Chapter 200: Chapter 200: Purpose

Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the meal. When it was over, Admiral Clan called Lu Xiao into the study. After closing the door, Lu Xiao asked Kelan, “Father, did you get it?”

She knew that when Kelan called her over at a time like this, it had to be about today’s incident.

Kelan nodded, then took a briefcase from the safe. He opened it to reveal five test tubes filled with a yellowish-green liquid.

Lu Xiao walked over but didn’t rashly reach out to pick one up. Instead, she asked, “Has it been tested?”

“It seems to be an advanced version of the potion you mentioned. They’re still conducting illegal research.”

Although Admiral Clan didn’t specify who “they” were, there was no way Lu Xiao wouldn’t understand his meaning.

“They” referred to the fugitives from the Black Tower.

’Why would C Luo send these things over at a time like this? What’s his goal?’

The question was worth pondering deeply.

“Right now, we’re considering two possibilities. First, C Luo did this because he’s had a falling out with the Black Tower and wants to use this to give himself a second chance. Second, this is a signal, a declaration of war—an act of provocation. Personally, I’m leaning toward the second one.”

Lu Xiao understood Kelan’s meaning. Thinking from his perspective, C Luo had little motivation to turn over a new leaf.

Recalling her time with C Luo in the Underground City, he had a rather shy personality. If you only interacted with him casually, you would never think he was a bad person.

He was more like the boy next door.

But Lu Xiao wasn’t a child; she wouldn’t judge whether someone was good or bad based on such superficial impressions.

After all, bad guys don’t have the words “bad guy” tattooed on their foreheads.

“I think you’re right, Father. This is probably a provocation. But since they gave it to us, we should study it thoroughly so we don’t waste their ’good intentions.’ At the very least, we need to determine its components.” As Lu Xiao said this, she was secretly hoping that no innocent lives had been used to create it.

“I’ll have people look into it, so you don’t need to worry about that. Be extra careful recently. Now that they’ve shown themselves, this definitely won’t be a one-time thing,” Admiral Clan instructed Lu Xiao seriously. If he could, he would have forbidden her from going out to work and made her stay safely at home. But he also knew that, given Lu Xiao’s personality, she would never listen to such an arrangement.

“Don’t worry, Father. I’ll be careful.” Lu Xiao knew exactly what he was worried about and said with a smile, “Actually, if they came after me, it would make it easier for you to catch them.”

Lu Xiao was well aware that she was excellent bait, but Admiral Clan would never let her take such a risk.

Sure enough, as soon as she finished speaking, Admiral Clan replied with strong disapproval, “Don’t do anything reckless. This isn’t your responsibility to bear. Your safety is more important.”

“I know, Father. I won’t take any risks. I value my life, you know.” Lu Xiao then reached out and hugged Admiral Clan. “Stay home tonight. Don’t go back to the military district. You should relax once in a while, too.”

A warmth spread through Admiral Clan’s heart. He didn’t refuse. “Alright.”

After talking with Admiral Clan, Lu Xiao returned to her room, hesitating over whether to tell Ares that C Luo had sought her out.

Her intuition told her she shouldn’t hide it. But then she thought about how Ares must be dealing with so many troubles on the front lines. If he knew a member of the Black Tower had shown up at her home, he would definitely worry. And if something happened to him on the battlefield because of it, she would regret it for the rest of her life.

So, even if Ares heard about it after he came back and blamed her, she couldn’t tell him now.

Admiral Clan moved quickly. The component analysis report for the potion soon arrived on Lu Xiao’s terminal. When she saw the data showing it was a “female-based essence,” a coldness surfaced in her eyes. ’Those people are still using innocent females for illegal experiments.’

At the same time, Lu Xiao realized something: Ban Lun had most likely not been an important leader in the Black Tower, but was merely a pawn pushed forward to take the fall.

Recalling it carefully now, although C Luo had acted very respectfully and obediently toward Ban Lun at the time, he hadn’t shown much deference in his conversations with her.

At the time, she had dismissed it as her own misperception. Now, thinking about it calmly, she felt it wasn’t a misperception at all. It was highly likely that Ban Lun’s status within the Black Tower was actually lower than C Luo’s.

That would explain why C Luo had been so casual.

Lu Xiao let out a short, mocking laugh, which drew Teacher Ai Li’s attention. “What’s wrong, Xiao Xiao?”

She sensed that something was off with Lu Xiao’s mood and couldn’t help but ask out of concern.

“It’s nothing, Teacher Ai Li. By the way, when are we leaving for the S-Class Shelter?” They were scheduled to go to the S-Class Shelter today to perform a final check-up on a group of S-Class males who were about to be discharged.

Since there were quite a few of them, it was easier than having them all come to the Fifth Research Institute.

“We’ll leave as soon as Teacher Sherry finishes packing. Are you sure you’re okay? You don’t seem to be in a very good mood.” Having worked with Lu Xiao for so long, Teacher Ai Li had a good grasp of her personality.

She would never let out such a cold, mocking laugh unless she had encountered something she found unacceptable. And in reality, Lu Xiao, this young female, had a very high tolerance for things.

She could let most things slide. For something to be unacceptable to her, it must be a very big deal.

“I’m fine, really. Don’t overthink it, Teacher Ai Li. I’m okay. If something was wrong, I’d tell you.” Lu Xiao gave Teacher Ai Li a reassuring smile, feeling a warmth in her heart. After all, she knew Teacher Ai Li was genuinely concerned about her.

’It’s just that for some things, it’s safer for Teacher Ai Li not to know.’

Teacher Sherry came in carrying a case. “Alright, let’s go.”

And so, the group boarded Teacher Ai Li’s hovercar and set off for the S-Class Shelter.

Meanwhile, Admiral Hans was also preparing for their arrival. He had instructed Robin early in the morning to arrange the day’s meals. With Lu Xiao coming, she would definitely have to eat his specialty: pickled fish.

When Robin heard Lu Xiao was coming, he grinned from ear to ear. “If Lady Lu Xiao is coming, I’ll definitely give her the best hospitality.”

’As if Admiral Hans even needed to tell me!’

Seeing his eager expression, Hans chuckled. “How are those ready-to-eat pickled fish packets you’ve been selling online doing lately?”

At the mention of this, the smile on Robin’s face froze. By now, he was quite familiar with Admiral Hans. “Could you please not bring up such a sad topic when I’m at my happiest? How else would they be doing? Nobody’s buying them!”

Admiral Hans patted his shoulder. “Don’t be impatient. Good things come to those who wait. Someone who recognizes quality will come along eventually. I have faith in you!”

“You don’t have to console me. I knew what I was getting into from day one, so I was mentally prepared. Anyway, I’m heading to the kitchen to prep the ingredients. You should get going, too. Calculating the time, Lady Lu Xiao and the others should be arriving soon.”

“Yes, I’m on my way now!” Admiral Hans said as he stood, picked up his military cap from the side, put it on, and left the dining hall.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep