrun by these foreigners!”
Pointing at Tan Rou, he said, “They’ve taken the best resources. All the good equipment has been hoarded by them. How are the rest of us supposed to conduct experiments?”
Tan Rou was just standing by the side when out of nowhere the mud was flung at her—she couldn’t care less about the shabby gadgets of the J country’s research base. Such things, even if offered to her, she would not want; yet Xite had the audacity to claim they had taken the best resources—how could he shamelessly make such a statement?
“If you’re unhappy,” Tan Rou said with indifference, “feel free to take the equipment back. In a week at most, my new equipment will be shipped over. Then we won’t need to use yours any longer, and don’t try to blame your slacking on us.”
Samiyi remarked, “You’re quite amusing, blaming your laziness on the equipment—that caught me off guard. Since you enjoy resting so much, from now on you don’t need to come to work. Just rest well!”
Nobles like Xite weren’t short of money; they didn’t need to work. The reasons they came to work here were first to let the state support them and second, to obtain the latest scientific research results first.
They were not only workers here but also spies sent by major families into various fields. Not only were there noble spies inside the research institutes but also many others in different places.
When Mahri heard that his son could be kicked out, he was the first to object. “Your Highness, it’s only these few days that Xite hasn’t worked, that doesn’t mean he hasn’t worked at other times. You can’t just let him go,” he stated.
Chapter 1493: 1492 Lost Data
“Again, Your Highness, you do not have the authority to dismiss Xite. Everything here is overseen by Mr. Basha, and without his approval to dismiss Xite, even you cannot make him leave!” Mahri seemed to have indeed found a good way to stop Samiyi.
Samiyi nodded slightly, “Your reason is very sound, go on, you were about to convince me.”
Mahri suddenly seemed less confident, “Your Highness, if you could provide some evidence of your claims, we might accept your decision.”
Samiyi gave a slight smile, “Please display another set of photos.”
Upon hearing this, Lin Yu immediately operated the computer. The image on the electronic screen changed, this time the background was not the leisure area but inside the laboratory.
Although the laboratories inside the experimental building all looked quite similar, Tan Rou could distinguish this one from the others at a glance because it contained many of her team members’ belongings. For instance, the small cup Shang Jin liked, the pen Lang Yue preferred to use, and some other personal items brought by other team members.
...
“This is our laboratory!” Tan Rou muttered under her breath, “Why take these pictures? Wait, could it be that Samiyi had someone secretly photograph TR’s team at work?”
Rake overheard her speaking and quietly asked, “What did you say?”
Tan Rou put down the document she was looking at and replied in a low voice, “This is Ah Jin and the others’ laboratory; I don’t know why you are photographing them.”
Actually, Rake was also unclear about the situation as he had been called over on short notice. The princess had only asked him to review the documents, she had not discussed anything else with him.
“I’m not sure either, you could ask Her Highness,” Rake would pass on questions he couldn’t answer to someone else.
Tan Rou did not expect him to answer, but her curiosity about who was secretly photographing them compelled her to quietly move a few steps closer to the electronic screen to get a better look at the images.
The background of the photo was Shang Jin and others’ laboratory, but the main subject was not Shang Jin and his colleagues, but a sneaky Xite.
Why describe Xite as sneaky? Because he was creeping into the laboratory with a bent posture, continuously looking around, and even from the photo, it was apparent he was very cautious.
“Who took these photos?” Xite stood up and shouted, “Who did this?”
Tan Rou also wanted to know who had done it, but another matter also intrigued her. Shang Jin had mentioned yesterday that they’d discovered someone secretly photographing and also found that items were missing. However, Xite had not been there yesterday; he hadn’t been around for days. So, who was secretly photographing and stealing yesterday? Could it be that Xite had an accomplice?
Samiyi said, “Xite, do you admit that you snuck into someone else’s laboratory?”
Xite stubbornly said, “I went there to interact cordially with them, not sneaking around. They all saw me.”
