Ling Xi, in Danger?
After slurping down noodles with Ancestor Kevin, Ling Xi considered whether he should go to the lab that afternoon. Although Mobius had told him the night before to spend more time in the lab when he had the chance, still...
Thinking of that final moment on the overpass last night, Ling Xi truly felt a little panicked. If Mobius had been sober then, he definitely would not have been scared. He might even have found it a little funny. But Mobius had been drunk last night. Who knew whether she would fly into a rage after sobering up today...
Still, he had to go. After all, he was her assistant. At worst...
He could just say that she remembered it wrong. She had been so drunk yesterday that perhaps she truly would not remember. Yeah... probably!
Before long, Ling Xi arrived at the research institute. Uh, he noticed that everyone there, especially the guards, treated him with much more respect. Well... it was probably because of yesterday's Honkai incident. He had practically saved dozens of people. Although Mobius had ultimately said it was entirely because of the sword, still...
Perhaps because of everyone's preconceived impression of Mobius, the glory ultimately ended up falling on him.
After entering the institute, Ling Xi saw many construction workers repairing damaged areas throughout the facility. Ninety percent of its functions had already been restored. As for the places that had been too badly damaged, they could only be demolished and rebuilt.
"Beep..."
Upon arriving at the lab, Ling Xi swiped his card as usual. Naturally, he also received the usual warning about being late...
"Senior Klein, what are you doing here?"
The moment he entered the lab, Ling Xi spotted Klein sitting in a chair in the lounge. She was using the computer to work on something.
"Organizing the information from the experimental groups for Doctor."
Klein answered without even looking back. Her hands did not stop moving as she continued inspecting, assessing, and categorizing the various experimental groups under Mobius. It could not be helped; Mobius simply had too many experiments...
"Uh..."
Ling Xi watched for a while and only felt his eyes glaze over. It was far too difficult...
"Klein, have you sorted out the files I wanted?"
At that moment, Mobius's voice suddenly came from inside the lab. She was asking Klein for the files; it was time for the next phase of her experiment.
"They're ready, Doctor!"
Klein hurriedly replied that they were finished, then directly handed a bag of documents to Ling Xi. "Ling Xi, could I trouble you to deliver these to Doctor for me?"
"Sure, no problem."
Ling Xi naturally could not refuse such a small favor. He nodded without hesitation, took the documents, and headed straight toward the room where Mobius was.
"Quick, Klein. Give me the files."
Inside the lab, Mobius was observing an experimental group through a microscope. Hearing footsteps, she extended a hand behind her without turning around, signaling Klein to hand over the files.
"Doctor, here..."
Ling Xi did not hesitate and promptly handed them over.
After taking the documents, Mobius quickly began flipping through them, reading at an astonishing pace. These were the records and analyses Klein had compiled after her experiments, and they would be of great help for the experiments to come.
"Mm, Ling Xi's cells really are extraordinary. And... they actually suppress Dishi cells."
As she read the report, Mobius muttered to herself. "But the cells are nearly used up, and after several days, their activity has dropped dramatically. I need to find time to get more from him."
Ling Xi: "..." So this was his job in the lab? A cell supplier!
"Klein, has Ling Xi not come in today?"
Sensing that someone was still behind her, Mobius naturally assumed it was Klein.
"Uh... Doctor, I'm already here."
Ling Xi answered faintly...
"Huh?"
Mobius was startled and hurriedly turned around to look at Ling Xi. "So you're already here. Ahem, why didn't you say anything? I thought you were Klein."
"Uh... I did speak just now, Doctor. Here!"
Ling Xi wore an innocent expression. He had clearly answered Mobius earlier; it was just that she had apparently completely mistaken him for Klein.
"Eh..."
Mobius froze for a moment, but still huffed. "Then why didn't you remind me?"
"I saw that Doctor was concentrating on your research, so I didn't dare interrupt you recklessly."
Ling Xi scratched his head and smiled awkwardly. After all, on his first official day at work, Danzhu and Cangxuan had warned him not to interrupt Doctor Mobius while she was conducting experiments. That was... one of the most dangerous things he could do.
"Is that so... Hehe, didn't I tell you yesterday that you could come find me anytime if you needed something?"
