Senior, What Should I Do...

Lin Xiaoyou was still wringing her fingers, sighing as if her heart was bleeding!

Fang Qi couldn't help but ask, "If you just sell some of the equipment in here..."

He pointed to a high-precision nanomaterial sintering furnace nearby.

"Wouldn't it fetch a good amount of money?"

Lin Xiaoyou's fingers instantly froze!

Then she looked up, her almond eyes wide, staring at him in sheer disbelief!

"Ah? How could we sell them?!"

Her voice shot up eight octaves.

"These things can save everyone!"

"How could we just trade them for money!"

She glared at Fang Qi!

Fang Qi looked at her agitated state and narrowed his eyes slightly.

Save everyone...

He was hearing this phrase again.

Lin Xiaoyou... who exactly are you trying to save?

He had previously thought Lin Xiaoyou wanted to save the people of Bomu!

But now it seemed... she wasn't even willing to share this secret research facility with Bomu?

If it were to save Bomu, letting them utilize this place would definitely yield much better results, right?

But she didn't.

So...

Every. One?

What did that mean?

Everyone around her?

Everyone in Bomu?

Or... everyone in this world?

He couldn't hold back anymore.

He had to ask directly!

"Lin Xiaoyou, the 'everyone' you mentioned..."

He stared at her intently.

"Who is it? Does it include..."

He pointed at himself.

"Me?"

Lin Xiaoyou's expression stiffened slightly, and she fell silent for a few seconds.

Then, she smiled again.

"I can only tell you these things once you choose to fully cooperate with me!"

She let out another somewhat carefree laugh.

"Besides..."

Her eyes curved into crescents.

"These pieces of equipment alone can't save everyone."

Saying that, she continued walking deeper into the laboratory.

"Follow me, I'll show you something even better!"

Fang Qi looked at her back, his brows furrowing slightly.

...Cooperate?

He took a soft breath and continued to follow behind Lin Xiaoyou.

Liguang followed quietly behind him, not making a single sound.

The three of them passed through the core R&D laboratory and came across a tightly shut metal door.

[Archive Room]

"This is the archive room."

Lin Xiaoyou merely cast a casual glance at it, having no intention of going inside.

"I actually learned quite a few things from this archive room!"

She blinked at Fang Qi.

"Your parents' research records, experimental data, meeting minutes, and some..."

She tilted her head, giggling.

"Very interesting private notes. They're all in here~"

Fang Qi narrowed his eyes slightly.

His parents' private notes?

What would be recorded in there?

"However—"

Lin Xiaoyou chuckled.

"This isn't what I want to show you this time."

"There's a lot of stuff inside. If you want to see it, you can look at it later, but not now!"

She had already resumed walking forward, waving at him without looking back.

"What I want to show you is something further inside."

"Follow me!"

...

The three of them stood in front of a door once again.

...Another door?

But this door was different from all the previous ones.

It was a small door, even slightly smaller than the door to the office they had just seen.

Its surface was incredibly smooth, with no welding or splicing seams, and no interactive devices like keyboards, screens, or data ports.

There was only...

Fang Qi looked at the very center of the door.

An indentation?

A small, square indentation was embedded right in the center of the door.

It was only large enough to fit a single finger.

"Master, that is a genetic sampling port."

A docile voice sounded.

He turned his head.

The silver-haired girl was looking at the door.

The crimson in her red eyes had actually subsided.

Within her amber pupils, the faint blue data streams were now rushing like a surging river!

The light was so dazzling!

It illuminated the metal door before them with a faint blue glow!

Fang Qi's eyelids twitched slightly.

He turned his head back to look at the door.

Just getting close to this place was causing Liguang's true core to... continuously "lift its restrictions"?

What was behind this door?

The silver-haired girl's face was very calm at this moment, as she continued to explain docilely:

"A person with a specific genetic sequence needs to insert their finger into the sampling port for genetic verification."

"That's right~"

Lin Xiaoyou immediately interjected.

