[Shameless Feiran]

Aboard a private plane bound from Linji Island to Eastern Intelligent Island.

Professor Jianjie wore a faintly uneasy expression, her face full of worry.

"Hot Mama, are you okay?" Seeing Hot Mama fidgeting nervously, Ye Qiao Er tilted her head and looked at Professor Jianjie.

Ever since they'd boarded the private plane,

Hot Mama had looked nervous and worried.

"This... We should go back to Linji Island. I can't shake the feeling that danger is waiting for us up ahead."

Professor Jianjie's face was full of worry and fear as she voiced her intuition.

"No way, right?"

Ye Qiao Er tilted her little head in surprise.

"In that case, let's turn around." Professor Qin Hui pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, his eyes still full of reluctance to part with his daughter.

Besides,

a woman's intuition was powerful.

He believed it completely.

"You mean..."

Ye Yun looked uncertainly at her Hot Mama.

Could it be...?

"I don't know."

Professor Jianjie gave a slight shake of her head. "I just feel like my heart won't stop pounding. It feels like something big is about to happen."

"If the mastermind behind the intelligent mutation really is Dad, there's no way he'd be so heartless, right?"

Ye Yun's brows drew together tightly.

If Dad really was the mastermind behind the intelligent mutation,

then

he should have no reason to do something like this.

"Not necessarily."

Professor Jianjie shook her head. "Obsessive, unhinged people are capable of anything. Think about it: did he spare you and Qiao Er?"

At that,

Ye Yun fell silent.

She still remembered

the pain

when the bullet had pierced her body.

It was something she didn't want to remember.

"Fine. Let's head back to Linji Island now."

Ye Yun could only go along with their wishes.

Going back to Linji Island wasn't so bad.

Staying on Intelligent Island all day made her feel like a caged beast.

Whatever she did,

she had to be careful.

She banked the private plane in a wide circle, then slowly retraced their route, heading back the way they had come.

"Phew..."

Professor Jianjie let out a long breath.

"Are you feeling better now?" Professor Qin Hui whispered softly in her ear.

"More or less."

Professor Jianjie gave a small nod.

After the private plane turned around,

the unease in her heart had already begun to fade.

"It seems there really was danger waiting for us up ahead."

Professor Qin Hui's eyes darkened.

If they'd continued along their current route, they might well have been met with an attack.

Intelligent Island.

Green Valley Dock, Warehouse No. 2.

Professor Ye Zhen watched the red dot on the computer screen turn around and head back. He picked up the communicator and issued an order. "Carry out the second plan."

"Yes, Father."

Jie Xing's voice came through the communicator.

Ye Zhen trusted his wife's intuition completely.

He wasn't at all surprised that the private plane had suddenly changed direction and turned back.

Since there was no opportunity to kill the two of them,

he should go to DRE Company and seize the Supersonic currently undergoing testing.

That would sow panic.

After ending the call with Jie Xing, Professor Ye Zhen gazed expectantly at the Intelligent Being undergoing testing.

Its speed was approaching the limits of supersonic flight.

Once the test was complete,

he looked at the data transmitted by the sensors on the Intelligent Being and frowned. "How could this be?"

The materials couldn't withstand the enormous computational load and the friction against the air.

Intelligence Hunting Bureau.

For now,

the entire bureau had fallen silent.

The offices and the hall were all as quiet as the grave.

An oppressive atmosphere filled the place.

"This is humiliating. Absolutely humiliating."

Director Qiao Hui stared at the three people in front of her, her expression grim. She slammed the documents in her hand onto the desk.

Her most capable subordinates had been killed two nights ago by an Intelligent Being who had escaped justice.

Her son and another Intelligence Hunting Bureau team leader had even been captured by the enemy.

They'd made her look utterly incompetent.

What a bunch of damn fools.

"Director..."

Captain Bai had barely begun to speak when Director Qiao Hui cut him off. "You're the idiot who sent Captain Lin along with you! Didn't you know Captain Lin Ji was injured? You're going to be held legally responsible for this."

Hearing that,

Captain Bai shut his mouth, but still couldn't help mumbling, "Director, I'll take responsibility for what happened."

"Hmph."

Qiao Hui merely snorted. She looked at Zhuo Ran and Qi Yang with displeasure. "You two have been suspended. Get home and think long and hard about what you've done. This is humiliating, absolutely humiliating. Since our Intelligence Hunting Group was founded, no one has ever been captured by an Intelligent Being. And now you two have gone and broken that record. You've made me look like a fool. If someone hadn't rescued you, you'd both be dead by now."

