Ch. 2321..2330

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2321 -Rhea wanted to tell Fred to leave the surgery to her, but she could not bring herself to do it. Her fingers trembled as she thought, 'How am I supposed to perform such an intricate surgery alone?!' As if sensing her concerns, Fred said, "Don't worry, I've arranged top-notch assistants for you."

'What the hell?' Rhea thought. 'Why doesn't he have them perform the surgery instead? If they're the best, why are they my assistants and not the other way around?' Although she had always thought highly of herself, her expertise was limited to research and development of drugs. Surgeries like these were not what she did best.

"What's the matter? You can't handle it?" Fred asked somewhat unhappily after seeing her hesitance.

Rhea gulped and said with a forced smile, "I'm honored you trust me so much, but—"

"That's all I need to hear." Fred raised a hand and interrupted her. He knew he would not like what she was about to say.

"Rhea, I know you've performed brain surgeries before, and your academic performance in medical school was outstanding. Since you've always wanted the world to recognize your abilities, I hope you will prove yourself."

Fred looked at her profoundly, and she was speechless.

'I did perform brain surgeries before, but I only acted as an assistant to my professor. Besides—' Before she could finish her thought, Fred turned and shook hands with several men in white coats as they entered.

Rhea was shocked to see that one of them was the professor who had guided her in the brain surgeries. When the professor turned toward her, she nodded.

"Long time no see, professor."

The man was not surprised to see her and nodded with a smile.

"I told you I've found top-notch assistants for you,” Fred turned back to look at Rhea and said smugly, "Now you're confident enough to perform the surgery, right?"

"I'll do my best, Your Grace," Rhea said, nodding. She now realized the duke was not acting recklessly but was well-prepared.

After all, the organization had approached her when she was just a teenager, and the "boss" had worked for them even longer. Fred must have planned for this experiment for a very long time.

'Perhaps things aren't as bad as I thought they were, and everything will go smoothly,' she thought.

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2322 -"I don't want your best. I want your guarantee that it will succeed," Fred said as he stared at Rhea.

She took a deep breath and nodded firmly. "I promise it’ll be a success."

Seeing Rhea’s confident look, Fred nodded. "Good. Keep up the spirit, okay?"

He then lowered his head and said to a mouthpiece, "Is everything ready?"

After receiving a reply, Fred nodded and looked up at Rhea and three other surgeons. "Please get ready and change into surgical gowns now."

They went in deeper, and Rhea found a sterile room and an operating room, complete with all the surgical equipment necessary. Fred must have gone to great lengths to build this place in Hyderland in secret.

When they put on their surgical caps and masks, Fred got changed and joined them too. As they were the only people around, Rhea threw him an inquiring look.

Fred smiled." Don't worry. The test subjects will be here soon."

He called the queen and Lily test subjects, but Rhea didn't see any problem with that. If she had any doubts before, Fred had won her completely over by now.

She thought she was obsessed enough with experimenting and creating things, but Fred made her realize what real dedication was. It wasn't easy spending so many years preparing for one thing and not being able to share it openly with others.

At this moment, two boxes were pushed inside and opened before them. As Rhea expected, one of them contained Lily. She was awake, sitting quietly with her hands tied up. She was blindfolded too, so she couldn't see her surroundings.

When the other box opened, Rhea saw the queen of Yudonia for the first time and was impressed by her. Although the woman was old, she sat elegantly in her wheelchair, showing no signs of fear or anger.

The queen glanced around asking Fred, "Is it finally time to begin?"

Fred smiled. "Yes, my dear queen. It is. Are you happy?

"You look happier than me, that's for sure," the queen mocked.

"Of course, I'm happy. My dream is about to come true after so many years.

That said, you should be happier than me to be achieving immortality soon,"

Fred said cheerfully.

The queen sneered. “We still don't know whether I'll be achieving immortality or death, do we?

"Come on, don't be so pessimistic, Your Majesty!" Smiling, Fred remained hopeful. "I've brought the best neurosurgeons in the world. The experiment will be a success.”

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2323-The queen looked toward Lily. Fred then instructed a guard to remove the latter's blindfold.

Lily heard their conversation but chose to remain quiet. When her blindfolds came off, she squinted against the piercing light.

"All right, we're all set. The experiment can begin now," Fred said happily, clapping his hands.

He then looked toward Lily. "Oh, considering the sacrifice you'll be making for the queen, I'll consider granting you a request if you have any." He smiled kindly.

"Let me go maybe?" Lily said as she looked up at him.

"You know very well that’s impossible." Shaking his head, Fred looked regretful.

"How about something I can do instead? Like looking after your children, for example?"

This served as both a tease and a threat, warning her not to struggle on account of her kids.

Lily was perfectly capable of disrupting the experiment if she refused to cooperate, but she had to think about her family. As Fred said, although the Russells were powerful, they were no match for the Yudonian government.

Even if the Hyderland government could protect them, it would only be a temporary measure. Unless Lily could eliminate the organization, Fred could always take revenge on her family.

"Thanks, but no thanks," Lily said smilingly, "Instead of worrying about my children, you should worry about whether you'll be able to live a long life."

Fred knew she was trying to threaten him, but it all sounded like a joke to him.

He said, "Well, I'm going to live longer than you, but you won't be able to see it, will you? Oh, hang on, Her Majesty will be able to witness it. I will be by her side for a long time."

He looked toward the queen and said, "See? I am your loyal servant through and through, Your Majesty.” The queen smiled. “Indeed, you are, Fred. And since we’re at it, can you be honest with me about the success rate of this experiment?"

She sounded so calm that her question did not come off sounding like a demand.

Before Fred answered, she quickly added, "Don't bullshit me about how confident you are. We both know that the success rate might not even be 50 percent. Now that we've come this far, just give me the answer, okay?"

Fred hesitated and looked toward Rhea. "Tell her.

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2324-Not expecting Fred to ask her to answer, Rhea was taken aback.

I.

"You heard the queen. What's the success rate?" Fred pushed her.

Not knowing the answer, Rhea gritted her teeth and murmured, "Theoretically speaking—"

"23 percent," Lily interrupted.

Not knowing why Lily had said this, Rhea gave her a puzzled look. ‘Did she just pull out a random figure?' Without even a glance at Rhea, Lily added solemnly, "And this is only a rough estimation as the success also depends on the surgeons, the level of cooperation before the surgeon and attendants, the conditions of the test subjects, and so on.

“Taking all these factors into consideration, the success rate could be as high as 45% or as low as less than 10 percent.” Fred listened intently as if he had forgotten that Lily was the one about to undergo surgery, not the one performing it.

"You heard that?" the queen asked Fred in a grave tone.

"Well." Fred blinked, then caught himself. "She’s just bullshitting you so that you’d stop the experiment, Your Majesty. Don’t let her fool you again. Have you forgotten about your dream?

"How can we stop now when we're so close to success?" He continued, "Look.

We're all set, and I've even brought in the best neurosurgeons. Rest assured, Your Majesty, the experiment will succeed.?"

The queen laughed. "You're telling me not to trust her but you instead?" She pointed at Lily. "She's the expert who developed the drug. You also told me in the beginning she was the best person for the job.

"Now you're telling me not to trust her? I ended up in this state because I trusted you!"

With a shrug, Fred said flatly, "Your Majesty, I admit she's capable and has contributed to the experiment, but don't forget that she's now a test subject. To save herself, she’d say anything.

"Trust me on this, okay? The experiment will work. You've trusted me all these years, haven't you? Just trust me on this too."

The queen stared at Fred for a long while, then said, "So you truly believe that the success rate is very high?"

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2325 -Fred said confidently, "Of course, Your Majesty. The experiment will—"

Before he could finish, the queen smiled and said, "Good. Since you've said as much, I can stop worrying now."

"You absolutely should!" Surprised that the queen would budge so easily, Fred thought she still trusted him as she used to.

At the next moment, however, several guards walked in.

Fred frowned. "Who told you to come in? Get out!"

His words fell on deaf ears, and the guards encircled him.

"Did you not hear me? Who do you work for?" Fred frowned. "Get the hell out of here, or I'll kill you!"

"Do you think they'll listen to you?" the queen said.

Fred was puzzled for a moment before he caught on. "You arranged this?"

The queen merely smiled in reply, but the answer was obvious.

Fred laughed heartily. "No wonder you're so calm. I underestimated you, my dear queen."

Making no retort, the queen merely sneered.

"Do you really think they can stop me though?" Fred pointed at the men. "Your Majesty, you may be prepared, but so am I. Do you think I'd begin the experiment without full preparations? Do you think I'm that naive?"

Laughing maniacally, he clapped his hands. Another group of men then rushed in, pointing their guns at those guards and the queen.

Rhea and others were stunned by this turn of events. Rhea eyed the guard warily. She did not understand the maneuvering between politicians, but she could tell Fred had the upper hand at the moment.

He had not only made good preparations for the experiment but also for weapons.

She couldn't imagine what would happen to her if she were to antagonize him.

"What are you going to do with such a few men, Your Majesty?” Fred stared at the queen smugly and triumphantly as he approached her.

"Looks like you've brought quite a few people with you, Fred.” Even with so many guns pointing at her, the queen showed no signs of panic.

