Chapter 110: Surviving the Ordeal Through the Long Night

In a single sentence, their relationship was clearly defined.

As for her?

Her situation was a bit unique.

He had already "dropped by" her place, and he could do so again whenever he liked—as long as he wasn't afraid of death and was certain that it wouldn't actually kill anyone. However, she did not occupy the status of a "wife."

Under the current circumstances, this was a bit provocative, but fortunately, she brought up a topic that was even more so.

"Did you gain anything from your visit to the Ding family?"

Under normal circumstances, how much could one really gain from a single social visit? But it had to be said that Lin Xiaosu was different, and Ding Lizhong was equally unique.

Especially after Lin Xiaosu dispelled the heavy gloom hanging over Ding Lizhong’s head, the prospective son-in-law’s status in his heart had soared. With his own safety at stake, he had dropped all defenses, and everything he said was hard, solid fact.

Guided by the intelligence from "Dragon Eye" and connected by Lin Xiaosu’s keen intuition, a great deal of extraordinary information began to surface.

He laid it all out for Changye...

After Huang Chengwang fled into the night, the Changsheng Group underwent a major personnel reshuffle. The biggest changes involved two people. The first was Ding Lizhong, who was appointed as the First Vice President.

The First Vice President is an administrative position, second only to the President. And who is the current President? Lei Xiaojun, one of the three founders and the second-largest shareholder.

The Chairman, Li Changsheng, is the largest shareholder, Lei Xiaojun is the second, and Ding Lizhong is the third. Together, the three hold 90% of the Changsheng Group’s shares. The remaining 10% is allocated to executives as stock options, with no single individual holding more than a fraction of a percent (and these shares only provide dividends, which cannot be taken upon resignation). All other shareholders combined do not even come close to any one of these three men.

Ding Lizhong previously held no administrative title; he was simply the Technical Director. This was by his own insistence, as he preferred scientific research over administration.

The former First Vice President was Li Changsheng’s eldest son, Li Heming.

This time, following the defection of key research personnel, Li Changsheng promoted Ding Lizhong to First Vice President, effectively elevating him over his own son. This move had already sent shockwaves through the Changsheng Group.

There was a deeper mystery to this, but setting that aside for a moment, let us focus on the second person—the one truly worth pondering.

His name is Tong Yadong.

He replaced Ding Lizhong as the Technical Director of the Changsheng Group.

At this point, Lin Xiaosu paused.

A glimmer flickered in Changye's eyes. "Tong Yadong... Dragon Eye has a file on him. He is 45 years old, a Ph.D. in Bioengineering from Southeast University and a Ph.D. in Biology from Manston University in the Lun Kingdom. Beyond that, there is no background information, no record of significant achievements. What did you find?"

Lin Xiaosu smiled faintly. "Your Dragon Eye clearance is higher than mine. If you couldn't find anything, I certainly couldn't either."

Changye asked, "Then why do you say he is worth pondering?"

"Because of one thing: he has no distinguished background and no remarkable achievements. Why would someone like that become the Technical Director of a company like the Changsheng Group, which relies on technological revolution to thrive? Furthermore, this Technical Director is very resistant to the guidance of a true technical expert like Ding Lizhong."

Changye’s eyes lit up. "So you suspect that this person is merely a front, and that there is an invisible technical hierarchy within the Changsheng Group?"

"Exactly!" Lin Xiaosu said. "Think about it—who is the true mastermind behind this invisible hierarchy?"

"Li Changsheng!"

Changye gave the answer instantly. She then synthesized all the information Lin Xiaosu had provided.

Ding Lizhong was a founder of the Changsheng Group, one of the three major shareholders, and a nationally renowned technical expert. In terms of status, influence, and qualifications, he should have been the one leading the company’s scientific research.

But what if Li Changsheng fundamentally disagreed with his research direction? What could he do? There were two ways: the hard way and the soft way.

The hard way would be to use some ironclad evidence to prove Ding Lizhong was breaking the law—for instance, the earlier case involving the alien spider murders. If the research direction you lead results in such a severe safety incident, you cannot clear your own name, so how could you continue to lead the research?

However, Lin Xiaosu had come to Jiangcheng and forcibly pulled Ding Lizhong out of that legal vortex.

If you were Li Changsheng, what would you do? Since the hard way failed, you would have to adopt the other strategy: the soft way.

Promote Ding Lizhong! Give him the title of First Vice President! And do it by stepping over his own son! What could Ding Lizhong say? What would others in the Changsheng Group think? They would only praise Li Changsheng for his nobility and integrity, never suspecting he had ulterior motives.

This allowed Li Changsheng to legitimately install a puppet to take over the lead in research. That puppet was Tong Yadong.

This was Changye's analysis. As a member of the "Hidden Dragon," though she did not specialize in espionage, she was by no means naive.

Lin Xiaosu let out a soft breath at this answer. "If this black hand is truly Li Changsheng, that would actually be the more ideal scenario."

Changye was startled. "You have other suspects?"

"It’s still because of this Tong Yadong!" Lin Xiaosu said. "Tong Yadong returned from his studies in the Roba region, and Roba is the place where the Hydra organization is most rampant—it is even highly likely to be their base of operations. This man has made no contributions to science, yet he is appointed as the Technical Director of the Changsheng Group. In your eyes, this is a puppet set up by Li Changsheng. But what about Li Changsheng himself? Is it possible that he, too, is a puppet for someone else?"

