Chapter 242
Shi Lei will be boarding the This Ship and leaving Trimon tomorrow. He arrived at the Rhine Lab Structure Department a day early to pick up Ifrit.
I wanted to take advantage of the last little bit of time to take this little girl out to play. After all, once she's on Rhodes Island, she might not be back for a long time.
Ifrit jumped for joy at the prospect of going out to play. She'd do anything as long as she didn't have to take her medicine. When she learned that Shi Lei was taking her to the amusement park, she raised her hands high and cheered loudly, practically leaping with excitement.
This male Doctor, unlike Hemo and Saria, didn't visit often. But what he did surprised and delighted her far more than the other two.
Just as they were about to leave, Parvis, the head of the structural engineering department, and his men came to stop them. They said Ifrit's condition was not yet stable enough and she needed to stay for further observation.
Shi Lei couldn't explain things to these very rigid scientists, and there were some things he simply couldn't explain.
He instructed Miss Zilan to call Justin, the head of the Business Department, and ask him to relay the message to the Director General. He quickly obtained Kristen's authorization to leave with his men.
Parvis had no choice but to release them.
There's no need to worry about safety.
Ifrit's infection level has greatly decreased, and the probability of her developing symptoms and awakening fragments within her body is low. Moreover, with Shi Lei around, he is her greatest safety guarantee.
The entire Special Operations Team spent the afternoon with Ifrit, experiencing every single ride at Trimon Amusement Park, and thoroughly enjoying themselves.
Shi Lei's Messenger colleagues also benefited, visiting such an amusement park for the first time. These older girls, when they got going, were just as energetic as the younger children.
Texas loves riding carousels and even dragged Shi Lei along. Seeing her rarely smiling, usually aloof demeanor, shows just how much she loves them.
Exusiai's favorite ride is the roller coaster; like Ifrit and Lappland, she loves seeking thrills. Seeing that the seats were in pairs, they forcibly dragged Yuu up to join them.
As the train plummeted from its highest point, Miss Nian was nearly brought to tears. She immediately shrank into the painting and remained inside even after the project was over.
Texas offered to help keep the painting safe, so Shi Lei didn't need to carry it with him.
Croissant loves riding the giant swing, while Zilan doesn't have any particular favorite rides. As a former white-collar worker, she prefers quieter rides like the Ferris wheel.
The worst ride in an amusement park has to be the haunted house. It's a bunch of fearless warriors on a battlefield, plus a blonde little girl who's curious about everything.
Faced with the ghost that suddenly darted out from the corner, no one showed the slightest surprise. Instead, they enthusiastically offered their comments, such as whether the costumes were accurate and how well the angles were chosen, leaving the staff speechless.
Shi Lei and his friends entered the park at noon and didn't leave until after 5 p. m. They not only tried all the attractions but also bought some souvenirs for Ifrit so she could share them with other children when she goes to Rhodes Island.
Ifrit seemed exceptionally happy, feeling that today was the happiest day of her life. She even pulled Shi Lei and others to take photos together, wanting to record this wonderful memory with pictures.
By the time everyone returned to Rhine Lab, it was almost six o'clock. Shi Lei told everyone to go back first, and that he would stay the night to ensure a smooth handover tomorrow.
The performance of the Structure Department director Parvis, today put Shi Lei on alert. He wasn't one to take chances; he stayed to ensure nothing unexpected happened.
Texas subtly expressed her desire to stay, but Shi Lei completely missed the point. He said he wanted to stay there quietly to read and persuaded everyone to go back.
Ifrit cannot board the This Ship early tonight because Rhodes Island has not yet completed the handover procedures with Rhine Lab. Besides her, the patient, researchers such as Hemo and Joyce will accompany her onto the ship.
Around six o'clock in the afternoon, Shi Lei was sitting in the Structure Department's office area reading a book. He had cast the Jade Shield on Ifrit, so he didn't need to worry about her encountering any danger.
Once the handover procedures are completed tomorrow, he can use the excuse of feeling sleepy to hide in his room and continue reading.
Suddenly, Shi Lei looked up at the high place.
Just now, he sensed an explosion on the top floor of the Rhine Lab Headquarters.
That was Kristen's laboratory.
Shi Lei clipped the bookmark and decided to go take a look. He quickly left the Structure Department and found the public restroom in the park. There were no surveillance cameras there, and he could fly directly to the building's rooftop, which was much faster than taking the elevator.
Before long, Shi Lei arrived at the rooftop. He went down the steps to the next floor. As soon as he entered the corridor, he saw Saria, her face serious, walking out of the laboratory.
Her clothes were slightly torn, suggesting she had just been in a fight with Kristen.
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The laboratory's iron door had a large gap in it, as if it had been forcibly broken open by something enormous.
Shi Lei noticed that blood was continuously dripping from Saria's bandaged hand. In an instant, he spread his Psychic Power, scanning the room and detecting a standing figure:
"Miss Kristen, are you alright?"
Just now, Saria, who had learned that Rhine Lab had participated in the Flame Demon Project, rushed here in a rage.
She wanted to confront Kristen, but no matter how much she called out, there was no response, so she had no choice but to break down the door.
As the laboratory door was breached, the emergency defense system 'Wave Shock' was activated inside. This was a high-frequency vibration device specially developed by Kristen to counter Saria's Originium Arts creations.
Seeing that her college classmate, best friend, and business partner, Kristen, had developed such a thing to counter her so early, Saria felt utterly disheartened.
Instead of using Originium Arts, she simply smashed the protective shield with her bare fists.
But this punch, filled with anger, did not land on Kristen's delicate face.
Saria threw a punch at the empty air, then turned and left the lab. She was utterly disappointed in the company she had placed so much hope in, and in her dearest friend.
She decided to leave Rhine Lab.
Saria knew Kristen's stubborn nature and knew that staying wouldn't change the outcome. Her only recourse was to correct Rhine Lab's course as an outsider, gradually pulling it back onto the right track.
As soon as Saria stepped out of the office, she ran into Doctor Zhongli from Rhodes Island.
Kristen was not injured and would not chase after Saria, because she firmly believed in her choice.
Upon hearing Shi Lei's voice, Kristen immediately panicked. She feared that Saria would reveal Rhine Lab's involvement in human experimentation, which would be tantamount to directly angering the gods!
"Doctor Zhongli, I'm fine."
Kristen quickly ran to the door and explained:
"We failed to reach a consensus on the future development of Rhine Lab, please forgive us."
Saria didn't turn around, but she sensed the ingratiating and flattering intent in their words. She had already sensed something was wrong when she saw the two of them go to the rooftop last time.
Kristen, who dedicated his life to the Starry Sky and whose eyes were only on scientific research, usually treated everyone with a cold and aloof attitude. Even when confronting me just now, he maintained this demeanor.
But why this man?
After confirming that no murder had occurred, Shi Lei reached out and pressed the elevator button next to him, waving goodbye.
"Well, it's good that you're not hurt. I just came to check on you, that's all. Bye."
Saria stood silently to the side.
She treated Rhine Lab like her own child, and also considered this incident a family disgrace. The fewer people who knew about the company's involvement in human experimentation, the better.
Saria had always been against human experimentation, but she never imagined that her closest and most trusted friend would be involved. This outcome was undoubtedly ironic.
"Bite."
The elevator's beeping interrupted her thoughts. Seeing Shi Lei go inside, Saria followed closely behind.
Standing at the lab door, Kristen, fearing she might leak secrets, quickly made a final attempt to persuade her to stay:
"Saria, wait a minute! We can talk about the company's future development direction again!"
When Seria glanced at Kristen and saw that he was unusually flustered, Saria found it all laughable.
Talk?
What's there to talk about?
Human experimentation is taboo and absolutely must not be touched. Any discussion of it is a test of the limits.
Moreover, how could the proud Kristen lose her composure because of the appearance of a man?
Who exactly is this Doctor Zhongli?
Filled with doubt, Saria boarded the same elevator as the other person, and they slowly began to descend.
At this moment, Shi Lei was looking up at the display screen showing the floor numbers. He had just heard the strange noise and only came over to check the situation. Since no one was dead, the rest was no longer his concern.
Saria stood to Shi Lei's left rear, frowning as she stared at his broad back, her mind filled with a myriad of thoughts.
Since the day it was discovered that Kristen and Doctor Zhongli had spent over an hour on the rooftop, Saria had used her intelligence network to investigate the man and the Rhodes Island pharmaceutical company.
