Chapter Seventy-Six: Signs Emerge Once More

Chapter Seventy-Six: New Undercurrents

Kyushu Island

The political and military heart of the Huaxia Republic.

The architecture here had not succumbed to the cold gleam of technology. Hidden amid lush greenery and tranquil lakes, the red brick and green-tiled buildings more closely resembled the vanished Forbidden City of old Yanjing than any futuristic metropolis.

Clusters of ancient-style pavilions stood tall, embodying the very core of federal power.

Here gathered a group of people—sometimes only a handful—who held in their grasp the fate of the Earth Federation, perhaps even all of humanity.

"The origin of this information is extremely well-concealed; its credibility is beyond question." A man, middle-aged in appearance, sat upright at his desk.

Before him hovered a holographic screen, and his words were directed at the figure within it. Whatever was said on the other end seemed to irk the man.

"In any case, I have relayed the message. What you do with it is your affair."

"The Radiance of the Republic! If that machine knows everything, what need is there for us?"

"Don't bring up its computational power to me. I've conveyed the message; whether you believe it or not is your choice. Regardless, I will act accordingly on my end."

"I'll submit a report to the Secretary—that's all."

His conversation with the figure on the screen clearly left him displeased, but this was far from the first time.

Even holding such a high position, Ju Yehe could not sway everything. All he could do was apply pressure where possible. Yet, faced with the facts, he had no choice but to respond.

"A pack of good-for-nothings—relying on that machine for everything," Ju Yehe muttered under his breath after ending the call.

Such words he could only allow himself to utter in solitude. In his role, every word and gesture would draw attention and speculation. He had to be constantly vigilant, even when his actions did not reflect his true feelings.

A knock at the door snapped Ju Yehe from his thoughts. He straightened his collar and spoke.

"Come in." Ju Yehe disliked the cold, mechanical tones of automated notifications. He had even disabled the office intercom; anyone wishing to enter had to do so the old-fashioned way—by knocking.

"Director, your meeting with Mr. Long is soon. You asked to be reminded before you left," said a young woman, her tone suggesting she was likely Ju Yehe's secretary.

"Thank you, I remember. Let’s go together—you haven’t seen your grandfather in some time, have you?" Ju Yehe replied gently, smiling.

The young woman’s previously stiff smile softened and became genuine at the sound of his voice.

"Yes, I’ve been quite busy lately," Long Jinghuai answered quietly.

"Let’s go!" Ju Yehe rose, adjusted his attire, and addressed Long Jinghuai standing by the door, his mind already occupied with the conversation to come.

Though he held the prestigious title of Director of National Security, there were certain matters he could not handle as he wished. This time, he would need to consult Long Jinghuai’s grandfather.

Thinking of the old man, Ju Yehe—despite his own lofty position—felt a flicker of nervousness, covering it by fussing with his clothes.

Long Jinghuai observed this without comment, maintaining the same mechanical smile she had worn upon entry, following quietly behind him.

"By the way, Jinghuai, your third brother just returned from the Wastelands, didn’t he?" In private, Ju Yehe was evidently close to Long Jinghuai.

Hearing him use her given name signaled this was not official business. Her response grew warmer.

"Yes, Uncle Ju," she replied, not sure why he’d brought it up, but thinking of her unruly third brother nonetheless.

"Someone should speak to Master about him. Roaming around aimlessly like this isn’t good." If anyone else had said such things about a Long family child, it would have caused offense. But from Ju Yehe, it sounded perfectly natural.

"Father has spoken to him before, but my third brother never really listened to the family, even as a child. After a few attempts, Father gave up on him."

Ju Yehe knew all this, perhaps even more thoroughly than Jinghuai herself.

"Master has his reasons, I’m sure. I’ll speak with him after our meeting. After all, I watched you all grow up together. But Ru Yuan can’t go on like this; things are different now."

His voice grew heavy, as if recalling something from the past.

"Thank you for your concern, Uncle Ju," Long Jinghuai said, feeling a surge of gratitude.

She was closest to her third brother, perhaps because the age gap between them was smallest, and she was the youngest sibling. Long Ru Yuan had always treated her well, despite others in the family calling him a wastrel or a disappointment. Jinghuai understood he simply refused to follow in the footsteps of their elder brothers and live a life dictated by the family.

She knew Ju Yehe’s concern was heartfelt. The two siblings had spent more time with him than with their own father growing up. At work, they were superior and subordinate; in private, she called him uncle.

Far away, across light-years, Long Ru Yuan had no inkling of this conversation.

Right now, everything hinged on Xin Qingyi.

"Clone vital signs stable. All parameters normal. Ready to begin consciousness transfer."

"Commence transfer preparation. Countdown."

"10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1."

"Initiating transfer."

"Resonance level at 98%. All systems normal."

Only three figures, all women, were busy at the control panel in the laboratory.

Beyond a massive transparent barrier lay a maze of experimental apparatus and robots. The consciousness transfer process was handled entirely by machines; the researchers merely supervised and operated the controls.

Inside the incubation chamber, a flawless female form floated, covered with an array of tubes and circuits.

Her eyes were closed, her skin pale from the nutrient fluid.

If Liu Shaoyu were here, he would have recognized her at a glance: Xin Qingyi. Her long black hair fanned out in the liquid, precisely as Liu Shaoyu remembered her.

"Initiate consciousness interference shielding." With the command, Xin Qingyi’s body began to tremble slightly inside the chamber.

The technicians stared intently at the data flashing across the holographic screen. Though this was not their first transfer, the tension was palpable.

"Transfer process stable."

They had passed the most dangerous phase without any sign of the feared psychic contamination or resistance. Now, so long as the progress bar crept to its end, Xin Qingyi would return.

Just then.

"Order received. Begin human enhancement protocol simultaneously."

At last, the directive came down.

An older technician frowned slightly, but pressed a red square on the screen.

A mechanical arm slid from the base of the chamber, connecting to a vein in Xin Qingyi’s hand.

"Injecting enhancement serum."

As the prompt ended, a surge of crimson liquid shot through the tube into Xin Qingyi’s vein. Her mild tremors exploded into violent convulsions.

The researchers outside all frowned deeply. Were it not for the fact that the readings remained within acceptable limits, they would have aborted the procedure immediately. But now, interruption would be catastrophic.

Finally, the worst did happen.

"Alert! Abnormal psychic readings!"