Chapter 50: The Fox’s Tail Revealed

The words were spoken with excessive humility, almost self-effacing.

Zhong Yuxiu frowned. “Let’s not talk like that anymore. We are living in a new society, a new era—no one exists for anyone else; nor must anyone have value for another.”

Li Yun was taken aback, then quickly agreed.

“What’s going on?” Hao Nan and Tian Shangguo emerged from the bathroom, their clothes changed. The dining room was unusually silent, prompting Hao Nan to ask. Meals were normally lively, especially with Comrade Zhong, who loved food—good dishes never passed in such quiet.

“Sit.” Collecting herself, Zhong Yuxiu tapped her fingertips lightly on the table, her face calm.

Hao Nan and Tian Shangguo exchanged a glance, then walked to the table and sat down, covertly observing Li Yun; with only two people in the dining room, it was clear Comrade Zhong’s mood was sour because of Li Yun.

Yan Rushan came in from outside. “Yuxiu, I’m here.”

“We can start eating,” Zhong Yuxiu looked up and managed a smile. “Come join us.”

Unaware of the tension, Yan Rushan watched her expressions throughout the meal. Afterward, as he accompanied Zhong Yuxiu up to the laboratory, he finally asked,

“Yuxiu, are you upset?”

“Yes.” Li Yun outwardly appeared eager to please, but it could easily cause misunderstandings for those unaware; Zhong Yuxiu’s dissatisfaction with Li Yun was swelling in her heart. She sighed, her gaze sweeping over the lab, and suddenly froze, her brows knitting. “Goudan, who has been in my laboratory?”

Thanks to her excellent memory, she could recall everything she had seen; especially in her private domain of the laboratory, she possessed a strong sense of territory—it was impossible for anyone to touch any corner without her noticing.

“Beep beep.” Sensing an outsider, Goudan walked to the computer desk, started up the computer, entered the password, opened a document, and began typing.

Zhong Yuxiu and Yan Rushan approached to look at the screen.

—Li Yun has been here.

“What did she touch?”

—She went through everything, but couldn’t find your research data.

“Was anything taken out of the laboratory?” Zhong Yuxiu’s frown did not relax.

—She brought in a camera, took photos, and left with it.

Yan Rushan’s brow furrowed deeply. “When did you first suspect something was wrong with her?”

“I’ve known for a long time, but she made no moves, and I had no evidence. Let’s keep this quiet for now. Tomorrow, have Hao Nan reach out to the higher-ups; if it’s not their intention, they’ll handle it themselves.” After weighing the pros and cons for a moment, she decided to remain discreet.

“Hao Nan won’t do. I’ll talk to Grandfather and let him handle it,” Yan Rushan paused. “I’ll head back now and won’t come pick you up for school this afternoon; I’ll come find you tomorrow for registration. In the meantime, meet Hao Nan privately and have him keep an eye on Li Yun.”

Zhong Yuxiu nodded, “Then hurry back and report my situation to Elder Yan.”

“I’ll go now. Take care.” Yan Rushan unexpectedly hugged her, “Don’t be afraid.”

He released her and strode out of the laboratory, opened the door, and went downstairs.

Zhong Yuxiu touched her forehead. When had she ever been afraid? Still, she found satisfaction in the fact that, in his eyes, she was someone who needed protection.

“Goudan, it seems I need to develop a surveillance device.”

“Understood, Master, I’ll fully support you; if we had surveillance, we could have recorded Li Yun’s movements.” There was a hint of regret in Goudan’s otherwise calm voice.

Zhong Yuxiu shook her head and smiled. “All my data is on the computer, which she can’t access; the scrap data on the desktop is just drafts—they’re useless even if taken.”

“Invading someone’s privacy is illegal,” Goudan remarked.

“Goudan, this isn’t the interstellar era—no one is held accountable for invading privacy; at most, it’s just disgusting. If I weren’t a researcher whose work is valued by the authorities, do you think anyone could deal with Li Yun?” Zhong Yuxiu left the lab untouched, preserving everything as it was, and sat at the computer; with legs crossed and hands on her hips, she spoke leisurely, “They wouldn’t. The legal system isn’t even fully developed yet.”

In the interstellar era, laws were meticulously divided, leaving no loopholes for anyone to exploit.

Goudan mimicked a human sigh. “Master, do you miss the interstellar era?”

“No!” Why would I? Isn’t it nice to stay here?

Fresh air, beautiful surroundings, no worries about food or drink; in the interstellar world, only specially developed planets had decent living environments, but none matched the current standards.

“Alright then, Goudan knows Master doesn’t miss the interstellar era.” Goudan beeped thrice, lowering its volume. “Master, someone is outside the room.”

“Got it. Go open the door and see who it is; if it’s Hao Nan and Tian Shangguo, let them in.”

Goudan beeped twice, left the laboratory, and opened the door; the sensor scanned, and Hao Nan’s identity information appeared automatically in Goudan’s database.

“Goudan, Comrade Yan said Comrade Zhong was looking for me?”

Goudan stepped aside, and Hao Nan understood immediately, following it into the room. After closing the door, he was led into the laboratory, where he instantly spotted Zhong Yuxiu at the computer.

“Greetings, Comrade Zhong.” Hao Nan saluted. “Comrade Yan Rushan said you had something for me?”

Zhong Yuxiu turned to look at him. Hao Nan’s posture was upright—the unmistakable bearing of a soldier.

“Comrade Hao Nan, I found the laboratory had been tampered with when I came in; and there’s only one person who could have done it. You know what I mean, don’t you?”

“That’s impossible.” Hao Nan blurted out.

She raised an eyebrow meaningfully. “Why impossible? What’s your reasoning?”

“She was selected alongside us; I can’t say more.” Hao Nan’s brows knitted, his eyes full of frustration. “Comrade Zhong, do you have any evidence?”

“Evidence?” Zhong Yuxiu uncrossed her legs, sat up straight, and tapped the computer screen lightly. “See this? Goudan wrote it. You know Goudan doesn’t think like a human; but it has sensory capabilities. Though it usually stands in the corner, it’s not idle—in fact, it’s always on standby. Any disturbance in my room, my laboratory, won’t escape its sensors.”

Hao Nan turned his gaze to Goudan. “Goudan can type?”

“Why not? It’s my assistant—it has to know a little of everything.”

With that retort, Hao Nan was left speechless.

Zhong Yuxiu didn’t intend to delve deeper. “Now, I have a task for you. Are you willing?”

“I am.” Having spent enough time with Goudan, he was well aware of its wonders; the way Goudan informed Zhong Yuxiu by typing was no surprise.

“Keep an eye on Li Yun, but don’t let her find out. Starting tomorrow, you’ll stay home. Comrade Tian will accompany me to school.” Zhong Yuxiu smiled, “As for what excuse you use, I’ll leave that to you.”

“Understood, Comrade Zhong. Rest assured, I will complete the task.” The possibility that someone chosen from the same place could be a spy made Hao Nan deeply uncomfortable; he had no objections to Zhong Yuxiu’s assignment.

She nodded in satisfaction. “That’s settled then. Be careful while watching her—don’t let yourself be discovered.”