“Them seeing you doesn’t mean they knew what you were there to do,” Tan Rou suddenly spoke up, “Your Highness, my team members called me for help yesterday afternoon. They said someone was secretly observing them, had photographed them, and even stolen the organized data.”
Samiyi asked with some annoyance, “Such a thing has actually happened? Mr. Basha, do you have anything to say?”
The person called Basha wiped the sweat from his face and then said, “Your Highness, please give me some time, I will investigate this thoroughly.”
Tan Rou added, “My team members had already told you about this, but what have you done? You told them the surveillance in the laboratory was broken and it was impossible to review the monitors, didn’t you?”
Basha emphasized, “Your Highness, the surveillance in that laboratory was indeed broken, I am not lying.”
“Since you knew the surveillance was broken, then why didn’t you fix it?” Tan Rou asked, “Do you know how important the stuff in there is? Could you be responsible if the experimental data was stolen? No, the experimental data has already been lost.”
She said to Samiyi, “Your Highness, the lost items include some experimental data, what do you think should be done?”
Chapter 1494: 1493 claimed
“What?” Samiyi suddenly became somewhat nervous, “When was the data lost? Is it important?”
If it were anything else that had been lost, Samiyi might not have been so nervous, but if data or research materials related to an experiment were lost, then he had to take it seriously. After all, Tan Rou’s team was working for their own country, and all research materials belonged to them. If anything was lost, it would be their own loss.
“It’s not particularly important, but we can’t just let it wander out there,” Tan Rou said, “My suggestion is to get it back quickly and fix the surveillance ASAP. Anyone can enter this laboratory, and without any surveillance, who knows what else might be lost?”
Samiyi nodded and said, “You’re right, I will have someone strengthen the security and fix the surveillance.”
“Your Highness, the photos are not yet finished,” Lin Yu suddenly said, “Perhaps the item Miss Rou wants to find could appear in the upcoming photos.”
Tan Rou glanced over at Lin Yu. She had been suspicious since Lin Yu started working with the computer. Why did this job have to be assigned to Lin Yu?
...
Moreover, Lin Yu had indeed been to the laboratory building. During their visit together, Lin Yu had even brought a camera. No matter how she considered it, Tan Rou felt something was off about Lin Yu. Bringing a camera to the laboratory building, wasn’t it for capturing experimental secrets rather than scenery?
Lin Yu opened a photo taken yesterday afternoon after four, showing the same laboratory where Shang Jin worked but with different people.
Tan Rou looked at the people in the photo and then chuckled, “Our laboratory is really quite popular, huh? Why does everyone want to visit? Not only to visit but also to take some souvenirs with them. I just wonder if this lady had the consent of my team members when she took those ‘souvenirs’.”
In the crowd, a noble lady’s face turned pale. She was sure no one saw her when she took the items; how could she still be caught on camera?
“Whose photo is this?” Samiyi asked, “Come and claim it quickly.”
The noble lady immediately lowered her head, but it was no use because people recognized her. The photo had been shown, and they were looking for her.
“Miss Mia, is this you? Aren’t you a lady? How could you do such a thing?” Xite and Mia had always been at odds. Their fathers were both dukes, and their positions were about equal, so they often fought when they were in the laboratory.
“It was me!” Mia, unable to stand Xite’s provocation, replied, “Since I dared to do it, I dare to admit it. I’m not like some people who claim they are there for friendly exchanges when they actually want to steal things. Such thick-skinned!”
Xite glared at Mia, “I did not steal anything, but Miss Mia did. Such behavior is extremely vile!”
“Do you think you are the good guy?” Mia said angrily, “Don’t think I don’t know why you were in the lab. You were trying to help your father acquire more scientific products. Our purposes are the same, so don’t talk down to me.”
“I wanted to purchase their research products, but I did not act like a thief!” Xite yelled.
