The Price of Growth

A day later, Chen Chen shook hands with the police officer in front of him and walked out of the police station.

As the last person to have seen Zheng Jian, he had been called in by the police to give a statement.

Chen Chen did not conceal anything else. He told them why Zheng Jian had summoned him in the first place, as well as the conclusions he had drawn.

Of course, Chen Chen did not say that Zheng Jian's death had resulted from his hypnosis. Instead, he described it as suicide out of guilt.

Although the police were equally astonished by how dramatic the whole affair was, Chen Chen had an alibi.

When Zheng Jian jumped from the building, Chen Chen had already left Zheng Jian's office.

Following Chen Chen's deductions, the police dug up Zheng Jian's laboratory usage records from several years ago, then found the medical records concerning Zheng Jian's ex-wife's death. They truly uncovered a horrifying case—

Three years earlier, Zheng Jian had used his ex-wife's somatic cells in the laboratory to induce cancer cells. Then, taking advantage of an IV infusion, he had injected those cancer cells into his ex-wife's body, ultimately causing her to develop cancer and die.

However, this sensational case was ultimately suppressed by the university.

After all, the impact of such a matter on the university, and even the entire education sector, was simply too great. It might even mislead the public into believing that cancer was contagious, easily causing panic.

As the three people who had sparked the incident, Chen Chen and the others were personally received by the president and a group of professors.

"That's how the whole thing happened."

Sitting before the microphone, Chen Chen wore a bashful expression. "Coveting the research results of the three of us, Professor Zheng warned me that if I didn't transfer the research to him, he would make sure none of us could graduate..."

"So what did you do at the time?" the president quickly asked.

"Overwhelmed by grief and indignation, I saw the photograph on his desk. Then, Xia Yin told me that the woman in it was his ex-wife, and so I came to my conclusion—"

Chen Chen spoke solemnly. "He was afraid of his ex-wife, which was why he had deliberately or unconsciously kept the photograph facing away from him. But why was he afraid of his ex-wife? I guessed that her death had appeared to be caused by illness, when in truth, it had been murder!"

"But I never expected that after I exposed his crime of murder, he would burst into tears, kneel before me, and beg me not to reveal it. As an exemplary youth of the Earth Federation, of course I couldn't agree."

Chen Chen still looked somewhat shaken. "I just didn't expect that after I left the office, before I even had time to call the police, he would kill himself out of guilt."

Across from the three of them, the professors exchanged looks, each wearing an odd expression.

That oddness was mostly born of astonishment at the entire affair.

A wet-behind-the-ears kid had driven an associate professor in academia to his death with just a few insignificant clues. Though the man himself had been guilty, everyone still found the whole thing absurd.

"Was Zheng Jian's suicide caused by your words being too harsh?"

The president seated at the center asked again, "Did Xia Yin know about your conversation?"

"I don't know. As soon as I called Chen Chen over, my supervisor told me to leave first." Xia Yin hurriedly shook her head, looking utterly bewildered.

"Zheng Jian brought this upon himself, and the police have already reached their conclusion. There's no need to discuss it further."

Professor Wang Xi, seated to one side, took a sip of tea from a beaker and looked at Chen Chen with a smile. "What interests me more is what exactly the three of you researched that made Zheng Jian lose his head over profit and ultimately cost him his life."

"This..." Chen Chen looked even more embarrassed.

"What, are you afraid I'll swallow up your research results too? With so many people watching, even if I wanted to, I couldn't." Seeing Chen Chen's hesitation, Professor Wang Xi laughed instead.

"Of course not. If you want to see our experimental data, there's no problem at all. It's just that our data has become evidence in the case and is being held at the police station for the time being, so we can't retrieve it." Chen Chen hurriedly explained.

"What about the paper?" Professor Wang Xi asked again.

"The paper is no problem. It's in my email, and Professor Wang can look at it anytime you want." Chen Chen quickly replied.

"Good. Send it to me after this meeting. I'd also like to see what earth-shattering experiment my students have been tinkering with!" Professor Wang Xi burst into hearty laughter.

