death of hope

Chapter 1065 "Psionic Storm" (138) Traitors and Traitors
"Number 46... Look... this is it..."

Li Ang opened the security door, unlocked the cage, and then stepped aside.

With a "whoosh!", a figure rushed in impatiently:
"Evelyn!"

Drizzt Darkmoon was in tears:
"Daddy's here... to save you..."

He untied the leather restraints, removed the IV needle, ripped off the data cable and life support tubes, and picked up the petite Elven girl. She felt so light, skin and bones, like a feather.

“EVE!” (Eve, Eve's nickname)

The father called out to his daughter repeatedly, but received no response.

Tears streamed down the long eyelashes of the Spirit Clan girl. She must have heard and recognized her father's voice, but she was unable to return his embrace.

Those with mediocre talents do not receive the special treatment of 'Zero'. At this time, Evelyn Darkmoon has been paralyzed by the cruel psionic experiments. She has been subjected to drugs and radiation in turn, her nervous system is severely damaged, her consciousness is sometimes clear and sometimes blurred, and she has lost the ability to take care of herself.

The blue and white striped hospital gown reeked of long-unwashed urine; the muscles in his arms and legs had atrophied to the point of being as thin as bamboo sticks; his once beautiful, thick hair had been shaved off with electric clippers, and his scalp was covered with patches and wounds from craniotomy.

The white, pointed ears, a distinctive feature of the Eldar race in the Ark, droop listlessly like a pair of loose television antennas.

·
"EVE! I'm sorry..."

Dad came...too late...

He deserves to be hit!

Overwhelmed with grief, Drizzt swung his fist and slapped himself hard across the face, his cheek swelling rapidly.

"Do not…"

The spirit girl hummed a faint, indistinct sound.
Eve's tears turned from dripping to flowing, as she tried to stop her father from harming himself, but her limp hands and feet were powerless to do anything.

Jinguji Yuna covered her mouth, feeling sad and sympathetic, yet also inexplicably envious. She was all alone and couldn't even remember her father's voice, let alone a luxurious hug.

"You...corporate dogs! Animals! EVE is still a child! Still in elementary school! How could you..."

Trist roared in grief and rage, his fiery gaze wishing he could devour Li Ang alive.

Leon Vilnius, like a murderer awaiting judgment in the dock, kept his head down, unable to meet the gaze of his grief-stricken father, only muttering repeatedly, "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

"You bastard! You corporate dog! You beast!" Trist cursed angrily, his voice trembling with tears.

Li Ang dared not retort; he knew he was not innocent.

Originally, this girl had a chance to escape the company's clutches, but Li Ang personally extinguished her hope. Although it was just an accident, the consequences and tragedy were no different. (Chapter 2 of "Psionic Storm")

Eldar are born with exceptional talents, and it's not exactly discrimination for human psionicists to need pointy-eared mice like Evelyn. After all, most of the people imprisoned in the research institute are human geniuses. To the researchers, once they're on the dissection table, human brethren and aliens are no different—just expendable materials stripped of everything.

It was precisely because of that fortuitous encounter that Li Ang helped the research institute intercept the escaped Eldar girl, which led him to meet Dr. Joseph and gain his favor. From an exiled illegitimate child, he rose to become a promising and respectable employee of a large corporation. At that time, he still dreamed of returning home in glory to inherit his uncle's title.
At the time, I had no idea what would happen next: joining Project Zero, falling in love with Yuna, being tormented by my conscience… awakening… planning my escape… and ending up in this desperate situation…

Looking back on this short year, it feels like a lifetime ago.
The other party's insults and resentment had not subsided, so Li Ang sighed and lowered his head even further.

·
"Hey! Pointy ears, have you finished cursing?!" the little boy in the hospital gown said, blinking his dark eyes.

The boy's name was Junxiong. He was a psychic and a child prodigy who, at a young age, had already self-studied master's level courses and spoke like a little adult.

Toshio was originally imprisoned upstairs, but was later deemed valuable for experimentation by Director Joseph and transferred to area B14. Because of his special talent, he has not yet been harmed.

Li Ang usually treated him very well, never tormenting or beating him. On the contrary, he would often give him snacks, game consoles, comic books, and the like. He had just released him from his shackles, so the boy was willing to speak up for Li Ang, trying to reason with Trist in an adult tone:

“You can curse him, curse him to death, but it won’t save your daughter. We’re all in the same boat. If we don’t work together, no one can escape.”

"You brat..."

“Pointy Ears, if it weren’t for Uncle Li Ang, you’d still be tied up and waiting to die.”

Trist glared at Junxiong, but couldn't deny what the little guy was saying.

(For my daughter… for my own selfish feelings, I betrayed my ideals… betrayed the organization… betrayed my comrades… Paul and the others were all ruined by me…)

But that company dog… he still had a conscience… he was willing to give up everything… to rebel against the company's authority for the sake of justice…

How could I possibly have the audacity to insult someone?
As Drizzt gradually calmed down, when he looked at Leon again, his eyes no longer held hatred, yet he still stubbornly insisted on saving face:

"There's no other way... I can only grit my teeth and cooperate with these corporate dogs..."