Tan Rou quietly watched these two young nobles who were about to start fighting. It must be said, they really knew how to make trouble for their fathers, bragging about trying to secretly buy national secret products in front of the princess—truly wonderful sons and daughters.
Samiyi’s face turned red with anger, and Mahri’s face went white with fear.
“Xite, shut up!” Mahri really wanted to go up and slap his son, to swell that stupid mouth so he couldn’t talk.
Xite was busy arguing with Mia and completely missed his father’s shouts.
The other young nobles laughed at such chaos, thinking how foolish these two were. How careless they were, not only getting caught but also photographed. These two were really too foolish.
However, their laughter did not last long because the videos and photos were not yet finished.
Lin Yu played a few more videos and a series of photos, saying, “Ladies and gentlemen, please come forward and claim your parts.”
Chapter 1495: 1494 just bugger off
The noble children who had been stuffed inside to steal secrets were no longer laughing, for each of them had their own photographs, a few or several, and some even had videos.
Although not everyone had visited Shang Jin’s laboratory, the photographs showed that they were touring other laboratories, which confirmed their intent to secretly purchase scientific research products.
Samiyi was enraged, no wonder their country’s scientific research had never made significant progress. On one hand, their hardware facilities were definitely not up to par, but unexpectedly, there was another reason behind it.
Without the palace’s knowledge, these nobles dared to secretly purchase the products of research. If the research products were bought by them, how could the palace receive any quality products?
“You really have some nerve!” Samiyi could no longer contain herself and exploded in front of so many people, “Get out, all of you get out, and don’t let me see you again in the research base!”
Tan Rou was startled by Samiyi, and although she knew that Samiyi had a temper, she had no idea that it could be this fierce. Quickly covering her ears, Tan Rou waited for Samiyi to finish scolding everyone before letting go.
...
Rake had been looking at the documents in the box, but after Samiyi’s outburst, he wasn’t sure if he should continue, because Samiyi wanted everyone in the photographs to get out, and their research findings were in the box, albeit useless junk. Yet, since the princess had ordered him, he had to follow through.
Rake glanced at Tan Rou, as if asking whether she wanted to continue looking. Tan Rou thought Rake was asking if she wanted to come back and look at the documents, so she shook her head. Why bother with text when the visuals were much more entertaining? She was nearly out of her mind with laughter from this comedy.
Interpreting Tan Rou’s gesture incorrectly, Rake thought she meant there was no need to look any further. So, he put down the documents and scurried over to join Tan Rou in watching the comedy.
Tan Rou said with a laugh to Rake, “People from your country are quite good at comedy, their performances are even more exciting than the TV dramas in our country.”
“Heh heh,” Rake gave an embarrassed smile, “Thank you for the compliment.” If it were possible, he wished he didn’t have to witness such a ‘comedy’.
Seeing the princess erupt, the person in charge named Basha immediately stepped forward: “Your Highness, there are simply too many people here; if you fire them all, who will do their work?”
If the situation had been different, Samiyi would have really liked to smack him across the face with her shoe, “Do you have the nerve to ask me how their work will be done? Why don’t you ask them if they have been working seriously at all?”
“Every day, they either lounge around in the leisure area drinking coffee, or they think about how to steal from others. Have you really seen them working diligently? Where are the results of their research? If you can find even one decent research result, I will keep them!”
Basha looked around; he knew each one of the nobles’ children there, as he had personally recruited them. He was well aware of their backgrounds and that they had no significant technology.
It was possible for them to research how a coffee machine operated, but expecting them to research how satellites fly into outer space was just too much for them.
“Your Highness, please give them one more chance,” Basha pleaded, “I can guarantee with my own integrity that this will never happen again, and they will surely produce scientific research results!”
“Very well,” Samiyi responded, “Since you’ve asked forgiveness for them, I will save you some face. You can get out with them, and don’t let me see you at any event!”
“Okay, okay… Huh?” Basha was stunned, “Your Highness, what did you say?”
“Was I not clear enough?” Samiyi spelled it out word by word, “Get out with them, and let me never see you again!”
Basha’s temper flared up as he retorted, “Your Highness, my appointment was approved by His Majesty the King, so you can’t tell me to get out.”
Samiyi replied, “What a coincidence, it was His Majesty the King who sent me to deal with this matter.”
Chapter 1496: Are you not afraid of 1495?
Samiyi picked up a document from the table and said, “This document bears His Majesty the King’s signature and seal. He has entrusted me with the management of affairs here. Who stays and who leaves, everyone must follow my arrangements.”
Basha couldn’t believe it, “No, I must verify this with His Majesty the King myself.”
Samiyi was growing impatient. Today’s events had made her very angry, and the man responsible for all this was right in front of her—Samiyi had no intention of letting him off easily.
“Drag him away and lock him up!” Samiyi gestured with her hand, and immediately the guards seized Basha. “Once I’ve dealt with everything, throw him in prison for twenty years. I don’t want to see him again!”
Basha struggled as he pleaded: “Your Highness, you can’t do this to me. I have dedicated so much effort to this research base over the years…”
He couldn’t finish his sentence before the guards dragged him away.
...
Samiyi asked, “Does anyone else have any objections to my decision?”
Although the crowd had their doubts, after seeing Basha dragged away by the guards, they turned mute. No one wanted to end up in prison. Since Samiyi hadn’t considered this yet, it was better to remain silent.
Xite and Mia decided not to cause any more trouble either. They could find work elsewhere, but they absolutely couldn’t end up in prison.
Samiyi felt a bit worn out and said, “Everyone go back and pack your things. Leave. Go wherever you want, just don’t waste our resources by staying here. I will draft a resignation contract. Sign it and then you can leave.”
People in the meeting hall quickly scattered, worried Samiyi might change her mind, so it was best to slip away quickly.
Only after everyone had left did Tan Rou approach Samiyi, pulling a piece of candy from her pocket. “Have some candy. It can help relieve your fatigue.”
Samiyi stuffed the candy into her mouth and sighed, “At first, I thought they were just being lazy, but I didn’t expect they’d actually go behind the palace’s back and do all of this. I underestimated them.”
Tan Rou said, “They’re all nobles who don’t need to work, so they must have come here with a purpose. I don’t think the leisure area upstairs with food and drink is enough to attract them.”
Samiyi, exhausted, said, “We’ve been neglectful. We rarely pay attention to this place, only demanding the research outcomes without caring about each individual’s work.”
“In the past few years, we could at least see some results from the research, which, although not as good as your products, were still good enough for our country’s people.”
Samiyi continued, “But the quality has dropped significantly in recent years. My brother sent someone to investigate, but they found no major issues. The investigator said it was because our researchers lacked the skills to create quality products.”
Tan Rou complained, “Couldn’t you have come to check on things yourselves?”
“I can’t get out, and my brother doesn’t have the time, and Laka…” Samiyi said helplessly, “You know Laka’s condition, he couldn’t handle such matters. It would be better to have Mr. Lin deal with it than him.”
Speaking of Mr. Lin, Mr. Lin arrived.
“Your Highness, all the photos and videos have finished playing.” Lin Yu handed the USB drive to Samiyi. “Please keep this safe. It can be used as evidence.”
Tan Rou asked, “Were you the one who secretly filmed them?”
Lin Yu replied somewhat sheepishly, “It’s a bit complicated. I haven’t had the chance to explain to you all yet. When I have some free time, I’ll explain it to your team.”
“No need.” Tan Rou said, “I’ll explain to them.”
Lin Yu expressed his thanks, “Thank you for your understanding.”
But Tan Rou was worried about something else, “Aren’t you afraid they’ll retaliate against you for filming their theft and laziness?”
“Of course, I am!” Lin Yu replied with a smile. “That’s why I took the footage secretly! The moment anyone discovered me, I would tap into my fifty-meter sprint speed and bolt forward. That way, I wouldn’t get caught.”
Tan Rou couldn’t help but give him thumbs up as she asked, “Why do you put yourself at such risk?”
Lin Yu answered, “I just want to do something for those who are truly working hard.”
Chapter 1497: 1496 will retaliate
“You’re quite responsible,” Tan Rou said with a smile, “but you are indeed brave. I admire your actions.”
Lin Yu, however, responded very modestly, “Mainly because His Majesty the King gave me a benefit. He promised to give me a villa, so I came over to secretly take photos and videos for him.”
Tan Rou also guessed that it wasn’t Samiyi who had arranged this, since Samiyi had always been very busy and she hadn’t spent much time with Lin Yu. It was impossible for Lin Yu to be helping her. The only possibility was that the King had arranged for Lin Yu to take the photos.
“Mr. Lin, I’m not aware of the villa matter, but you don’t need to worry. Once my brother wakes up, I’ll make sure he gives you the villa,” Samiyi said gratefully, “We owe you a lot for this incident. To express my gratitude, I’d like to give you a car as well. Just let me know when you want it.”
Lin Yu said, “Thank you, Your Highness, Princess, but the villa is already enough. After all, not everyone can afford a villa on Madai Island.”
“What place is that?” Samiyi really hadn’t heard of it before.
...
Tan Rou had heard of the place though. It was a heart-shaped island in the ocean, not very large, but a very popular vacation spot. Every year, countless tourists went there to have fun.
If he could own a villa on that island, Lin Yu wouldn’t have to worry about money ever again. Just renting out the villa would make his life very happy.
“It’s a vacation spot,” Lin Yu explained briefly, “If the Princess wishes to visit, you can go there in the future. It’s quite a beautiful place.”
Samiyi hadn’t left the palace for many years, let alone the country, so there were many places she didn’t know about.
“I guess there won’t be an opportunity,” Samiyi said with a trace of sadness on her face. If she were to remain just a princess, she could go anywhere she wanted, but she was about to become King. All her schedules were fully planned, leaving her no time to play.
“Your Highness, Princess, how should we deal with these documents?” Rake approached and asked, “Do we still need to look at them?”
Samiyi waved her hand and said, “No need, everyone has been dismissed. What’s the point of looking at the documents now? I don’t even want to know what they’ve accomplished because, in my opinion, those people weren’t going to achieve anything.”
Rake nodded and said, “Yes, I just looked at a few documents and indeed didn’t find anything useful, just some pointless data. Even if there were results, they weren’t theirs. They just wrote their names into other research teams.”
“Take them away and destroy them!” Samiyi commanded, “Rake, you handle this. Find one and cross off a name; they won’t be appearing here again.”
Looking at the several boxes of documents, Rake asked, “May I find someone to help me carry them?”
“I’ll help you carry them,” Lin Yu said as he rolled up his sleeves, “Where should we take them?”
“Just follow me,” Rake said, and led people to dispose of the boxes.
After everyone left, Tan Rou found the chance to speak with Samiyi, “Your actions today were a bit impulsive and could easily provoke their revenge.”
Samiyi said very calmly, “I know, but I had no choice. If I didn’t do it, no one else would. Our country’s technological development is too disappointing. If we don’t change, then those who truly want to serve the country will leave as well.
“Yeah, I understand your point of view. If it were me, I wouldn’t want to stay in such an environment either,” Tan Rou said. “On one hand, the working conditions are poor, and on the other, the work atmosphere is terrible. I work seriously while others are just getting by, and in the end, they still get paid and praised. I definitely couldn’t accept that.”
“Hmm,” Samiyi nodded, “I’ll frequently send people to inspect this place from now on. There will no longer be situations where people only take money without doing any work.”
