Miss Wang Weina, even your cousin won't do!

"It was my brother's fault, regarding Kazdel's migration into Victoria and the Sarkaz branch of the Victoria Royal Military Academy. He didn't even think about his blood-is-thicker-than-water sister, and just came up with a plan and then ran off. Theresis couldn't understand the details of these things, so she came to me."

As she spoke, Vina pursed her lips.

"You make it sound so obvious. How would I know why my brother would create a couplet from Yan Kingdom for a Sarkaz Academy in Victoria, especially one with original content? He's never written one for me..."

Vina pouted angrily. Luckily, Wayne wasn't there and couldn't hear this, otherwise he would have jumped in to explain, "Friend, you can't just write this randomly, it has a debuff. You, Vina, are neither the chairperson nor bald, you don't have the potential to go bald, so why bother taking on the title of principal?"

Theresa felt somewhat helpless upon hearing this. No matter how high her emotional intelligence was, she couldn't respond to such a statement. After all, she didn't understand Wayne's intentions and could only choose to believe that he had his own reasons.

She placed the cake on her desk, carried the documents to the windowsill and secured them, then pulled up a chair and sat down at the familiar "Theresa's Window," picking up a document by the moonlight.

When she helped out in Vina's office, she sat in this spot nine times out of ten, and over time, it became known as "Theresa's Window".

Theresa enjoyed the sunrise and evening breeze here. The view was perfect, and in the evening, she could look up and see the setting sun and the brilliant sunset. In her good mood, even the monotonous browsing, reviewing, and stamping seemed much easier and more pleasant.

She also tried inviting Wayne to give it a try, but Wayne insisted on a "work it out. Let's have some tea first, it's 3 o'clock, let's have some tea first. Doing so much is useless, the boss doesn't care about you anymore. Just do your job" philosophy, and after Theresa arrived, he never stepped into the office again. He even tried to persuade Theresa not to go either, to cultivate Vina's independence.

Whether this will cultivate independence, Theresa doesn't know, but she really can't bear to see Vina too tired, so whenever Wayne isn't home, Theresa will definitely be there.

Aren't you going to eat?

Vina picked up a spoon, scooped up a spoonful of sweet cream and put it in her mouth. She happily squinted her eyes and looked at Theresa.

"I won't eat anymore, I've already eaten."

This is a lie. Theresa certainly didn't eat it, but it's only natural for adults to take care of children and for older sisters to take care of younger sisters. Theresa was just uttering one of those classic lines from parents.

Unfortunately, Vina left the palace at a very young age and mingled with gangs in the commoners' district, so she had never encountered such a lie and was unable to see through it, and continued to eat the cake bite by bite.

Theresa kept smiling as she watched Vina finish the cake, bite by bite.

To be honest, she knew more or less about Vina's mission. The Aslan royal family only had two lions left. Even if it was for the sake of the continuation of the race and the unity of the country, Vina's future fate was predictable.

But she simply couldn't bring herself to consider Vina as a "rival".

Well, although it's a bit of a gamble, the situation is that Theresa is a King, and Vina is an Iron. No matter what she does, it looks like she's teaching a newbie. The rank difference is just too big, and they can't even fight.

Chapter Twenty-Two: Loken Williams' Judgment

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Wayne spent the three days lying in the hotel, chatting with Vina and Theresa via video call from time to time. He went out for a walk every day to experience the local customs and culture of Colombia, and also to take care of Kal'tsit, who had been staying home even more than him these past few days and hardly ever left the house.

Wayne wasn't really sure why Kal'tsit had suddenly become such a homebody. Perhaps she was disgusted by his unfashionable behavior? But surely three days would be enough for her to recover. However, she showed absolutely no intention of going out, remaining unmoved even when Wayne earnestly invited her. If it weren't for the occasional snuck-out sounds Wayne occasionally heard when he was in the room, and the fact that her three meals were always laid out on the table on time, he would have really knocked on the door to check if the old lynx was sick.

He considered asking Theresa for advice on raising lynxes, but what he received in return was a meaningful look from Theresa. This look was incredibly powerful, and Wayne would call it Theresa's ultimate Noble Phantasm, the second Noble Phantasm after "The Sigh of Death - Wow~": "Mystic Eyes - A Gaze That Reaches the Soul!"

Learning from Theresa is definitely out of the question; raising lynxes, these "fierce beasts," requires self-study. The road ahead is long and arduous, and Vayne is determined to explore it thoroughly. This means that the path to raising lynxes is still very long, and Vayne desperately hopes that he won't be hoisted up by Kal'tsit and hung on the spire of the Londinium Tower during this time.

As for investigating the Loken Water Tank, Wayne wasn't in a hurry. The Loken Water Tank Laboratory was a large research enterprise; you couldn't just investigate it whenever you wanted. After all, this wasn't Victoria, and his princely status wasn't very useful. Exposing it to the public would even raise suspicion. Forcing an investigation would be tantamount to throwing Colombian officials' face on the ground and then trampling on it. Although Wayne didn't care about this matter and was even very eager to try, it still needed a catalyst, and right now, that catalyst hadn't arrived.

For Wayne, there was only one best opportunity to get in touch with the Loken Tank Laboratory with minimal suspicion: the Columbia Science Expo, which was opening tomorrow.

Loken Water Tank Laboratory is ultimately a company, and companies need to think about making money, which requires attention to publicity. With the support of the federal government, Rhine Life has already won the right to host this expo. No matter how much Loken Water Tank Laboratory is at odds with Rhine Life, and is a rival, it has to swallow its pride and attend this grand event.

Otherwise, if Rhine Labs is allowed to gain publicity across the entire Terra region while Loken Tank doesn't get a share, the stronger the enemy, the weaker we become, and Loken Tank's dominant position will truly be handed over to others.

So Wayne wasn't worried at all. As a shareholder of Rhine Life, he naturally enjoyed VIP privileges of priority access to the expo. He could then chat with Mr. Loken Williams, who was currently at the height of his power but would soon become infamous, as an investor, and take the opportunity to show some interest in visiting Loken's water tanks. That shouldn't be difficult.

Having finalized his action plan for tomorrow, Wayne began packing his outfit for the upcoming event.

His stroll through the streets these past few days wasn't in vain. To improve his image, better integrate into the Colombian atmosphere, and appear more natural, Wayne bought quite a few nice things.

For example, he wore a Columbia brand suit and trousers, removed his Victorian-style pocket watch, and put on a wristwatch similar to Kal'tsit's. He also unusually and meticulously tidied his frizzy blond hair, tying it into a small braid—this was the best he could manage. There was no way Wayne dared to cut his hair; otherwise, Vina would unleash her hammer as a form of attack. This wasn't speculation; it was a fact. Wayne had subtly mentioned this idea during a video call with Vina, and was then met with a death stare and a piercing question from her:

"Brother, do you not like having the same hairstyle as me?"

It's hard not to like it.

Vina's frizzy hair is very elegant. Although Wayne thinks she might look good with her current hairstyle, frizzy hair is definitely the eternal favorite. It's fluffy, smooth, and dignified. The key is that you can pet it and even snuggle into it to sleep. It's simply the first choice for a pleasant and relaxing hairstyle. I will always love frizzy hair!

What are you looking at? Except Theresa.

After checking and finding that everything was basically packed, Wayne turned around to call out her last piece of clothing—a limited edition Kal'tsit outfit!

................

Columbia, Silicon Valley, Loken Tank Labs, Loken Williams' office.

Leaving aside the biotechnology research institutes shrouded in the shadows of the Ursus Empire and the Agorian Ocean Research Institute deep in the ocean, Loken Tank Laboratory is undoubtedly the largest biotechnology company in Colombia and even the entire Terra. It deserves to enjoy acclaim and glory, realizing its dream of numerous great innovations as a pioneer in the industry.

But his leader, CEO and chief scientist, Loken Williams, hailed as a "genius," understood just how much shadow was cast behind the glory that shone on Loken Tank Laboratory.

Human experimentation, prototype dismantling, Oripathy infection research—behind every achievement here lies countless lives lost. Loken Williams was once a scientist with a conscience, so he tried to stop it. But Loken Williams was also just a scientist, so his efforts were destined to be futile and ultimately fail.

Now that Loken Williams is no longer simply a brilliant scientist, the blood on his hands no longer justifies his claim that he "still has a conscience." He can't turn back; he can only go further and further down this path.

But at least until recently, this road was relatively smooth.

Until recently, the Colombian federal congress finally couldn't stand the monopoly they had helped create. In order to seize greater profits, they passed the Competition Act, supporting another large research company in Silicon Valley that was also committed to biotechnology.

If Loken Williams remembers correctly, the company's name should be Rhine Life.

Yes, although Rhine Lab had grown to the point where it posed a threat to Loken Tank, Loken Williams never considered Rhine Lab a worthy enemy.

In his view, this company was nothing more than a small academic society formed by a group of like-minded researchers. They had no business mindset, no competitive spirit, and their research capital was almost entirely injected into the Colombian Federal Congress. Almost none of their research results were in line with the "interests of the higher-ups." If it weren't for suppressing his Loken Water Tank Laboratory, this group of people would never have survived to this day.

It was the ambition of the Federal Parliament that fed the dreams of this group with capital, but how could a company that grew up like this, without having any control over anything, become a rival to Loken Water Tank?

Rhine Labs can at best achieve parity with Loken Tank, because the Federation Council needs a competitive environment. They support Rhine Labs to deprive Loken Tank of its monopoly so that it can better profit from the field of biotechnology, not to destroy Loken Tank and then watch another "Loken Tank" emerge.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, this technology expo will be Rhine Lab's last moment of glory. After that, in order to curb Rhine Lab's growing momentum, the Federal Council will begin to balance and suppress Rhine Lab while simultaneously turning to help itself.

It would be far easier for the Federal Parliament to crack down on Rhine Lab than to suppress Loken Tank. After all, Loken Tank is a private company; the concepts of shares and shareholders simply don't exist. If you want to invest, I welcome it; if you want to interfere with my experiments, then you'd better get out of here. Rhine Lab, however, is different. Their shareholder meeting system dictates that they are destined to be "a dog chained by the Federal Parliament." With 70% of the shareholders more or less controlled by the Federal Parliament, everyone can focus on making money when things are peaceful. But once the Federal Parliament begins to exert checks and balances, Loken Williams can easily devise a dozen methods. The simplest one is to order those shareholders controlled by the Federal Parliament to withdraw their investments. If half of them withdraw at once, Rhine Lab's stock will plummet on the exchange's screen along with its retail investors, crippling the company instantly.

With life and death in the hands of others, does such a company deserve to compete with its Locken Water Tank?

He can simply sit back and reap the benefits.

Just then, someone knocked on his office door.

His secretary, a young Miss Wolper, entered the room, her face showing a mixture of excitement and trepidation, and reported:

“Mr. Williams, a man in military uniform is looking for you.”

He said he was a general.

Chapter Twenty-Three: The Military's Scheme

"General?"

Loken Williams frowned. He was born into a prestigious family, but not a military one. As a child, he studied under a mentor and later graduated from the Royal College of Technology, one of the "Four Colleges" of Victoria. He then declined an invitation from the Victorian Academy of Sciences and returned to his hometown of Columbia to start his own business. His resume was clear, and his social interactions were straightforward, yet he had never offended anyone who deliberately referred to him as a "general."

Or is this person just boasting and bluffing?

Loken Williams thought about it for a moment and decided it was unlikely. While the Colombian military had a relatively small presence in society, not even comparable to the infamous National Guard, that didn't mean they would allow someone to swindle people using the title of "general," especially since this person specifically requested to see him. A conman wouldn't have that kind of audacity.

In other words, could this uninvited guest really be a member of the military?

Loken Williams stood up from behind his desk and straightened his tie. If the other party really was someone from the military, then he definitely needed to meet him.

Tell him I'll be there soon.

After giving the order, Loken Williams watched his secretary leave the office, then turned and tapped the side of his desk, opening a hidden compartment. He retrieved a small recorder from it.