"Yes, Director."

Zhuo Ran and Qi Yang straightened up and placed their police badges on Director Qiao Hui's desk.

This time,

they really had disgraced themselves.

With that,

they headed outside, their faces heavy.

Captain Lin Ji had died in the line of duty.

No one could have foreseen it.

"Director?"

After the two had left, Captain Bai looked uncertainly at Director Qiao Hui, who was still seething, and tentatively called out to her.

Zhuo Ran and Qi Yang had made enormous contributions, after all.

You...

"Shut up! Do you know how much pressure I'm under this time? Do you know how much pain I'm in?"

Captain Lin Ji's death hurt her the most.

Next,

Zhuo Ran and Qi Yang being captured by an Intelligent Being had also been heartbreaking.

And finally,

Professor Qin Hui and Professor Jianjie had activated the intelligent registry firewall without authorization, and she had taken the blame for those two.

She hadn't slept since last night.

At the Security Committee, she'd faced countless reprimands.

As a woman, she had to shoulder everything at the Intelligence Hunting Bureau, then take the blame for her subordinates and bear the pressure on their behalf.

She was utterly exhausted.

"Yes."

Captain Bai turned and left the office, leaving Director Qiao Hui slumped in her chair.

She covered her eyes with one hand, and no one knew what she was thinking.

"Someone!"

Suddenly,

she opened her eyes and called out toward the outside.

"Director."

Captain Bai, who had just walked out of the office, heard her call. He turned around and pushed the door open again.

"Activate a Level One Desperate Response. Search the entire city for Intelligent Beings that haven't passed safety inspections. If you find any that haven't passed, destroy them on sight."

Director Qiao Hui's face was cold and murderous, her eyes filled with madness.

They'd killed her subordinates?

Fine.

No problem.

Then all the Intelligent Beings that hadn't passed safety inspections could die with them.

"Director, this..."

Captain Bai's face filled with shock. "Director, if we launch a citywide manhunt, the public will probably oppose it."

"Carry out the order. Have the Public Security Bureau, the Transportation Bureau, and the other departments cooperate with us. That's all."

Director Qiao Hui's expression was stubborn as she firmly issued the order.

Once a Level One Desperate Response was activated, even the mayor of Eastern Intelligent Island would have to follow her orders.

That was the power of being director of the Intelligence Hunting Bureau.

"Yes. I'll handle it right away and keep the impact to a minimum."

Captain Bai stood straight and saluted Director Qiao Hui, then turned and headed outside.

Since the director had activated a Level One Desperate Response on her own authority, they had to carry it out without hesitation.

Linji Island.

"This is what you cooked?"

Feiran stared in disbelief at Qin Yan and the blackened rice on the table, which smelled burnt. She asked in astonishment,

"Well, I didn't use enough water."

Qin Yan smiled awkwardly.

Not enough water.

"I don't dare eat the rice. I'll just have some soup."

Fear showed on Feiran's face. She swallowed dryly, picked up a spoon, ladled some soup into her bowl, and tentatively tried a sip.

"Pfft!"

The moment it entered her mouth, Feiran squeezed her eyes shut to taste it—and immediately spat it out.

"You—you—you used MSG instead of salt, didn't you? Oh my god."

Feiran was dumbfounded.

You little menace.

Do you think seasonings are all the same?

"Is it really that bad? Why do I feel like you're deliberately giving me a hard time?"

Seeing Feiran's reaction, Qin Yan couldn't help feeling that this girl was deliberately giving her a hard time. Refusing to believe it, she picked up a spoonful of soup and put it in her mouth.

Qin Yan had still been skeptical, but her face filled with shock. She grabbed the bowl on the table and spat the soup into it.

Did I really make this?

It had looked pretty good to her.

"I really don't know who'd ever be brave enough to marry you."

Feiran facepalmed.

Qin Yan was simply—simply an Eldest Daughter through and through.

Even cooking a meal, she had managed to make it look like this.

She probably really would never find anyone to marry her.

"Is that so? Don't you know that girls nowadays are very popular? Besides, I'm pretty attractive, and my family is wealthy. Even if I can't cook, I can just order takeout in the future."

Qin Yan clasped her hands behind her back. It was obvious she had done something wrong. Pouting, she muttered, "Don't you know there are intelligent beings nowadays that can prepare food? Are you out of date?"

"Hey, you..."

Anger appeared in Feiran's eyes. You little brat, how dare you talk back.

"All right, all right."