Tan Rou warned, “Samiyi, those dismissed will surely not take it lightly. You must be careful about your own safety. I think they’ll certainly seek revenge.”
Samiyi nodded, “Hmm, I’ll pay attention to my safety. You as well, since they’ve repeatedly come to steal from you, it means they’re interested in your research achievements, so they definitely won’t easily give up on stealing.”
Chapter 1498: 1497 is going to a meeting
Tan Rou smiled, “Our research achievements will never be stolen by them. We always clean up after our experiments. The reason they succeeded that day was that the items were already discarded data.”
Then Samiyi was relieved, “Good, I know now. In the coming period, I’ll increase security to protect you and your team members, ensuring that they won’t be harmed and there won’t be any theft.”
Tan Rou thanked Samiyi first, then whispered to her, “Tomorrow is the day we scheduled with the Dawn Society. Are you ready?”
The meeting times of the Dawn Society were quite unusual; they did not meet during the day. Each meeting started at two in the morning and ended before five. Afterwards, they would greet the dawn together.
Samiyi said, “Hmm, we’re leaving tonight. We’ll get there early and see how many people will attend the meeting. Also, do you have any recording devices? I plan to record their conversations.”
“I don’t recommend doing that,” Tan Rou said. “The members of the Dawn Society are very cautious. Surely our phones will be taken away, and they’ll definitely check us before we enter. If we take recording devices in, it will surely make them suspicious.”
...
Samiyi had also considered this, which is why she asked Tan Rou if there were any small recording devices, preferably those that wouldn’t be detected. Since Tan Rou said it wasn’t feasible, Samiyi had to abandon that method. She would have to rely on her memory alone.
“Go back and get some sleep this afternoon,” Tan Rou said. “Otherwise, we won’t have the energy to stay up all night.”
Samiyi had also stayed up late the night before. If she didn’t go back to sleep, she really would run out of energy. “Okay, I will go back now. Are you coming with me?”
Tan Rou nodded and said, “Wait for me a few minutes. I’ll speak to my team members and then leave.”
Samiyi said, “Tell them that theft won’t happen again. I guarantee it on my honor. If there’s another theft, I’ll personally fund the construction of a laboratory for them in my own name.”
Tan Rou laughed and said, “Samiyi, you don’t need to go to such lengths. Even if you started constructing a laboratory now, it would take months to complete, and by that time, our experiment would be nearly done.”
Samiyi remarked, “I always feel so guilty. You all came here to help us, yet we couldn’t provide a proper lab environment and even introduced risks, which makes me feel terrible.”
Tan Rou comforted Samiyi, saying, “Samiyi, you are going to be a queen. Even if you feel bad, don’t say it out loud. Once you voice it, you reveal a weakness.”
Samiyi was startled, then responded, “You’re right, I shouldn’t have such emotions.” She laughed a little, regaining her composure. “Go on, take care of your business. I’ll do a round of inspections, and then we’ll head back together.”
“Okay,” Tan Rou nodded her head.
Only after all the work was done did Tan Rou and Samiyi head back to rest. It was around ten at night when they had supper and then began their nocturnal activities.
This time, Samiyi didn’t use the main or cargo doors, but led Tan Rou to a smaller door, “We’ll use this door. It’s safer.”
Tan Rou had no objections; she was willing to go wherever it was safe.
The number of patrol guards had increased on the way. Originally, in each team, at most three people had guns, but now it was different. At least half were armed.
Tan Rou and Samiyi hid behind a wall, whispering to each other.
“Why are there so many people with guns?” Samiyi puzzled, “Is the army so well-funded now?”
Tan Rou remarked, “I guess they’ve pulled in people from other places, especially since there was a violent brawl here a couple days ago.”
“When?” Samiyi was still confused.
Tan Rou smiled and said, “The time you and I taught them a lesson and then successfully escaped.”
Samiyi chuckled, “That sounds familiar.”
