Chapter 1763: Mermaid Rearing Guide 35

"What did you do this morning?" Lin Juan suddenly asked, grabbing Jin Chen's coat sleeve. He knew Jin Chen had left with Xu Yi, his tone inevitably tinged with jealousy, "And you're still dressed so formally."

"I went to find someone."

Jin Chen said casually, pulling a recorder from his pocket rather mysteriously, "Want to listen? There's a secret."

Lin Juan didn't really care about the so-called secret; he wanted to clear up another matter instead: "Why did you bring Xu Yi? Last night too—are you and him on good terms?"

"You're jealous, Doctor Lin." Jin Chen curled his lip and pinched his cheek, "Since you won't help me, I'll have to find another assistant."

Lin Juan felt a bit wronged and couldn't help saying, "But you never asked—how would you know I wasn't helping you?"

"After hearing this, I'll only rely on you as my assistant." Jin Chen shoved the recorder into his hand, his tone turning more serious, "It's about the truth from ten years ago."

Lin Juan suddenly lifted his eyes to him, disbelieving, "You…… are you helping me investigate?"

"Not at all!" Jin Chen said haughtily, averting his gaze, "You keep letting Edmond off the hook—I want you to clearly see why you should hate him!"

Lin Juan fell silent for a moment, then pressed the recorder.

First to appear was Jin Chen's voice.

—"What did Edmond do ten years ago, and how is the truth behind the mass frenzy of high-intelligence animals related to him?"

—"After Edmond organized his own team, he had already begun the gene fusion plan, but at that time the Dashu couple always intervened as the experiment's supervisors, so he probably already hated them……"

"Afterward, Edmond somehow suddenly changed his ways, actively apologizing to Dashu and admitting fault, then moved his team back to the original Initial Base."

Next came another old man's voice, sounding chaotic and inverted from fear.

—"Yes, that's right, but it's not over yet; we're not entirely clear on the truth, and later investigation will likely point to the surgery!"

"Edmond performed many surgeries on Dashu, and afterward nearly all the frenzied high-intelligence animals went through his hands—it must be that something forbidden was implanted during the procedure."

Lin Juan listened for a long time, also noticing that Jin Chen's embrace had grown tighter; this just-right comfort let him stay calm.

Until the last person spoke.

—"Edmond would do anything to make himself stronger! Dashu and the other original test subjects were all killed by him!"

Lin Juan drew a deep breath; although he had suspected these days deep down, hearing those words still made him feel as if countless vines of misery were coiling around him, pressing so hard he could barely breathe.

If it's true……

If it's true, then what's the difference between him spending all these years and acknowledging a thief as his father?

The recorder's content began to loop; Jin Chen took it from his hand to turn it off, then wrapped an arm around Lin Juan's waist, letting him straddle his lap facing him.

"There are no specific surgical records in that dark room; back then almost all of Edmond's team members died, so really no one can verify whether that claim is true or false."

Jin Chen soothed him while saying, "Unless we interrogate Edmond and force him to spit out the truth himself."

"All right." Lin Juan's tone was unprecedentedly firm; he buried his face in Jin Chen's neck and murmured, "Will you stay with me?"

"Of course."

【Villain Blackening Value +3, total 73!】

——

Opportunity, or rather danger, came far sooner than Lin Juan had anticipated.

Because a certain mermaid at the headquarters base was really too conspicuous, acting without regard for consequences, even though You Zhuoran and Lin Juan had his back, he still ended up under the scrutiny of the higher-ups.

As for who at the headquarters base pays the most attention to Jin Chen besides Lin Juan, it's inevitably Edmond, who constantly covets the mermaid's strength.

After several rounds of probing, one day Jin Chen went out for a stroll, left hand gripping the White Wolf King, right hand cradling the Hongtuanzi, and as soon as he entered the hall he was surrounded.

He had thought this would be a sudden, unpreventable killing, but it turned out to play right into Jin Chen's hands.

"The time to test you has come." Jin Chen calmly told the White Wolf King.

In the White Wolf King's dazed state, a whoosh sent it flying, and the smart iron ring shattered with a sound.

"Owoo!!"

The White Wolf King didn't bother with anything else; after half a second's reaction on the ground, it instantly sprang up and lunged at the hunting team members to tear and bite.

"Don't just stand there either." Jin Chen then threw the Hongtuanzi who clung tightly to his neck, "To avenge the queen, the mermaid has a duty."

"Ah——"

The Hongtuanzi, who had never fought before, let out a sharp explosive sound, unexpectedly developing a new skill.

Baring its still‑unlearned‑to‑retract sharp teeth as it yelped, the hunting team members who heard the screech all felt dizzy, and combined with the mermaid's naturally powerful tail fin slamming hard.

Done! Another one fainted!

The Hongtuanzi gradually found fun, even trying out its newly grown little fangs on a few unlucky souls.

"Boss, I'm coming to help too!!"

Xu Yi rushed out carrying the heavy cannon from You Zhuoran's private armory, taking on some of the firepower for Jin Chen.

Jin Chen covered his ears, "Good partner."

Quite lively.

"How come it's you—did You Zhuoran run away?"

"Nope, Captain You said he also has something he wants to seek, some faith or whatever—anyway, whoever finds the truth ends up the same!"

Xu Yi was obviously still not fully accustomed to the cannon; after a flurry of fumbling, he finally found his position and fired again with a boom.

Hunting team members and base combat troops kept rushing in, fighting while chasing, completely unaware they'd been turned into the mermaid's plaything.

Meanwhile, Edmond's private confidential chamber.

This place holds more secrets than those hidden behind the secret door; Lin Juan only discovered its existence by chance, and without that recorder prompting him, he probably would never have entered.

"I'll stand guard outside—hurry up." You Zhuoran said.

The reason he didn't leave with Xu Yi from the Number Ten Sub-base was indeed that he had something he wanted to know; becoming part of the gene experiment was his self‑discipline and belief, and he had wholeheartedly trusted the propaganda the headquarters had previously put out.

You Zhuoran believed that not only him, but countless people in many tech‑related industries and colleges likewise held that belief firmly.

Given that the truth now seems likely to be rotten and foul, he also bears the responsibility to let several states of Blue Star know; precisely for this reason, You Zhuoran's first reaction upon learning Xu Yi's identity was trust.

But the headquarters and the Number Ten Base are different—fraught with danger and constantly facing mortal trials; You Zhuoran saw Xu Yi off, decided to investigate himself, and never expected to run into him again for a second visit.

「If the truth is what you least want to see, what will you choose? 」 You Zhuoran suddenly asked Lin Juan.

Lin Juan: "I won't forgive myself, but I…… have someone I want to be with."

Death is no longer his destination.

You Zhuoran nodded, continued to stand guard outside, gazing at the empty corridor as if lost in thought.