Curiosity and Childlike Wonder Are Our Most Precious Treasures

Following his assistant through the corridor, they arrived at Ayanokoji Atsuomi's office. The assistant humbly knocked on the door.

"Councilor Ayanokoji, Sakayanagi-sensei wants to speak with you."

"Come in."

A brief and forceful reply came quickly from the room. Sakayanagi Narimori walked to his assistant, who had stepped aside, and opened the door himself. Sitting in the office chair, looking energetic, was none other than Ayanokoji Atsuomi he hadn't seen in a long time.

"Teacher."

Although his feelings towards him are somewhat complicated now, Sakayanagi Narimori still respectfully uses this title.

"Sakayanagi, what a nostalgic face. It's been five or six years since you last came here."

With a smile that seemed to evoke memories, Ayanokoji Atsuomi stood up and invited Sakayanagi Narimori sit down.

"Actually, I only realized today that it's been so long since Ayanokoji's father took over this project. Time really flies."

Taking the teacup from his assistant, Sakayanagi Narimori sat somewhat awkwardly opposite Ayanokoji Atsuomi. Looking down, he noticed the worn characters etched on the table:

[Give me a dozen healthy infants, and I can guarantee that I will randomly select one from them and train him to become any type of person I choose—a doctor, a lawyer, an artist, a wealthy merchant, or a beggar or a thief, without regard to his talents, inclinations, abilities, or the profession or race of his ancestors.]

However, the current Sakayanagi Narimori is not the hotheaded young man who openly expressed his dissatisfaction ten years ago. He merely glanced at it, then gently stroked the surface of the tea with the lid of his teacup before taking a small sip.

"I'm still very happy that Sakayanagi has come here again after so long. After all, the reason we met back then was because of this project, wasn't it?"

Because at that time I genuinely believed it was an educational institution for cultivating talent.

Swallowing his words along with his tea, Sakayanagi Narimori smiled and said:

"At that time, Arisu just been born, and I also had to help my father adapt to his work at Tokyo Advanced Nurturing High School. I was just too busy to leave."

"I understand, I understand."

Ayanokoji Atsuomi also smiled kindly.

"Besides keeping my appointment, I also came here for another matter."

Sakayanagi Narimori casually brought up the topic, Ayanokoji Atsuomi responded without changing his expression:

"If there's anything I can do to help, I definitely will."

"I'd like to find a child here."

"Child?"

Ayanokoji Atsuomi frowned in confusion. If he didn't know the man's character, he would have suspected that the man also had an illegitimate child.

"Of course not my child, but a child from the Kitagawa Family."

Noticing Ayanokoji Atsuomi's hesitation, Sakayanagi Narimori explained:

"I heard that the Kitagawa Family sent an illegitimate child here back then. Judging from his age, he should be one of the Fourth Generation or Fifth Generation."

"... I knew nothing about this."

Ayanokoji Atsuomi himself was somewhat surprised. Although he was in charge of the White Room, he also had other people planted in the Naoe Faction, such as Tsukishiro and Sakayanagi Narimori in front of him.

"After all, he was an illegitimate child, and the Head of the Family of the Kitagawa Family died soon afterward."

Considering that he needed their help, Sakayanagi Narimori also took the initiative to explain on behalf of Ayanokoji Atsuomi.

"That's also possible."

Ayanokoji Atsuomi nodded, and after a moment's thought, he spoke:

"So the Kitagawa Family only has this one heir now? That's why they asked you for help, isn't it?"

"Yes."

Sakayanagi Narimori nodded and said:

"I've brought his biological father's DNA information. I remember that every child in the White Room undergoes a physical examination and registration before entering, right? There aren't many children Fifth Generation, so we should be able to find him soon."

"If he were still here."

Ayanokoji Atsuomi didn't think it was a big deal, and he could even do the Kitagawa Family a favor by doing them a favor. So he casually nodded and told his assistant to take the documents to check them.

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, the assistant, who had rushed in, whispered a few words in Ayanokoji Atsuomi's ear.

Ayanokoji Atsuomi looked somewhat shocked, then said regretfully to Sakayanagi Narimori:

"I'm sorry, but the child whose DNA matched the Kitagawa Family's was eliminated two years ago."

The word "elimination" in the White Room is actually a subtle allusion, suggesting either severe psychological damage leading to mental problems, or physical disappearance from the room.

"... Is that so? Luckily, I haven't told the Kitagawa Family yet. I was originally planning to tell them only at the very end of the investigation."

To Ayanokoji Atsuomi's surprise, Sakayanagi Narimori readily believed this explanation, without even having a chance to utter the lines of explanation he had prepared.

He did get a result from his assistant, but it was something the White Room absolutely could not accept.

Ryo's DNA matched the one given to him by Sakayanagi Narimori.

If Ayanokoji Kiyotaka is currently the most important person in the White Room, then Ryo is the second most important person. As a central figure in the plan, he is connected to half of the Fourth Generation and all of the Fifth Generation.

Compared to the White Room Project, personal connections with the Kitagawa Family were less important.

"It's truly a pity..."

Sakayanagi Narimori sighed again, his own feelings were somewhat complicated.

What the Kitagawa Family needs now is a bloodline successor. As long as he's alive, even if he's an idiot, it's better than nothing.

But for the Sakayanagi Family, especially for Sakayanagi Narimori, it was difficult for him to accept the reality that Sakayanagi Arisu was Marriage Contract to a child in a White Room. Unlike her father, who had arranged the Marriage Contract, he hoped that his daughter could pursue her own happiness, especially after she recovered her health.

Before even arriving at the White Room Sakayanagi Narimori had already made up his mind. As someone who knew part of the White Room's inner workings, he understood the children who grew up White Room very well.