It was clear that Wang Xi held an extremely high position at the university. With a single remark, he brushed past Zheng Jian's death, and even the president had no choice but to give up further questioning.

Chen Chen understood inwardly that Wang Xi was protecting him.

And so, with Wang Xi's interruption, the meeting ended without resolution.

Though the meeting would not truly harm the three of them, they could not have avoided some questioning and pressure. Professor Wang Xi's attitude was undoubtedly like a protective parent spreading his wings to shield them.

Chen Chen silently remembered Professor Wang Xi's gesture.

After leaving the meeting room, Wang Wei could not help laughing bitterly. "I really never thought there'd come a day when so many big names in academia would personally receive us."

"My fault." Chen Chen shook his head. "I didn't expect Zheng Jian to be that mentally fragile."

"What do you mean, your fault? You got rid of a menace to society, didn't you?"

Wang Wei hurriedly said, "If it weren't for you, the results we worked so hard on for three months really would have been stolen by Zheng Jian. And he called himself a professor with that kind of character?"

Chen Chen glanced at the silent Xia Yin and lightly nudged Wang Wei.

"Oh, look at this mouth of mine." Wang Wei quickly laughed awkwardly. "Xia Yin, this really isn't your fault."

"It's nothing. I just feel a little guilty." Xia Yin shook her head. "If I hadn't said that extra thing back then, none of this would have happened today, and Supervisor Zheng wouldn't have died..."

"Even without you, Zheng Jian would have threatened someone else. Chen Zi got rid of a menace to society and solved the problem at its root!" Wang Wei said.

"..."

Chen Chen stopped paying attention to Wang Wei's nonsense. He took out his phone and sent the paper from his email to Wang Xi, Xia Yin, and Wang Wei, then said to Xia Yin, "I've sent the paper to your emails. Take a look at it. If there are no problems, I'll submit it."

"I don't need to look at it." Wang Wei patted Chen Chen on the shoulder. "I trust Chen Zi."

"Me too." Xia Yin nodded. "By the way, how much is the publication fee? I'll transfer my share to you."

"It's fine. I sent it to Professor Wang Xi. He can probably apply to the university to cover the cost in advance." Chen Chen waved his hand. "I'm going to see Professor Wang Xi in a bit. Are you coming with me?"

"No, I still have something to do, so I'll be heading back first."

Xia Yin shook her head, forced a smile at the two of them, then turned and left.

"Xia Yin doesn't seem to be in much of a mood." Wang Wei shook his head at the side.

"Her supervisor did die, after all. It's normal for her to be feeling down." Chen Chen turned to him. "Are you coming with me?"

"No way. What would I, the second author, even be going for? Professor Wang clearly has his eye on you."

Wang Wei punched Chen Chen lightly on the shoulder. "I'm heading back first. Once you get picked, remember to treat the whole dorm to a meal!"

"Deal."

The two bumped fists in tacit understanding, and Wang Wei turned to leave.

Watching the backs of Wang Wei and Xia Yin gradually recede into the distance, Chen Chen silently sighed.

He could already sense that Wang Wei had clearly become much more distant from him.

It wasn't that Wang Wei had deliberately begun avoiding him. The problem lay with Chen Chen himself.

The absolute rationality and calmness brought about by taking NZT-48 had been subtly influencing Chen Chen's personality all along.

There was also the matter of Zheng Jian being driven to his death.

Though no one said it aloud, a life had been lost after all. Whenever the others saw Chen Chen, they naturally felt intimidated.

All of this was gradually widening the distance between Chen Chen and everyone else.

In fact, it wasn't just Wang Wei. The other two roommates in Chen Chen's dorm were the same.

Perhaps this was what they called growing up?

Chen Chen understood that from the moment he obtained the USB Drive, he had been destined to no longer belong to the same world as them.

Either he would climb to the pinnacle, or fall into the dust.

No matter what, his life would never remain this peaceful again!

Thanks to Chang Xiangshou Dao Baitou for the reward! Oh, right—does everyone have one of those valuable things that can only be generated once a day in limited quantities? Please vote with those for me!