Ye Yun, who was sitting on a stool with a pale face, waved his hand and said, "She's an Eldest Daughter. Why are you making things difficult for her?"

"Doesn't an Eldest Daughter have to get married too?"

Feiran sat down on the stool.

"No, wait. Are you trying to hit on me?"

Suddenly.

Qin Yan's mischievous eyes shifted. She sat beside Ye Yun and leaned against his shoulder, studying his profile.

"Move."

Ye Yun frowned. "I'm still injured. What are you doing?"

"Sorry." Qin Yan realized what she was doing. A faint smile appeared on her face as she blinked her large eyes. "Feiran left me in the Ancient Castle. She must want you to hit on me."

"..."

Ye Yun looked at her speechlessly. "Do you think I can't walk after seeing a woman?"

He had seen countless women.

Their figures had also been top-notch.

"Isn't that right? Aren't all men animals that think with their lower halves?"

Qin Yan curled her lips.

"You're just being unreasonable and deliberately trying to avoid the fact that your cooking is terrible." Ye Yun waved his hand and pointed at the food on the table.

"Er."

"Rumble, rumble, rumble."

The sound of a car rang out.

"Ye Yun and the others are back again."

Intelligent Being Feiran stood atop the Ancient Castle and watched the car returning below before speaking through the communicator.

"What are they back for?" Feiran, who was inside the hall, was startled when she heard the information transmitted by Intelligent Being Feiran.

Hadn't this group decided to leave?

Why had they suddenly returned?

"I don't know."

Inside the communicator.

Only those words rang out.

"Your dad and the others are back. Go take a look." Feiran turned toward Qin Yan, who was staring intently at Ye Yun beside her. Her brows knitted slightly, and displeasure welled up in her eyes.

"Oh, Dad's back again?"

Surprise appeared on Qin Yan's face. She stood up and hurried outside.

She should go see her dad first.

"Your complexion seems a little unpleasant."

Ye Yun gave her a half-smile.

"Does it?"

Feiran shrugged noncommittally. The displeasure in her eyes faded, replaced entirely by a smile.

"Heh."

The corner of Ye Yun's mouth curled into a faint smile.

Do you really think there's something wrong with my eyes?

"Professor Qin, why have you come back again?"

Professor Qin Hui and Professor Jianjie walked in from outside. Qin Yan clung to her father's arm like a child. Feiran shook her head slightly and asked curiously.

"Professor Jianjie sensed that it would be dangerous to return, so we came back directly on a private plane."

Professor Qin Hui nodded slightly and explained Professor Jianjie's intuition.

"Dangerous? Maybe she sensed it wrong."

Feiran was stunned.

"No. Sometimes, you have to trust that sort of feeling."

Ye Yun looked at Professor Jianjie in surprise.

Could she be the protagonist?

Her perception is that powerful?

But logically speaking.

This should be the era of intelligent beings.

So the protagonist should be an intelligent being.

But...

Afterward.

His gaze shifted to Ye Yun, then to Qin Yan beside her, and finally settled on Professor Qin Hui. "Did you create an intelligent being named Xiang Mao?"

"Yes. What's wrong?"

Professor Qin Hui nodded, admitting that he had indeed created Qin Yan.

But what was wrong with that?

"Nothing. I was just asking."

Ye Yun nodded slightly.

It seemed that Ye Yun and Qin Yan were very likely the protagonists of this world—the Child of Destiny.

It was even possible that Feiran and Qiya were related protagonists as well.

Because everything revolved around the Initial Source Code.

And they were its guardians.

"Is this the food you made? Aren't you afraid of being poisoned?"

Ye Yun glanced at the food on the table, and the corner of her mouth twitched slightly.

This is dark cuisine.

"You should ask Eldest Daughter Qin Yan. She made this food, supposedly to repay her younger brother for saving her. But judging by this, she's repaying kindness with enmity."

Feiran was blatantly talking nonsense.

"You..."

At once.

Qin Yan was completely dumbfounded by her shameless words.

Are you serious?

You were the one who told me to cook.

Now you're saying I made this to repay your younger brother, and that I deliberately repaid kindness with enmity.

I've never seen anyone this shameless.

"This was made by Xiao Yan? Let me try it."

Upon hearing that his daughter had made it, Professor Qin Hui's face filled with gratification, and he prepared to try it.

His daughter had made this, after all. He definitely had to show his support.

If he didn't support her,

wouldn't that hurt his daughter's feelings?

Besides,

this was the first time his daughter had cooked since she grew up.