Chapter 95

Chapter 95

Lin Rui tidied her things and carefully relocked the door before entering.

Her skills in surveillance and counter-surveillance were well-honed; every item she disturbed was returned exactly to its original state, down to the original creases in the paper.

Much to her profound disappointment, she found nothing of significance in the study.

Her grandfather was even more cautious than she had imagined.

Lin Rui felt a pang of defeat. She meticulously erased any trace of her presence and exited the study.

She hadn't even stepped out of the basement when she suddenly overheard her father and grandfather engaged in a heated argument.

"Big brother is quite the strategist, isn't he? Dad, what did you promise back then, and what are you doing now? If it weren't for your demands, Lin Fu would still be my son, obedient to my word. Would we have ended up in this situation?"

"What nonsense are you spouting!? Haven't you benefitted enough as a member of the Lin family? When your brother sent word back then, didn’t you agree readily? Now you remember he's your blood, and you have the nerve to quarrel over this? Where's your dignity as the head of the family? Lin Rui and Lin Yan are unambitious, not knowing how to fight for themselves. No matter how anxious you are, Lin Fu only wants to be close to Lin Yun."

The arguing parties gasped for breath in their agitation.

They were trying to suppress their voices to avoid being overheard by others.

If Lin Rui hadn’t been there by chance, indeed, no one would have heard.

She leaned against the door and squatted in the corner, holding her breath and straining to catch every word of their argument.

Lin Sixing was too angry to speak. After a long pause, he continued, "Lin Sicheng has it easy now, doesn't he? How much of what was promised has been fulfilled? Isn't the Lin family still in this sorry state? If his words were to be taken seriously, why bother about Lin Fu?"

Lin Xiu had a much better temper than his son. Initially infuriated and prone to cursing, he had now calmed down. Hearing his son's words, he snorted coldly, "Sicheng told you to have that son dead by eighteen. Well, he's still alive and kicking, isn't he?"

Lin Sixing countered, "He provided the poison. Shouldn't the question of why it didn't kill be directed at him?"

Lin Xiujian retorted, "But it was you and Luo Qirui who administered it personally. You both are well aware of any mishaps that might have occurred during the process."

Lin Sixing fell silent once again.

As their conversation became untenable, Lin Xiujian was the first to depart.

Several minutes passed before Lin Rui heard her father, in a fit of rage, kick the wall several times before storming off with heavy strides.

She crouched down, covering her mouth to stifle any sound that might betray her shock.

Minutes ticked by as she remained frozen in the same position, nearly petrified into a statue.

Coming back to her senses and waiting for her racing heart to calm, she slowly rose, leaning on the wall for support as she exited the basement, the echo of their conversation tumultuous in her mind.

The realization of the elders’ sinister and malicious true nature, laid bare before her, would take a long while to accept.

She had always harbored suspicions but leaned towards giving her parents the benefit of the doubt, even justifying the poisoning as a last resort, or at worst, driven by jealousy.

It never crossed her mind that this was an entire family's involvement in a naked scheme of self-interest.

Trading a life for the prosperity of the whole family, perhaps?

Or using one’s own flesh and blood?

And what about her younger uncle? Was he truly alive?

Regrettably, she lacked the evidence.

Overwhelmed with tension, she had forgotten to record the altercation, which could have been shown to Lin Fu.

Without evidence, Lin Fu would surely not believe her.

Perhaps, she could try to coax some truth from her mother.

……

When Lin Fu returned, both Lin Rui and Lin Yan were nowhere to be found.

It's said that Lin Rui returned to the Luo family, to visit her maternal grandfather.

Lin Siji spoke these words while surreptitiously gauging Lin Fu's expression.

After all, the Luo family was his biological mother's home, and it was uncertain whether Lin Fu would feel a closer kinship to it than to the Lin family.

Lin Fu's expression remained impassive, his eyes like a deep, still lake, devoid of any ripples.

Unable to discern his emotions, Lin Siji smiled, ceasing his inquiries. He turned to his son, "Xiao Yun, be obedient and don't cause your brother any trouble while you're out with him."

Lin Yun pursed his lips and nodded.

As Lin Fu ascended the stairs, he seemed to suddenly remember something and asked, "Uncle, when does the holiday end at the Royal Military Academy?"

Lin Siji paused briefly, "In about three days, I believe."

Lin Fu nodded slightly, then continued upstairs.

*

The Royal Family.

After passing through several layers of verification, Simon Constance entered a vast subterranean world.

Constructed like a labyrinth, the complex housed rooms and passageways filled with experimental materials - minerals, metals, liquids sealed in jars and vials, as well as the corpses of humans and insectoid creatures.

At the end of the corridor was an enormous laboratory, large enough to accommodate several mechs. In the expansive space, countless individuals clad in white lab coats bustled about.

At the center stood a platform three to four meters high and over ten meters in diameter, surrounded by transparent glass. Several people operated instruments around its perimeter.

A man, whose handsome features bordered on effeminate, stood at the core position.

Upon seeing him, Simon Constance quickened his pace and called out loudly, "Teacher!"

The man turned his head and looked down at him with lowered eyes, "Haven't I said not to disturb me during my experiments?"

Simon's expression was apologetic, "But I have news for you, Teacher. Lin Fu has returned."

The man was momentarily stunned, then furrowed his brows tightly and handed the object in his hand to the person beside him.

"Mr. Lin, wait, this core data..." The person beside him was brushed aside.

Lin Sicheng descended from the platform and approached Simon Constance, "Are you saying Lin Fu didn't die and has safely returned to the Imperial Capital Star?"

Simon replied, "Not only is he alive, Mr. Morelche didn't return either."

One of the two was bound to perish; since it wasn't Lin Fu, it could only be Morelche.

Standing still, Lin Sicheng pondered for a moment before his expression turned grim, "It seems this brat truly possesses a 3S-grade physique. Even Morelche was killed by him. What should we do about the Empress?"

Simon Constance caught the term "3S" and queried in disbelief, "What? What did you say?"

3S？

A 3S-grade physique?

Lin Fu?!

In a fluster, he exclaimed, "Teacher, could you be mistaken? How could Lin Fu possibly be 3S? He's severely injured and close to death. How can he be 3S?"

Lin Sicheng opened his mouth, stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter like a madman, "Severely injured and close to death? Severely injured and close to death? So he's not 3S? That useless Morelche got killed in a life-for-life fight. If it's not 3S, then it's manageable... If he could kill Morelche, he must be 2S. If he's severely injured and on the brink of death, perhaps he can't even maintain an S+ state... That would make things much easier."

Shocked and unable to regain his composure, Simon Constance, even upon hearing Lin Fu wasn't 3S, felt a chilling dread at the thought of 2S.

2S？

It was a physique that surpassed the existing classifications of humanity.

A great leap in human evolution.

The first-ever 2S-grade individual in human history was a guide, and it was Lin Fu?