Mobius put down the documents in her hands, then looked at Ling Xi with a slight smile. "So, did you come this time because you need something? Or is there something you want to learn?"
"No, nothing. I just came by to take a look."
Ling Xi hurriedly shook his head and smiled. "After all, I'm an employee of the lab. Even if Doctor has given me quite a lot of freedom, I can't just never show up, can I?"
"Mm-hm, not bad. If Danzhu and Cangxuan had even half your awareness, they wouldn't still be at their current level."
Mobius could not help but laugh. Yet whenever she thought of Danzhu and Cangxuan, she felt somewhat frustrated. She had not taken them in merely because they were the only two willing to come. More importantly, she had seen their potential. Those two...
Were extremely intelligent!
However, they had never managed to take that most crucial step. As a result, there was a great deal of work in her lab that they simply could not handle, and it all ultimately had to rely on Klein.
"Yeah..."
Thinking of the two of them, Ling Xi silently nodded as well. One was obsessed with stock trading and dreamed of financial freedom all day, while the other spent every day pondering figurines. They truly did not have a shred of the demeanor expected of normal researchers.
"Oh, right. There's something about last night that I want to ask you."
Suddenly, Mobius seemed to remember something, and her gaze turned toward Ling Xi.
Ling Xi: "???" Wait, could it be about what happened on the overpass?
The moment he heard that, Ling Xi began to panic.
But calm down, calm down. Mobius had been so drunk yesterday that perhaps she truly did not remember what happened at the end of last night.
Besides, so many things had happened last night. They drank, the car broke down, and he carried Mobius back. It was not as though only the overpass incident had happened. So calm down, calm down. He would wait until Mobius asked before saying anything.
With that in mind, Ling Xi forcibly composed himself and asked in a deliberately calm tone, "Then what does Doctor want to ask?"
"Mm..."
Mobius thought for just a moment, then smiled. "It's nothing particularly important. I just wanted to ask, when we were on the overpass together last night..."
Ling Xi: "..."
A Disciple Who Challenged His Teacher Had the Bearing of a Hero!
Hearing Mobius's question, Ling Xi's heart instantly leaped into his throat. Was this snake really going to settle the score after the fact?
"Ahem, it's nothing particularly important. It's just..."
Mobius smiled faintly. "The things you said to me when we were on the overpass together last night were true, right?"
Ling Xi: "..." So it was not about that final incident.
And as for the things he had said to Mobius...
"Of course they were true."
Ling Xi answered without the slightest hesitation, speaking with utter sincerity. "I agree with Doctor's understanding, and I know why Doctor does what she does. Therefore, I absolutely support Doctor's actions and methods, because..."
Ling Xi said seriously, "What Doctor said last night was also correct. Humans... our physical evolution has long been unable to keep up with the development of civilization and technology. If we stubbornly cling to the old ways without innovating, then... being eliminated is only a matter of time!"
Ling Xi's words were completely sincere. He had no intention of placating or deceiving Mobius, because this truly was what he thought. As a transmigrator who had read the script, he naturally knew why humanity would perish and how powerful Fused Warriors were. And Fused Warriors...
Though Mei deserved some credit, judging by the current situation, Mobius was unquestionably the one leading the effort. After all... she had already begun experimenting with the fusion of human and Honkai Beast genes.
"Mm... I knew I hadn't misjudged you."
Mobius could not help but hug Ling Xi as she huffed, "It seems that recruiting you into my lab was truly the most correct decision I've ever made. Ling Xi, how about... you stop being my assistant and become my..."
Mobius placed the index finger of her right hand against her lips, the corner of her mouth curling upward as she smiled. "Student?"
"Pfft..."
Ling Xi nearly spat out a mouthful of blood. Her student?
Good lord, was she trying to turn him into a disciple who would challenge his teacher? Uh... no, that was not right. If he became Mobius's student, he would definitely be unable to avoid all sorts of strange experiments in the future. And he...
While he could accept being used in Mobius's experiments, that did not mean he enjoyed such experiments!
"Um, Doctor, I appreciate your kindness, but..."
Although Ling Xi wanted to refuse, Mobius had personally made the offer. Rejecting her outright would definitely be inappropriate, so he had to find a reason!