Chapter 1499: Chilly winds on a summer night in 1498
By the time the patrol passed by, Tan Rou and Samiyi quickly emerged from their hiding place and ran south. This time they were lucky, as they weren’t spotted by the patrol and safely reached the villa.
Samiyi walked up and knocked on the door, saying the code phrase as he knocked, “Dawn, dawn, a beautiful future!”
Soon, the small door slowly opened, and Bata appeared with a very dim kerosene lamp, cautiously asking, “Who are you?”
Samiyi replied, “I’m Sally, and this is my good friend Zhuang Rou, we were here just a few days ago.”
Bata seemed to have a strong impression of them, as he stepped aside, “Welcome, children of the dawn.”
Each time Tan Rou heard the words “children” or “child,” she felt a chill down her spine, although they said “children,” she always felt as if they meant “prey.”
...
Once inside, they realized that many people had already arrived, all dressed in black clothes with a golden disc at the chest, which looked much like the sun.
Upon entering the designated area, someone handed them clothes, “Ladies, please change into our attire.”
The one distributing the clothes was Ina, who, at that moment, held so many clothes in her arms that they nearly buried her.
Tan Rou wanted to ask her if the clothes were heavy, but at that moment, Tan Rou had to maintain her disguise; she wasn’t known as someone fluent in Japanese, so she tried to speak as little as possible.
Luckily, Samiyi had the same thought and asked, “Ina, aren’t the clothes heavy on you?”
Ina blinked, revealing a bright smile, “Not heavy at all, these clothes are very light for Ina.”
Samiyi took a set of clothes from Ina’s hands and found them not light at all. A few pieces might feel slightly heavy, but if dozens were piled on someone, they would definitely be very heavy.
However, Ina seemed not to feel it, as she moved through the crowd with a large pile of clothes, much like a brisk black butterfly.
“This little girl is quite strong,” Tan Rou whispered to Samiyi. “And she’s very bold. It was she who led us here last time, and she moved so fast that if we hadn’t cooperated well, we might have lost her.”
Samiyi too felt that Ina was not normal, “She seems to be very happy all the time, always wearing a smile on her face.”
“Sisters, what are you talking about?” Ina “flew” back to them.
Her movements were indeed very light; Tan Rou hadn’t even noticed her arrival.
“We’re just saying that there are a lot of people here!” Samiyi said with a smile.
Ina nodded, “Yes, there’s a big meeting today, everyone is here.”
Tan Rou whispered a few more words to Samiyi, who nodded and then started to probe Ina for more information.
“Ina, what do you do during your meetings here?” Samiyi asked.
Ina replied, “We don’t need to do anything, just answer questions. If Sister Sally has something to say, she can also tell Uncle Gand.”
“Are there other activities?” Samiyi asked, “Like an oath-taking ceremony, or perhaps eating something together?”
“Not at all,” Ina continued shaking her head, “Dawn is silent, so we also can’t make noise. But if Sister Sally gets hungry, she can find something to eat inside the kitchen, but be careful not to make any noise. If you disturb others, you will be punished.”
Samiyi asked again, “What kind of punishment?”
“Hehe,” Ina gave a sinister smile, “Ina doesn’t know, but if Sister Sally wants to know what the punishments are, you can try it out.”
Samiyi decided against trying. “Thank you for your answer, I think I should manage not to make any mistakes.”
“Sister Sally is a good child just like Ina; good children don’t get punished,” Ina said, narrowing her eyes with a smile.
Tan Rou and Samiyi both felt a shiver down their backs. Despite it being a swelteringly hot summer night, they still felt a chill, as a cold breeze blew over them, giving them an instant shiver.
“There can’t really be ghosts here, can there?” Samiyi looked around.
“Where there are many people, there are no ghosts,” Tan Rou said. “Plus, there are many lights here, ghosts won’t come to bright places.”