Fred smiled. "I wouldn't dare to restrict your freedom or tell you so much if I wasn’t fully prepared, Your Majesty."

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2326 -"If you must know, many of the officials are on my side. Just leave the country to me. It's time for you to enjoy your retirement," he said with a smile, finally revealing his ambition to rule Yudonia.

The queen sneered. "Oh, yeah? Who are these people who are backing you?"

"Why? Do you plan to take them out?" Fred smiled. "It's a pity that you won't have the chance.

"Come now, Your Majesty. You could simply cooperate with me and share in the joy of success with me. Why must you make a scene?" Turning around, he pointed toward her men. "People will only treat you and your men as a joke."

He then said to his guards cheerfully, "Guys, take them away, and don't let anyone come in here again without my permission! We're about to begin the greatest experiment ever done."

However, his men stayed in their spot as if they hadn't heard him.

Noticing Fred's upset look, Rhea scolded, "Hey, didn't you guys hear what the duke said? Seize them!"

Hearing her words, the guards turned and pointed their guns at her.

Alarmed, Rhea took a step back and paled. "Have you guys gone mad? Not me!

Seize her… No, them! Your Grace." She looked toward Fred for help.

Frowning, Fred looked around them and caught on to what was happening.

"What are you doing?"

No one answered him.

The queen then piped up, "Don't you get it yet, Fred?"

At this moment, all the men, including the guards who came in earlier, pointed their guns at Fred. He stared at them in disbelief before shaking his head and chuckling. "No, this is impossible. How can this be?"

"Nothing’s impossible, Fred. I taught you to always be prepared, didn't I?" The queen looked calm.

At that moment, Fred realized why she had been so composed all along. It wasn't because she was brave but because she was well-prepared.

He simply couldn't understand how she had managed to keep him in the dark.

"But I am prepared! I did as you taught me!” He wondered, 'I've thought of everything! What did I miss?!'

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2327-"You're too arrogant," the queen said indifferently.

Holding onto the armrest of the wheelchair, she slowly sat upright, looking as fit as can be.

Gaping, Fred caught on. "You’ve been pretending to be dying! You planned all this!"

"That's right. Otherwise, would you have proceeded with the experiment so soon?" The queen smiled gently.

Fred was terrified. "This can’t be happening!"

After all these years of careful planning and scheming, he couldn't believe the queen had uncovered his plot and prepared herself so well.

"As I said, you're too arrogant," the queen said, "As someone who has worked for me for so many years, you should know me better. Am I someone so gullible and easily manipulated? Do you think I've gotten senile?"

Unable to accept his defeat, Fred was overwhelmed with emotions.

Having expected this reaction, the queen said, "Do you think you'd be able to buy over my men so easily? You underestimate them and me. I would’ve been killed a thousand times over if their loyalty was so easily swayed."

There was a look of confidence in the queen's gaze. Although Lily had guessed this would happen, she was still amazed at witnessing it firsthand.

Sitting in the wheelchair, the queen looked like any ordinary old lady, but her regal bearing was impressive. Lily couldn't help but admire her for this.

"They didn't betray you and merely played along with me?" Fred asked shakily when he found his voice.

"It's too late for you to realize this now.” The queen nodded.

"So you allowed me to imprison you just to see what I would do?" Fred looked around him, feeling as though everything was a dream.

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2328-All his efforts had gone to waste just as he was about to achieve success.

"All right, the show's over for you." The queen sighed regretfully. "I gave you a chance, but you chose to betray me. You've truly let me down, Fred."

As Fred had served her for many years, the queen wanted to show him mercy.

However, since he had tried to replace her, she didn’t have any other choice in the matter.

"This is all a mistake, Your Majesty. I've always told you that you’d stand to benefit from the experiment, haven't I? Yes, I’ve taken some wrong turns and gotten a bit greedy, but I only restricted your freedom and did all this for you!

“Think about it. Why have I put so much effort into this?" Fred was unwilling to give up. "When the experiment succeeds, you’re going to be the one to live on forever. What do I have to gain from this?"

"Cut the act, Fred!" Lily’s cold voice interrupted him. "You’re just using me and the queen as guinea pigs. If the experiment succeeds, you’ll then repeat it and yourself to achieve immortality.” “If the experiment fails, you’d just continue to make adjustments until you succeed. The queen and I are nothing but lab rats to you!” Fred looked disturbed. “That’s a lie! You’re trying to turn the queen against me!

“Your Majesty, do not believe her. Hylanders can’t be trusted. We spent a long time trying to find a compatible vessel for you in terms of blood type and physique. Even if I plan to experiment on myself in the future, I’d need to find a suitable vessel.” “I did all this for you, Your Majesty. My only mistake is that I’ve been so anxious to make it work that I’ve offended you somehow. You mustn’t believe a word she says, Your Majesty.” “And who says you don’t have a vessel?” Lily’s words stunned Fred and made him turn toward her. “What do you mean?” Even Rhea threw Lily a puzzled look. As the experiment itself was not something she could fully grasp, she found it even harder to follow what was going on. Not daring to say a word, she felt the urge to run away.

Rhea initially thought she could establish herself in the organization by gaining Fred’s trust, but now it looked like he couldn’t even save himself. Just as she took a step back, Lily looked toward her.

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2329-Startled, Rhea stopped and wondered if Lily knew she was trying to escape.

However, the latter shifted her cold gaze back to Fred and said, “You’ve long found a vessel for yourself. You even picked a young one to have enough time to make preparations, didn’t you?” Fred grew pale, saying, “Say whatever you like. I know the queen won’t believe me anymore because of your lies!” “You know better than me whether or not I’m telling the truth.” Rhea suddenly thought of something. Although Lily’s words were baffling, Rhea strangely understood them. Rhea wondered if she had guessed correctly and looked at Lily in astonishment.

“You still refuse to admit it, huh?” The queen chuckled. “Then who the hell is Nick Corden?” Fred was stunned and played dumb. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Your Majesty. Still, I know you're not going to believe me no matter what I say. I want you to know that I’ve done all this for your sake.” He then stopped talking and put on an innocent look. Those who did not know any better might think he felt aggrieved. However, Rhea had a hunch about what was happening when the queen mentioned Nick. Rhea could hardly believe it.

She never thought the boy would serve such an essential purpose. Rhea thought, ‘No wonder Fred wants me to tell Mike that his son is already dead, even if it might drive him crazy!

‘Fred has never wanted to use Nick to control Mike. It's only a smokescreen to hide his real purpose. He abducted Nick to be his vessel. Fred must’ve gone to great lengths to select the boy, yet nobody knew about it!

‘If they hadn't exposed him today, I would have never thought about it.’ "Oh, yeah?" The queen sighed. "Are you truly so loyal to me?"

Fred remained quiet with an innocent look.

"Since you are, you should be willing to sacrifice yourself for me, right?" the queen asked.

Puzzled by what she meant, Fred looked over his shoulder at her.

The queen turned her wheelchair around to face him. She then moved closer and said, "I know you're loyal to me, and you've done many things for me over the years."

Fred thought he could turn things around and looked at her expectantly

Spoiled by mr. russell chapter 2330-However, the queen’s following words dampened Fred’s excitement. "Since you've done so much for me, you must be willing to do one more thing, right?"

Fred had a bad feeling in his gut and asked, "What… is it?"

"Why don't you help me find out whether or not R10 works?" she said casually with a smirk.

Fred grew alarmed. "Your Majesty… I…"

Stunned, Lily looked at the queen.

"You're not up for it?" the queen asked, "Aren't you devoted to me? Why are you scared?"

"No!" Fred gritted his teeth. "It's not that I'm scared, but the experiment has strict requirements, which I'm sure you're aware of.

"I had to go to great lengths to find the most suitable vessel for you. I even let you two recuperate for a long time to ensure a high level of compatibility.

Therefore, it would take time before we can proceed with the experiment, even if I do have a suitable vessel."

After a pause, he thought of something and added, "I swear I'll go through the experiment for your sake if there’s a suitable vessel and all conditions are ripe."

The queen looked at him quietly.

Fred studied her expression and said carefully, "But you must wait for me to try out the experiment for you, okay?"

In other words, he was willing to do so, but she could not wait that long.

Surprisingly, the queen smiled and said, "Don't worry. I can wait. Indeed, the experiment has strict requirements with many preparational steps. That’s why I went ahead and did them for you long ago.” The queen smiled grimly and continued, “Rest assured that you and your vessel are highly compatible, even more so than me and Lily. Are you happy with that, Fred?” Fred widened his eyes in puzzlement and then said hesitantly, “I’m not sure what you’re talking about, Your Majesty.” "It's okay if you don't understand. All you need to do is keep your promise." The queen smiled and turned around. Then, she whispered to someone beside her.

Lily started to feel uneasy as she looked at the queen. She had devised a plan with the queen about today. Lily had initially planned to stop the experiment by faking her death, but Fred somehow got Dominic to rouse her.

However, what the queen just said was not part of their prior discussions. Lily felt like she was looking at a stranger as she stared at the queen. The room fell into a pin-drop silence.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed as someone strolled over, holding a boy’s hand