Excluding the first three failed phases, starting from the fourth phase, Ayanokoji Atsuomi inadvertently began a rather horrific behaviorist psychology experiment that was tantamount to brainwashing, based on his own suggestion.

If the other person is still alive, he would most likely ask to take the child out of the White Room, hoping that the child can live peacefully as a normal child under his care. This is a very risky choice.

So when Sakayanagi Narimori heard that the child who was Marriage Contract to his daughter had been eliminated, his first reaction was to breathe a sigh of relief. Although this feeling was quickly overwhelmed by a surge of guilt and remorse, perhaps deep down he was genuinely happy for Arisu.

I just hope that Arisu can do what she wants to do.

As a father, Sakayanagi Narimori simply held onto this wish.

Feeling much more Matsushita, Sakayanagi Narimori chatted with Ayanokoji Atsuomi for a while before hearing some news from his assistant:

Sakayanagi Arisu appears to be challenging for the top spot among the Fifth Generation members.

Recalling his daughter's confident words about "destroying the White Room," Sakayanagi Narimori shook his head with a smile.

Regardless, he was deeply moved by the other person's gesture.

"Shall we go take a look together?"

Ayanokoji Atsuomi also wanted to take this opportunity to showcase the results of the White Room, took the initiative to stand up and invite her.

"No problem."

The two of them arrived together at the classroom door of the Fifth Generation.

"It's Chess?"

"This is a required course in the White Room; Ichika's talent is probably only second to Kiyotaka's."

Ayanokoji Atsuomi introduced it with a smile.

"Although Arisu only studied Chess for half a year, she is very talented, so she will win."

Sakayanagi Narimori also has great confidence in his daughter. Over the past year, as her heart gradually recovers, Sakayanagi Arisu has become more and more willing to explore the unknown, as if her mind has broadened. Chess is one of the things she does.

The two of them then turned their gazes down at the same time.

The white-haired girl and the red-haired girl each held black and white chess pieces and began to play a game.

Matching her bright hair color, this child named Ichika's chess style is equally aggressive.

Judging solely from their physique and presence, one would never guess that the other person is a child a year younger than oneself.

Sakayanagi Arisu observed both the Go board and the players simultaneously.

In stark contrast to Sakayanagi Arisu's composure, Ichika's eyes gleamed with an almost fanatical desire to win.

[If Liang defeats all his opponents, he can receive the best treatment.]

What supported her to become the number one of the Fifth Generation, to put it simply, can be summed up in one word: one person.

But the burning passion vanished in the blink of an eye, Sakayanagi Arisu quickly seized control of the situation.

This was the first time Ichika had ever felt such immense pressure from anyone other than Ayanokoji Kiyotaka, not even from Takuya, who was right behind her in the class.

Calm down again and proceed with the subsequent arrangements cautiously.

Try to shake off the painful memories of past defeats and strive to keep up with your opponent's train of thought.

"--!"

After a while, Ayanokoji Atsuomi and Sakayanagi Narimori entered the room and began to watch the match up close.

When Ichika inadvertently met Ayanokoji Atsuomi's gaze, Ichika mind went completely blank.

Thanks to Little Albert's experiment, the most basic education the children in the White Room received was a genuine fear of Ayanokoji Atsuomi and other high-ranking officials.

No matter what kind of education they received or how many fighting techniques they mastered, they still found it difficult to throw a punch at these people.

Ichika knew very well that if the other party wanted to, Ming Tian Liang would disappear completely, just like those people before her.

So she has to win now.

[Only by achieving double the goals can Ryo stay with me forever and ever.]

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Ichika slowly closed her eyes and then opened them again, pressing her left hand against her chest.

Liang's illness has recently become very serious; the doctor said it's a heart problem.

Ichika once asked to listen to the other person's heartbeat with a doctor's stethoscope; it was a dull sound mixed with loud and rough noise.

A heartbeat is the sound of life.

The instructor once said this to them.

There is no literary interpretation; it is simply meant to tell them that the cessation of heartbeat signifies death.

A cold, bloated heart, like a diseased heart that's panting with every beat, and could suddenly stop beating at any moment.

The only way to restore it to its health is to defeat all its opponents.

Pick up the chess pieces and regroup once again.

When I'm focused, the world seems to quiet down.

It was as if I could hear my own heart beating, even though I had listened to it countless times with a stethoscope before.

Sakayanagi Arisu enjoys the feeling of fighting with others, especially after she has recovered her health.

She liked this kind of equal competition, where no one cared about her physical condition, but only about giving it their all.

I will sabotage this plan in front of my father.

[They will not lose to any child nurtured in this facility.]

The heart beating steadily and powerfully within its own chest has enough strength to make such a declaration.

Chapter 91: Curiosity and childlike innocence are the most precious treasures

Nature wants children to be children before they become adults. -- Jean-Jacques Rousseau

Each time he was forcibly injected with the drug, Kitagawa Ryo felt as if he were drifting on a sea between reality and nightmares.

In a half-awake state, following the lines and actions set by his assistant, he greeted the visiting children with the warmest, family-like greetings.

Then, today is also the usual time for reassurance.

The person allowed into the ward this time was Yuki, who had been acting strangely ever since Kitagawa Ryo was taken away by the staff of the White Room after falling into a coma that day.

Perhaps because the other person was still involved with half of the Fourth Generation, or perhaps because such a strangely behaving child couldn't be in the White Room today, Kitagawa Ryo saw the other person again after a long time.

Yuki's situation is different from Ichika's, because the Fifth Generation children have always been the ones who demand love from Kitagawa Ryo. They can find a strong positive response from Kitagawa Ryo, but Yuki also shares the same position as Kitagawa Ryo.