Chapter 1500: 1499 to Dawn
With Tan Rou by her side, Samiyi felt much more at ease. She patted her chest and said, “If it hadn’t been for you here, I think I would have fainted from fear.”
Tan Rou asked, “Are you afraid of ghosts?”
Having nothing else to do, Samiyi started sharing some childhood stories with Tan Rou.
“My mother passed away shortly after I was born, and I was always cared for by a nanny,” Samiyi said. “The nanny was a believer in spirits. Whenever I cried, she would scare me by saying that if I cried again, ghosts would come at night and kidnap me. That’s why I was always very afraid of the dark and ghosts.”
Tan Rou was somewhat puzzled, “Your nanny actually dared to say such things to you, did she no longer want her job?”
Samiyi responded helplessly, “The nanny was chosen by my mother, so my father and brother didn’t replace her. Actually, when my mother was alive, she was very normal. But after my mother died, she started to believe in ghosts and spirits, saying that if we did many good deeds, the spirits would allow the deceased to come see us. However, if we were disobedient, the spirits would abduct us and send us to hell.”
...
“What happened later?” Tan Rou pressed.
“Later, she became mentally unstable,” Samiyi said calmly. “She said she would take me to see the spirits, then she started a fire in the house. Fortunately, it was discovered by others. I was unharmed, but she was severely injured.”
“Oh,” Tan Rou nodded slightly, “Excessive belief can drive people insane.” She glanced at the people under the lights, then whispered, “You must never get caught up inside.”
Samiyi replied, “Don’t worry, I don’t have any beliefs.”
The two found an inconspicuous place to sit, puzzled why the meeting was held outside where there were so many insects. If it hadn’t been for Tan Rou bringing two mosquito-repellent sachets before coming, they would now be drained dry by the mosquitoes.
People kept entering through a small door. The light near the door was very dim, but the courtyard lights were very bright, causing confusion for Tan Rou.
“Won’t such bright lights attract the attention of patrolling soldiers?” Tan Rou asked, puzzled.
“Definitely,” Samiyi said. “But the patrolling soldiers won’t interfere with activities inside the houses, so as long as they don’t make noise, there won’t be any problem.”
“Haha,” Tan Rou laughed slightly and said, “Your country’s sense of crisis is really weak. With such bright lights, and lasting for such a long time, anyone would think something isn’t right here. It’s unbelievable that you haven’t noticed any problem until now.”
Samiyi said very sheepishly, “Our country indeed doesn’t do well in this regard. Don’t worry, it will be much better in the future.”
While they were talking, Gand appeared. As soon as he showed up, the lights in the courtyard dimmed a lot. He said, “The time is almost here, let’s go to ‘The Meeting Toward Dawn’ together!”
Tan Rou was still pondering what “The Meeting Toward Dawn” was when she noticed the ground starting to move slightly. Immediately afterward, a glowing entrance appeared.
Tan Rou and Samiyi exchanged glances, both surprised. They had thought the meeting was going to be held outside or inside a villa, and were wondering if there was a room big enough in the villa to accommodate so many people. But to their astonishment, the meeting room wasn’t in the villa at all; it was underground.
“Does this count as illegal construction?” Tan Rou asked Samiyi, walking last.
“It doesn’t,” Samiyi replied. “This is their basement, and it’s legally permissible to build basements.”
Tan Rou nodded slightly, “This place is very safe, even the police coming here wouldn’t discover the basement.”
Samiyi sighed, “If only the nobles had half their sense of unity, our country’s development wouldn’t have stalled for so many years.”
Tan Rou strongly agreed, “Not only are they united, they also have guns.”
This was also a point that Samiyi had to deal with. The other party was armed. Improper handling could lead to an armed conflict, something Samiyi did not wish to see.
“Let’s go inside and take a look,” Samiyi said. “Once we’re in, we need to speak as little as possible and not attract attention.”
Tan Rou said, “Hmm, I won’t speak up. You can handle all the queries.”