She was leaning against the metal wall next to the door, her arms crossed. She tilted her head and looked at the two of them with a smile:

"Only people with specific genes can enter this door."

"What a pity~"

She sighed and shrugged, a hint of helplessness in her tone.

"I can't go in."

"Simply because my genes aren't a match."

"Sigh, even opening a door requires a 'pure bloodline.' It's really unfair!"

Saying that, she raised her right hand and extended her index finger.

"Moreover, if a person with the wrong genes tries to force it open, it will..."

Her expression looked a bit aggrieved and helpless as she aimed her index finger at the small square indentation...

And jammed it straight in!

"Beep."

After a short electronic chime...

"Bzzzzzzzt——!!"

The piercing sound of an electric current rang out!

Visible blue electrical arcs shot out from the sampling port!

Traveling down Lin Xiaoyou's finger, they spread to her wrist, arm, shoulder, and her entire body!

You could even see the trajectory of the dancing arcs across her pink jacket!

Lin Xiaoyou's entire body instantly seized up on the spot!

Her eyes widened sharply, her pupils violently contracting!

Her ponytail whipped around from her body's violent spasms!

Her body was trembling violently! Her teeth were clenched tightly together, making a loud "clattering" sound!

Hmm?!

Fang Qi was dumbfounded.

...What are you doing?

Oh, so...

Failing to open this door results in direct electrocution?

But... did you really have to demonstrate it yourself?

"Bzzzzzzzt——!"

The current continued!

Lin Xiaoyou was still shaking...!

Hey, hey, hey, is she going to be okay?

Just as Fang Qi was about to deliver a flying kick to knock Lin Xiaoyou away and stop her from being electrocuted...

"Master, this level of electrical current will only incapacitate a person. It will not be fatal, nor will it cause any real injury."

Liguang suddenly spoke up in her docile voice.

She tilted her head, smiling at Lin Xiaoyou, who was trembling all over from the shock.

But... she had absolutely no intention of saving Lin Xiaoyou.

Then she looked at Fang Qi again, the corners of her mouth hooking up in a docile smile:

"So, Master is not allowed to touch her."

"Not even with the sole of your shoe."

Fang Qi: "..."

Alright.

Even a kick isn't allowed, huh.

But speaking of which...

Why did it feel like Liguang in this state was not only highly possessive, but also a bit sadistic...

"Bzzzt——Click."

The current finally stopped.

"Ugh...!"

Lin Xiaoyou finally let out a whimper...

Her entire body went limp as she fell backward.

Her back hit the metal wall behind her, and she slowly slid down along it...

She slumped onto the floor, her hands hanging weakly at her sides, her fingers still trembling slightly.

Her eyes were slightly unfocused, her ponytail was skewed to one side, and a few strands of hair stuck to her pale, round face. Her breathing was rapid and erratic.

But she still managed to raise her head and look at Fang Qi.

"See..."

Her voice was incredibly weak and powerless.

"It just... turns out like this..."

She tilted her head, her pale lips curving up to reveal a somewhat weak but still radiant smile!

Fang Qi narrowed his eyes, looking at the slightly pale yet smiling little round face in front of him.

...What did she mean by this?

Showing weakness? Showing goodwill? Proving she wasn't a threat?

Or did she intentionally make herself look like this...

Just to make him lower his guard?

Fang Qi looked again at the small square depression.

A genetic sampling port.

Only someone with specific genes could enter this door.

And here...

His parents' secret research institute.

Tsk tsk.

"So..."

He looked back at the round-faced girl slumped on the floor.

"The reason you want to cooperate with me is..."

"Because you think my genes can open this door?"

Lin Xiaoyou remained slumped on the ground, tilting her small head to look at him, showing a rather weak smile.

"Why don't you..."

Her tone was still feeble.

"Give it a try... right now?"

Give it a try?

Tsk tsk.

Of course, he didn't mind giving it a try.

Even if his genes were wrong, he would only get shocked by electricity.

He wouldn't die or fall into a coma. This electric shock was much gentler than Liguang's!

However...

