death of hope

Chapter 1036 "Psionic Storm" (109) Doubt and Trust
At the entrance of the Psionic Research Institute, several security guards in black uniforms were on duty. The security captain in the guard booth slammed his newspaper onto the control panel of the boom lift with a loud 'thud!' and roared.

"Damn it! These bastards and rich people are really scum!"

"What did you see this time, Captain?" the security guard on duty asked.

“Der Spiegel has exposed a scandal at a secret space station where poor children are kept like cattle,” the security captain said, stepping out of his post and clutching the crumpled newspaper.

"There are plenty of pretty girls out there, but those gamblers, tycoons, and priests still aren't excited enough. They go to the space station for vacation and make their hands on the children!"

"Pah!" the security guard spat. "That's fucking disgusting!"

"A bunch of fucking bastards!" The security captain crumpled the newspaper into a ball of waste paper and threw it into the trash can.

At that moment, Drizzt emerged from the research building with the faltering steps of an old woman, his face deathly pale, his eyes vacant, and he appeared utterly lost and dejected.

The security guards watched him intently, gossiping amongst themselves.
“Look, that pointy-eared spirit has come out.”

"Judging from his expression, he definitely didn't get things done."

"Our director, Old Qiao, is notoriously sharp-tongued and mean-spirited. You're guaranteed to get nothing done by asking him for favors."

Drizzt approached the guard post, politely removed his hat, and asked, "Excuse me... have you seen a Spirit Girl leaving the research institute recently?"

"I didn't see it!"

The security captain, cracking sunflower seeds, said impatiently;
"Get out of here! This is Terran human territory! You pointy-eared pirates are not welcome here!"

This person's attitude is a true reflection of the majority of ordinary citizens in the Terra Federation. His compassion is limited to human children, and he only has stereotypical hatred towards aliens, especially Eldar. As for the difference between Eldar pirates and Eldar refugees from the Ark, he is indifferent.

"Sorry... I disturbed you..." Drizzt, head down, walked through the security booth and shuffled towards the bus stop across the street...

·
Meanwhile, inside the psionic research institute building, a hundred meters away,
Psionic security expert Leon Vilnius, a Marlboro cigarette dangling from his lips, stood in front of the bathroom's floor-to-ceiling window, puffing out smoke as he watched Tristana's lonely figure recede into the distance.

The communicator rang. He answered it, said a few words, stubbed out his cigarette and threw it into the toilet, tidied himself up, quickly walked through the corridor, took the elevator upstairs, and knocked on the mahogany door of the director's office.
"Come in!"

"Hello!"

"Sit down! Have some tea!"

Leon noticed Joseph leaning back in his boss's chair, legs crossed and shaking his leg; judging from his expression, the old man was in a great mood.

You contacted me because…

"How has Zero been doing these past few days?" Joseph asked, resting his chin on his hands.

“She was a little depressed. She said she was in so much pain and kept having nightmares. I increased her medication dosage and took her to Disneyland and the zoo. Now she is in a slightly better mood and her psionic readings are much more stable.”

"Good job, lad! Only you could calm that little witch down!"

Joseph gave a thumbs-up; "How was today's therapy plan?"

"I'll help her review her lessons; she has a test in the afternoon."

"Hmph, even on the verge of death, he's still studying," Joseph muttered sarcastically.

“Death…” Li Ang’s eyes widened, feigning surprise; “Is death imminent?” “It’s nothing, I was just saying, don’t overthink it~”

Joseph picked up the delicate clay teapot; "Come, have some tea!"

"Thank you!" Li Ang took a small sip; "Good tea!"
"Chief, lately when I'm on field missions, I've noticed an increasing number of plainclothes corporate agents following me..."

"Don't overthink it!" Joseph smiled. "It's not that I don't trust you, it's just that I'm afraid other companies will try to steal the deal, and I'm wary of cult attacks."

“No matter what, my loyalty to you is absolute!” Li Ang stood up and bowed; “You are my benefactor! If it weren’t for your promotion, I would still be a homeless person suffering from hunger and cold.”

"Oh dear, what are you doing? You're being too polite!"

Despite his words, Joseph actually found them very pleasing. The old man, limited by the era he grew up in, enjoyed flattery and expressing his determination.

Deep down, he trusted Li Ang. This exiled nobleman's illegitimate son longed to return home in glory, and his interests were deeply intertwined with his own. There was no reason for him to betray him, so he could use him with peace of mind.

Nevertheless, the suspicious university magnate Joseph still placed a large number of people around him to monitor him and installed a tracking device on Zero. This was not only to guard against Leon, but also against other executives of the company, his own students, and all the robbers and thieves who coveted his Nobel Prize achievement.

"Young man, don't slack off. Keep that little witch in check. If she's in good spirits, her psychic energy will remain stable. Our research is just one step away from completion!"

"Don't worry, Director, I will play my role well."

"Hey, Li, you wouldn't actually..." Joseph stared into Li Ang's eyes, seemingly casually but actually scrutinizing him, and asked, "You wouldn't actually have fallen in love with her, would you?"

“I admit she’s beautiful, but I won’t fall in love with a sickly man, a neurotic witch, or a lab rat,” Li Ang said without hesitation.
"Once your project succeeds and the entire team receives company bonuses, I'll return to my hometown and be reinstated. At that time, there will be plenty of beautiful women throwing themselves at me. Why rush things now?"

"Well said!"

Joseph raised an eyebrow, quite satisfied with Li Ang's answer;

“I said, Xiao Li, you’ve managed to coax her into submission these past few weeks, but don’t take her to the city next Monday. I’ve received reliable information that something big is going to happen in the city.”

"What... big thing?"

"Hehe, you don't need to know the details, but anyway, it's quite a commotion. The city hall might be under martial law for a few days, and the Terra Legion will enter the city to maintain order."

Li Ang's brain was working at high speed, combining recent information and making connections: the Spirit Clan member Trist who betrayed the commune, the mysterious big shot in the video conference with the director, plus next Monday is the day when Green D leader Senator Shino Tsunesaki will hold a float parade in the city to campaign for votes. Connecting these things, he guessed that he was pretty close to the truth.

"I understand, Director. Don't take Zero out on Monday. We'll talk about it later when things have calmed down."

"Okay, very good. You can go back to work now, Xiao Li."

Li Ang stood up, but instead of leaving the director's office immediately, he picked up the exquisite iron tea canister on the table. His performance skills had reached a state of perfection.

"This stuff tastes so good, can I take some with me in a paper bag?"

"Take it!" Joseph waved his hand; "Take the whole jar, I have plenty more here~"

"Thank you! I'll go downstairs now!"

Li Ang acted in a very casual and unreserved manner, completely acting as if he were the director's confidant. He shoved the tea canister into his lap and turned to leave.

As Joseph watched his retreating figure, his trust in him deepened.