Having reached his position, he naturally can't remain a blank slate; he will still take necessary precautions.

After attaching a button-sized recorder to the empty space in his side pocket, making it look just like a real button, Loken Williams then headed towards the reception room.

Pushing open the door, there was indeed a Liberian man in a light blue military uniform, with the rank of brigadier general on his shoulder, sitting upright in a chair with his back to the direction of the entrance, yet still exuding an air of great authority.

Loken Williams glanced at his seat and knew the visitor was up to no good. If he were a business guest, he should have faced the door, hoping to notice Williams the moment he entered. But instead, he sat with his back to the door, showing no sign of rising to greet him or moving, waiting for Williams to obediently sit down opposite him.

It was as if he were the host, and Loken Williams was the ill-mannered, latecomer.

But he only frowned slightly. Soon, the genius scientist of Loken Water Tank returned to his normal demeanor and sat down across the table with a calm expression.

He'd seen this kind of spectacle many times before. When politicians from the Federal Parliament, bureaucrats from government agencies, and CEOs of large corporations were fortunate enough to visit the Loken Water Tank Laboratory, at least three out of ten would choose to flaunt their "extraordinary" and "distinguished" status in these details.

But in reality? They are ultimately the ones making requests. Loken Williams only needs to remember one thing: no matter what they say, never treat their investment as a "favor," and he will always be invincible.

"Sir, may I ask what brings you here? If it's for investment, you can contact my private secretary to submit your investment proposal and qualifications, and I will arrange a meeting. If it's for a visit, please submit the number of visitors and relevant information to the public relations department. My staff are all capable people, and they will handle it well."

Loken Williams gave a businesslike introduction, but the brigadier general showed no interest whatsoever, interrupting him:

"I came here to find you."

"I personally do not accept meetings without an appointment."

"You know who I am."

"It is precisely because you are a general that I have personally appeared to explain our company's rules to you. I don't want you to scare my secretary; she is a timid person."

Loken Williams replied with an air of arrogance.

This pride doesn't stem from any powerful backer; it's ingrained in his very being. It's the pride of a genius scientist and an outstanding entrepreneur.

The brigadier general raised an eyebrow in slight surprise, his fingers, which had been lightly tapping the table, finally stopped. He gave a smile of approval and said:

"As expected of Loken Williams. In Colombia, you're the only one who dares to speak to the military like that. What gives you the audacity? Colombian law? Or the people who made the law?"

Loken Williams shook his head:

"The law has little binding force on me, after all, I have seen and done many things that are not permitted by law, or even outside the scope of the law. I have no reliance on it, I am just stating my rules to you as a normal, law-abiding Colombian."

This was, of course, a lie. While Loken Williams was indeed arrogant, he wasn't so conceited as to disregard the military. He was merely subtly reminding the officer before him that he relied on the unspoken rules of Colombia, within which he was needed and followed the rules, advising the officer not to act recklessly.

The brigadier general understood this perfectly. He chuckled and said, "Rules? Interesting. It seems Mr. Williams' time is very valuable. I'll get straight to the point then." With that, he crossed his arms, his tone becoming much more serious. "Mr. Williams, the military wants the detailed information you have on the [Mass Production Strategic-Class Warlocks], as well as your experimental results."

Loken Williams was taken aback and asked in confusion:

"This is....."

"That's what the military means," the brigadier general quickly replied.

"Nakianti, the parliamentarian, and the Federal Parliament?"

The brigadier general curled his lip in disdain: "They are all a colorful bunch, always busy with this and that, they can't possibly take care of all the little things."

So, this is the military acting arbitrarily?

Loken Williams immediately understood the brigadier general's meaning. But then, a greater doubt enveloped him: what was the military up to? The Loken Water Tank Laboratory was a lackey of the Federal Congress and the government, and had no connection to the military. The experiments it conducted on [linking consciousness], [expanding perception range], [mass-producing war mages], and so on, were all authorized by the Federal Congress. Although these research projects all seemed closely related to the military, the different masterminds behind them directly determined whether it was a "secret weapon for the military to suppress the Congress" or "bargaining chips for the Congress to negotiate with the military."