His hand was suddenly grasped by a slightly cold little hand.

Fang Qi turned his head and saw Liguang looking at him.

His face was reflected in her amber pupils, where faint blue data streams were still clearly flowing deep within.

She gently shook her head.

—Master, Liguang is not in a hurry, so Master shouldn't be in a hurry either.

Fang Qi's heart warmed slightly.

His wife understood him.

Naturally, he wasn't in a hurry.

He could rewind time. Even if he didn't try now, he would have countless opportunities to try later.

He could even completely fall out with Lin Xiaoyou!

Then he could take Liguang, rewind to before they entered the institute, and explore it by himself!

The initiative was always in his hands.

He didn't need to rush at all.

He needed to figure out first whether Lin Xiaoyou was a friend or a foe...

And then make a choice!

The pink figure was still leaning softly against the wall, her chest heaving slightly, clearly indicating that the shock just now was no small matter.

But the smile on her face hadn't diminished in the slightest.

Seeing him look over, she smiled again, then shakily raised her right hand and reached out to him.

Her arm was still trembling slightly.

"Ah... I know you still don't really believe me..."

Her voice was still weak, but her tone remained light and brisk.

"Could you help me... over to that room to sit for a bit?"

Her fingers twitched slightly, pointing to a small door on the other side of the corridor.

"I will tell you everything."

She paused, her almond-shaped eyes staring straight at Fang Qi.

"Including..."

"How I've managed to stay by 'Senior's' side all this time, and why I wanted to stay by 'Senior's' side."

Her voice softened, and a touch of earnestness appeared in her smile.

"Once Senior knows everything..."

She raised her arm a little higher.

"You will definitely choose to cooperate with me."

Fang Qi looked at the hand she extended, blinked, and didn't move.

The next second...

A black and white figure immediately brushed past him.

The silver-haired little maid had already walked up to Lin Xiaoyou, bent down, and gently supported Lin Xiaoyou's extended arm with both hands.

"Miss Lin, how could we let the Master do something like this."

Her voice was docile and soft, a well-behaved smile hanging on her lips.

"Just let Liguang do it."

Mm.

He knew it.

Liguang draped Lin Xiaoyou's arm over her own shoulder, supported her back with one hand, and gently helped her up from the ground.

Lin Xiaoyou leaned limply against her. Supported by Liguang, she walked forward with unsteady steps, but she didn't forget to turn her head and blink at Fang Qi.

"Senior, your Liguang is really considerate..."

Her voice was weak, but she forced a bit of playfulness into it.

"However... still not as good as a real person!"

Fang Qi: "?"

She was shocked to this extent, yet she was still courting death?

Liguang didn't pay attention to her this time, merely giving a faint smile.

Very composed.

Mm, the newly intelligent Liguang really had stable emotions.

He took a step and followed them.

The three of them walked into the small door on the other side of the corridor.

This was a room made entirely of metal.

It wasn't large, perfectly square, and the walls, floor, and ceiling were all made of cold metal.

The room was empty; there was nothing inside.

The cold metal floor reflected the pale light from above.

Liguang supported Lin Xiaoyou and gently set her down.

Lin Xiaoyou sat down, leaning weakly against the metal wall, her legs stretched out casually, looking completely exhausted.

Liguang took a half-step back and stood by Fang Qi's side.

"Senior."

Lin Xiaoyou slightly raised her head.

The pink figure leaned against the metal wall, tilted her head, and stared straight at him with her almond eyes.

She called him Senior again.

Her small round face was a bit pale, and she looked somewhat disheveled.

But her eyes were very bright, and the corners of her mouth were slightly turned up, curving into a smile he couldn't understand.

Fang Qi also narrowed his eyes, staring at her.

Speak, tell me everything you know.

Now, it's time to show your sincerity in wanting to cooperate.

Otherwise, I wouldn't mind rewinding, and then...

"Senior, what do you think I should do..."

Lin Xiaoyou's almond eyes suddenly curved into crescents.

"I think..."

"I've really fallen for you."