His codename is Zhongli, and he works as Messenger for a company called 'Penguin Logistics' in Lungmen. This time, he's been hired by Rhodes Island to act as a bodyguard.
Doctor Zhongli is indeed quite handsome, and possesses a maturity far beyond his years. But Kristen is only interested in the Starry Sky; she ignored so many outstanding suitors in college. She shouldn't have given up on her dreams and pursuits of so many years and suddenly become love-struck.
The only reasonable explanation Saria could think of was that Zhongli's abilities in a certain field far surpassed Kristen's. The magnitude of the difference filled her with genuine admiration.
But why have I never heard of such an important person before?
Saria stared at the string of numbers above the elevator, which looked like a countdown timer, and forced herself to speak:
"Mister Zhongli."
Shi Lei heard someone calling his name and turned around.
Can I ask you a question?
He didn't have the habit of agreeing in advance, and replied:
"You speak first, and then I'll see if I need to answer."
Saria avoided mentioning human experimentation to prevent the other party from making unfounded assumptions. After quickly choosing her words, she began to introduce herself:
"I... have a friend who started a company with her best friend. But after a few years, she found that her best friend had gone down a completely different path. She offered many suggestions, but to no avail. Everyone else in the company sided with her best friend. What do you think she should do in this situation?"
This friend of yours, is it yourself?
Shi Lei saw through it but didn't say anything. After a moment, he spoke:
"If sharp opinions disappear from a person's life, then mild opinions will become jarring. If mild opinions are not allowed, then silence will be interpreted as ulterior motives. If silence is also not allowed, then not praising enthusiastically enough will become a sin. If only one opinion is allowed to exist, then that only opinion must be problematic."
If a company goes astray, it needs to correct it promptly. If your friend doesn't have the ability to correct it, you either have to leave the company and sever ties with your best friend, or seek external help, such as a large financial injection, to gain more influence.
His viewpoint coincided with Saria's, and it resonated with her perfectly.
Rhine Lab is now completely rotten.
Parvis from the Structure Department, Muelsyse from the Ecology Department, and various other departments such as the Business Department, Energy Department, and Human Resources Department are all aligned with Kristen.
Saria alone cannot change the current situation of Rhine Lab. Perhaps seeking external assistance is the only solution to get the company back on track.
"I understand, thank you."
"You're welcome."
Although the topic has ended, my thoughts continue.
Doctor Zhongli is currently collaborating with Rhodes Island, a company that specializes in treating infected individuals.
This trip to Trimon also involved sending several small teams to investigate illegal human experimentation.
According to unverified reports, the recent collapse of the popular Beach Umbrella Company is related to Rhodes Island.
Going to Rhodes Island seems like a good choice.
"Bite."
Lost in thought, the elevator doors opened.
Saria verbally announced her resignation; regardless of Kristen's agreement, she would leave Rhine Lab. She needed to go to the Defense Department to pack her things before leaving.
The two left the headquarters building and walked out along the road in the park. At a fork in the road, Saria noticed that Shi Lei was about to turn left to the Structure Department and immediately guessed that he was going to check on Ifrit.
As she stared at the receding figure, a bold idea suddenly popped into Saria's mind.
Although it's unclear in which field this man excels, the fact that he commands such respect from Kristen suggests he must possess extraordinary abilities.
"Mister Zhongli!"
Shi Lei had already walked more than ten meters when he heard this and stopped. He waited until the other person ran closer before asking:
"What's wrong?"
"I just submitted my resignation to Kristen and am no longer the head of the Defense Department. I am currently a free agent. I wonder if your company is currently hiring?"
He gave Saria a somewhat strange look and answered truthfully:
"I'm sorry, I can't answer that for you. Personnel appointments within the company are not under my jurisdiction. If you're interested, you can contact the owner of Penguin Logistics. As long as he agrees, we'll be colleagues from now on."
"Mister Zhongli, thank you very much. I will contact your company again if I have made up my mind."
"Okay, sure."
Shi Lei remained indifferent. Seeing Saria walk in the other direction, he turned around and returned to the Structure Department.
Around ten o'clock, Hemo and Joyce arrived at the office area. They were going to Rhodes Island tomorrow, so they went home early to pack their bags. They would sleep here tonight and leave together after the handover was completed tomorrow.