Changye felt a deep shock. "If the Changsheng Group has already been hollowed out by Hydra, the situation is truly complex and dangerous. You cannot act recklessly."

The Changsheng Group is not an ordinary company. It specializes in genetic and biological research. Its subsidiary hospitals perform genetic modification surgeries almost daily. There are many "genetically modified humans" within this company. If it had already fallen under the control of Hydra, it would essentially be a super-branch of the organization.

Against such a super-branch, measures must be taken with extreme caution. It is definitely not a target that a non-staff member of the Hidden Dragon could take down, and even the leadership of the Hidden Dragon would surely find such a place to be a massive headache.

"So what if it is a Hydra super-branch?" Lin Xiaosu countered. "This is the territory of the Great Xia! Do they really think they can turn the world upside down on our soil?"

"We’ve dared to challenge the Hydra branch in Roba; why would we fear one in Great Xia?" Changye said. "It’s just that this is a society ruled by law. Everything must be done according to protocol. We can suspect everyone of everything, but suspicion alone is not grounds for action."

"That’s exactly right. Great Xia is, after all, the land of the Xia people. All the Hidden Dragon needs is ironclad evidence!" Lin Xiaosu said. "Come over, and we will find that evidence together!"

"I cannot come over," Changye said.

Lin Xiaosu’s gaze sharpened. "Why? Has the rejection day arrived?"

"It is tomorrow," Changye replied. "Promise me, for one month, just pause for now. After a month, I will go with you to the ends of the earth."

"One month... that is a bit too long."

"Then... let Number 88 go instead!"

"Fine!" Lin Xiaosu agreed, his gaze shifting slightly. "Your rejection... is there really no danger?"

Changye’s beautiful eyes rolled slightly. "What? Are you worried that I’ll be gone?"

"Isn't that a rhetorical question? Do you think it’s easy for me to find a wife?"

Changye giggled. "Don't worry. The rejection happens once a year; I’ve treated it like a birthday ritual. What danger could there be? It’s just that when I see you again after this, I’ll likely be back to my 'strangers stay away' persona. If you want to get anywhere with me, you might have to take some big risks."

"That’s no problem. In the detective business, taking risks is part of the job..."

"Get lost! You’re even bringing professional habits into this? I’ve figured out how to deal with you. Next time you try to flirt with me, I’ll play along, and I’ll make you drool with desire while never letting you actually touch me. I’ll mess with you, you little pervert..."

After some teasing and warmth, the intimate, lingering words were not meant for anyone else to hear.

***

After turning off the Dragon Eye, it was deep in the night.

Changye sent a message to Number 88. Then, she shut down the Dragon Eye and gazed quietly at the sky, taking a deep breath of the fresh air filled with the scent of the ocean, glancing one last time at the moon.

Finally, she walked toward a basement.

Inside the basement stood a young girl, like a delicate narcissus in the quiet night. But tonight, this narcissus was tearful. She was Xinyue.

"What’s wrong?" Changye patted her shoulder gently.

"Sister Changye, you... you must come out! You must come out alive!" Xinyue’s tears welled up in her eyes.

Changye smiled. "Don’t worry, I will definitely come out alive! I’m still waiting to see you wreak havoc on a bunch of men..."

"I’m telling you, wreaking havoc on men is nothing!" Xinyue raised her fist and pressed it down heavily. "Not only can I do it, you can too! Good luck!"

"Good luck!"

Changye took off her clothes—or, more accurately, she peeled off her skin. Removing that layer of bio-synthetic skin, her true form was indescribably beautiful and delicate.

Then, she stepped into the pool below. The water in the pool was a deep, eerie green. As Changye entered, the water churned, like a drop of cold water hitting a pan of hot oil.

The outer glass partition rose, sealing off the toxic fumes.

Xinyue slowly turned back and opened a compartment behind her. Inside were all of Changye’s belongings: her Dragon Eye, her jade token, her dragon armor, her dragon silk, her dragon scales, and two letters. One was for Xinyue, and one was for Lin Xiaosu.

As Xinyue held the letter addressed to her, tears streamed down her face.

Changye was different from other genetically modified humans. She was an anomaly in this world. She was destined to be a flash in the pan. The only difference was whether she would die during this rejection or the next. No matter how optimistic one was, one could not see a third time for her.

Lin Xiaosu did not know this. He knew that genetic rejection was a trial for genetically modified humans, but he thought it was just a painful hurdle to overcome.

It was true that some genetically modified humans died from rejection, but that death was never a natural one; it was merely a form of killing in the world of espionage.

What did that mean?

For example, if two people were long-term enemies and neither could kill the other under normal circumstances, one of them might precisely track the other's rejection day. On the day the rejection arrived, when the opponent’s internal energy was in flux and their combat ability was at its lowest, they would launch a fatal strike and kill them.

Was there a possibility of this happening to Changye?

She was already at Base 101. She had the strongest protection for her trial. Who would dare to strike at her? No one would; it was merely a matter of enduring the pain. What was that?

He could sleep soundly and face the Changsheng Group tomorrow.