Chapter 11
Xu Qing'an looked troubled. "Boss Chen has such a terrible personality. Wouldn't that be going a little too far...?"
"Your brother didn't show you any consideration when he made a scene at your engagement, so why are you still thinking about him? If you ask me, someone as awful as him deserves trash like Boss Chen!"
With that, she sat down in front of the largest screen in the room again, clutching two chips as she rattled on. "Don't worry. Your sister here has worked in this department for years. Not many people have my skills and clearance to swap chip records. I'll make sure everything is properly arranged for you!"
With a door between them, Xu Qingran quietly watched their little scheme unfold outside. Xu Qing'an was the mastermind, yet he wore an expression of heartache and struggle, as though he didn't want to face it.
Xu Qingran thought Xu Qing'an shouldn't have applied to medical school. He was better suited to being an actor.
A few minutes later, the woman held out the chip that had originally been on the table for Xu Qing'an to see. "There. I've registered Lu Cheng's information sample under Boss Chen's code. I'll upload it to the system database with the other samples in a bit, and headquarters will find out the result soon enough."
"Then we'll have a good show to watch."
Once they had taken care of the important business, the two chatted for a while before leaving through the front door.
Only then did Xu Qingran unlock the door and enter the lab. Urged on by the system, he headed toward the counter, where a row of shelves held information samples.
The system was even more nervous than he was, keeping its attention fixed on the front door for him. "The staff on duty will be back soon. Hurry! Shen Tingyu's should be on shelf G-F09."
Xu Qingran walked over and found that the shelving unit had more than ten tiers from top to bottom. Each tier held ten rows arranged lengthwise toward him, with ten chips in each row.
He asked, "Then what?"
"Third tier from the top, row B, fifth one from the left."
Xu Qingran pulled open the drawer in the third tier and saw a large "B" marked beside the second row inside. He took out the chip as the system had instructed. Holding it up to the light, he could see a faint glow within it and found it remarkable.
Was this the "pheromone" extracted from a human soul?
A long string of letters and numbers was printed on the chip, which was about a knuckle long. Among the letters were "STY."
The system said excitedly, "That's right, that's right! I'll swap the chip's registration details for you right now!"
While he waited for the system to finish, Xu Qingran picked up the chip that originally belonged to Boss Chen and held it under the light.
After a long while, a faint, inscrutable smile curled at his lips.
·
In the deserted ninth-floor corridor, the light stretched the man's tall, slender silhouette into a long shadow.
"There's something I don't understand," Xu Qingran said.
"Since Xu Qing'an could swap the chip records, why didn't he just change mine to his?"
"You think he didn't want to?"
"He acted too quickly. Last year, as soon as he turned eighteen and became an adult, he secretly had his own sample matched with Lu Cheng's. They got a high compatibility result of 88%, and he immediately couldn't resist 'leaking' the news. Only about ten percent of couples in the entire empire reach 88% or higher. Who would have thought the original Xu Qingran and Lu Cheng would be even higher?"
Xu Qingran asked, "Can soul matching only be done after adulthood?"
"No, that's not the case."
Soul matching was an expensive affair. Every imperial citizen got only their first test for free, and the fees after that rose by the thousands and tens of thousands. So, aside from wealthy families who considered various factors and needed to arrange engagements from infancy, most people chose to wait until adulthood, when their mental pools were more stable and they were ready to find partners.
Out of nowhere, Xu Qingran asked, "When's his next physical?"
It took the system a while to realize he was asking about Xu Qing'an. "I don't know. What are you planning to do?"
After a pause, it added, "I only have permission to change registration details when you first start a mission, Host, so don't do anything reckless!"
Xu Qingran took the elevator down to the ground floor. Just as he turned a corner, he ran into Xu Qing'an, who was walking alongside an older man.
"Hahaha, good! Once your classes officially start, I'll teach you personally!" The man speaking wore a doctor's coat. The crow's feet at the corners of his eyes deepened as a smile spread across his face. Though he was getting on in years, his eyes were still bright and lively.
He was probably Lu Cheng's father, Lu Wennian.
As they talked and laughed, the two men also noticed him.
Xu Qing'an was surprised. "...Brother? Why are you here?"
"To see a doctor," Xu Qingran answered simply and clearly.
Perhaps Lu Wennian had recalled something unpleasant, because the smile on his face immediately faded.
He didn't look directly at him, instead patting Xu Qing'an on the shoulder. "Getting into Grandis is a good start. Keep working hard, and don't be like some people who resort to underhanded means. If you graduate successfully, you might even be able to join the Silver Dragon Army as a military doctor. Then you could fight alongside Lu Cheng."
Xu Qing'an smiled shyly. "Thank you, Uncle. That's what I'm planning too."
Lu Wennian looked gratified and was about to say something else when a young nurse suddenly came running up behind him.
She held a tablet in her hands, and her voice was excited. "Professor Lu, the branch hospital in West District Three has just confirmed a Type D mental power user through testing!"
Lu Wennian's attention shifted instantly, and his eyes lit up. "Quick, let me see the data!"
"A B-rank mental pool... That'll do. Better than nothing! Get a car ready for me immediately. I'm going to West District Three right now!" He looked excited as he clutched the tablet and left with the young nurse without looking back. Clearly, nothing was more important than this.
Even from a distance, they could hear him speaking rapidly. "By the way, has the Evil Tower been notified? Hurry and arrange for an E-type from the tower to have their soul matched with this person's..."
When Xu Qingran looked away, he happened to notice that Xu Qing'an's gaze, fixed on Lu Wennian's departing figure, held a trace of envy.
He fell into thought.
Though the two lived under the same roof, they ultimately went home separately.
Xu Qingran arrived first. Father Xu had been sent on a business trip at short notice that day and wasn't home. With Father Xu away, his stepmother treated him much more perfunctorily and couldn't even be bothered to pretend to ask after him.