Honestly, he was deeply grateful that Mobius was willing to take him as her student. He had looked into her background as well. Apart from the rumors online and within the Flame-Chasing Moths, Mobius was an exceptionally outstanding scholar. She could absolutely be called the world's foremost scholar, without equal!
Probably only the future Mei could contend with her!
It seemed that everyone with Mei in their name was powerful. What about simmering wine beneath plum blossoms, the Six Freaks of Mount Mei, and Silver Vase... Like a silver vase shattering as water burst forth, the Iron Cavalry surged out as blades and spears rang!
In short, Mobius was just that formidable. Yet she had never had a student. Of course, it was not because no one wanted to be her student. Rather... she simply had never intended to take students. But now, it seemed that Mobius did not lack the desire for students. She merely...
Had never found anyone she liked!
After all, her ideas about humanity already differed from those of nearly 99.9999% of people. The remainder were either extremists or messengers of the true god. And as for him...
Honestly, if he had not known the script and known that humanity would perish without evolution, he might not have agreed with Mobius's ideals either.
"But what?"
Mobius asked with a smile. Honestly, she wanted Ling Xi... ahem, Ling Xi's strength. Whether it was the strength of that lightning and flame, or Ling Xi's strength as a researcher!
Naturally, she would also teach Ling Xi all the knowledge she possessed without holding anything back, because...
Humanity could not have only one pioneer. Besides, she had already become a thorn in many people's eyes. A group of useless fools who only knew how to blindly follow old rules would immediately rush to eliminate dissidents the moment they saw a new variable that could threaten their interests!
Wasn't that why she had recently accelerated her research into genes and the power of Honkai Beasts? She hoped to gain enough strength to protect herself.
After all, continuing to maneuver among so many people was not a long-term solution. Yet her current technology was still immature. Rashly altering her own genes might bring extremely serious consequences. Honestly...
A few days ago, she had not even known what to do anymore. But at that very moment, she had seen hope...
Ling Xi possessed sufficient strength, shared her ideals, and was one of the very few people who still did not dislike or fear her even after learning what she was doing. Naturally, she wanted to keep such a little guy by her side by any means necessary.
"But my abilities definitely aren't good enough..."
Ling Xi scratched his head as he declined Mobius's invitation. "After all, Doctor should know very well what my level is like. Right now... I probably don't yet have the qualifications to become Doctor's student. People would gossip."
"That?"
Mobius could not help but laugh. "Do you think Klein would gossip, or Cangxuan and Danzhu?"
"Eh... no, I wasn't talking about them. They've all been very good to me!"
Ling Xi hurriedly shook his head in denial. He had gotten to know those girls fairly well. First of all, Klein would absolutely never do something like that. That girl was practically an airheaded workaholic, Mobius's ultimate tool. As for Cangxuan and Danzhu...
One of those slackers dreamed of financial freedom, while the other only cared about figurines. How could they possibly...
"Then you mean the people outside?"
Mobius slowly moved closer to Ling Xi, pulling on his collar with one hand until her face was less than five centimeters from his. She asked with a smile, "Ling Xi, do you think that with the reputation our lab has now, we would still care about gossip?"
"Eh?"
Ling Xi: "..."
After being stunned for a moment, Ling Xi could only exclaim, Good lord. Just... good lord!
Indeed, Mobius's lab was now called a den of demons by the Flame-Chasing Moths. There were even rumors that once someone entered, they would never leave in one piece, and...
Whenever someone at the institute felt unwell, there was no need to ask. Mobius must have done it!
There were also the institute's ten great taboos: do not enter Mobius's lab, do not eat anything Mobius gives you, do not believe anything Mobius says, and so on and so forth...
In short, Mobius was right. With the reputation their lab had now, why should they fear gossip?
Like a certain Boss Cao who preferred not to reveal his name, everyone initially called him a traitor named Cao. At first, Boss Cao was quite displeased, but later, he stopped caring. That was broad-mindedness!
Only later did everyone suddenly realize, what? The traitor named Cao was actually me?
I actually have the bearing of a hero?
Bad Women Only Know How to Deceive Me!
Before you continue