On my second playthrough, they were full of malice towards me.

"Hello Professor! My name is Yan Yan, and I'm a third-year art student at the Art College of Kele University. Um, it's a pleasure to meet such a distinguished scholar as you!"

Chapter 227 Conspiracy

Liao Ji smiled and nodded, waving his hand to indicate that the girl didn't need to be so reserved. Then he said to Luo Xiaoji, "This isn't the place to talk. Let's go outside first."

After being pointed at by Liao Ji, Luo Xiaoji finally snapped out of his reverie and noticed the disapproving looks he was getting from the other scholars. Realizing his behavior was inappropriate, he quickly nodded and left the lab with Liao Ji.

Once outside in the hallway, Liao Ji, as if they were old friends, nudged Luo Xiaoji with his elbow and asked with a smile:

"Brother Luo, that's really unfair of you! Tell me quickly, how did you meet this lovely lady? I remember you said last night that you didn't know anyone in the Mechanical Alliance, right? What, are you trying to lie to your good brother like me?!"

After Liao Ji spoke, Yan Yan blushed and lowered her head shyly, while Luo Xiaoji was quite moved.

"You know what, I actually met Yan Yan just last night, right after we parted ways."

"The one you met last night?"

"Yeah, actually I have to thank you, Brother Luo. If it weren't for you getting rid of those dark illusions... Anyway, after we separated, I was a bit bored and was planning to drive around Dream City tonight. But on the way, I ran into some street thugs trying to harass Yan Yan. How could I stand it? Of course, I immediately got out of the car and went to help!"

"Damn it, I didn't expect those thugs to be such tough guys. They're some kind of gangsters, and they have no sportsmanship. They even called a whole bunch of people. I had no choice but to take Yan Yan and avoid them for the time being. Luckily, it was our Keltech employee wristband that detected that I was in an emergency. Manager William and the company's security personnel arrived in time. Hey, Brother Liao, you weren't there at the time. Didn't you see how scared those gangsters were when they saw our company's troops? They were so scared they ran away with their tails between their legs!"

As Luo Xiaoji spoke, he gestured to Liao Ji, as if he had experienced a heroic rescue, a gang chase, a deadly high-speed chase, and finally a narrow escape in one night, full of tension, excitement, and a sense of wanting more.

Having roughly understood the situation, Liao Ji turned to look at the last person present, whose gaze seemed to have been fixed on him for a long time, or perhaps he had been waiting for him.

Seeing the girl like this, Luo Xiaoji seemed to like her even more and feel sorry for her. He must have been hiding his identity from the girl and was pursuing a simple love with a poor girl.

but

why?

What is the purpose of doing this?

Without keeping Liao Ji waiting any longer, Steward William spoke again soon after.

Luo Xiaoji scratched his head, seemingly nonchalant and not thinking much of it, but the girl next to him was a little embarrassed, with a sense of unease as if she had gotten in through connections.

The burly, tall steward smiled at Liao Ji and extended a highly prosthetic hand to shake hands with him.

After the two left, only Liao Ji and William were left alone. William looked at Liao Ji with a smile, as if he had been waiting for a long time.

"Oh dear, William, don't say that. It's also my fault. Who would have thought there would be so many people rushing to the lab so early in the morning?" Luo Xiaoji muttered under his breath as he finished speaking.

"Dr. Liao Ji should have some time, right? Don't worry, it won't take up too much of your time. I want to provide you with some very urgent information regarding Mr. Luo Xiaoji's safety."

It's clear that the girl's family isn't well-off. In the eyes of ordinary people, being able to join a big company like Kyle Technology is something to be extremely grateful for, a stroke of good fortune that would make their ancestors' graves bless them. That's why she's so grateful.

Upon hearing William's words, Luo Xiaoji immediately acted sensibly, or rather, he found an excuse to be alone with Yan Yan, and quickly disappeared into the stairwell.

"Oh? With Brother Liao, oh, work-related, I see. Then you two go ahead, don't worry about us here, and don't send any assistants or anything. We'll just stroll around by ourselves. You two get busy!"

"Thank you, thank you, Steward William!" After hearing William's words, the girl breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a sense of relief. She was very excited, her face flushed, and she didn't know what to do, so she could only keep thanking him.

Seeing this, Steward William immediately added:

Hearing this, Liao Ji finally understood why William had deliberately brought Luo Xiaoji to the lab; his purpose was to get close to him.

It should be said that apart from people like Luo Xiaoji who were directly involved, and those who were blinded by beauty, anyone could see what was going on. It was practically as if the word "routine" was written out directly.

The goal was to keep Luo Xiaoji in Dream City and prevent him from going back.

“That’s right, Brother Luo. Look, now that I’ve joined the company, I can’t do the experiments all by myself, I definitely need an assistant. It just so happens that Miss Yan Yan is also looking for a job and is very interested in ancient studies. We hit it off immediately, and I plan to hire Miss Yan Yan as my assistant.”

This is an open conspiracy.

"It is an honor for our company that Dr. Luo Xiaoji has joined Kail Technology, and it is also an honor for me, William, to have the trust of you two doctors."

"Our company?"

Although Luo Xiaoji said that, Liao Ji wasn't stupid. He didn't care about Luo Xiaoji's reasons. The other party clearly wanted to find a reason to stay in Dream City so that he could continue to pursue the innocent girl next to him.

However, Liao Ji's attention was focused on something else.

No.

By this point, Liao Ji had a pretty clear view of the whole situation.

"So, this is Miss Yan Yan."

"How about it, Brother Liao? Isn't that a good thing? How could I bear to leave you alone abroad? It must be so lonely, right? Now it's all good. We brothers can keep each other company again in Dream City!"

Afterwards, Steward William, seemingly having anticipated what Liao Ji wanted to ask, proactively explained:

"I apologize to both doctors. It was my oversight. I didn't realize the lab was starting work so early. I was planning to bring the new staff for a tour. It was a poor arrangement on my part."

"Yes, yes, oh right, I almost told you. After last night, I changed my mind. I just signed the contract with Manager William this morning, so Brother Liao, we're colleagues now, haha!"

"I've reviewed Ms. Yan Yan's resume; it's outstanding. She consistently ranks at the top of her class at Kyle University, which meets our company's hiring requirements. She'll undergo a one-month trial period, after which she can be offered a permanent position immediately."

"I'm sorry, Dr. Luo Xiaoji, could my assistant continue to accompany you? I have something I'd like to discuss with Dr. Liao Ji privately."

William's tone made it seem perfectly natural that he was a helper, bodyguard, or informant sent by the Luo Xiaoji family.

Thinking about it that way, it really makes sense.

Which family would feel at ease if a young master from a large family went abroad alone? On the surface, he said he was going out on his own, but there would definitely be someone watching him in secret. And as it stands, the only person Luo Xiaoji has had the most contact with is him, so it's not surprising that William would misunderstand him.

It seems that Steward William also has Professor Einstein's way of thinking, and does not believe in coincidences. Luo Xiaoji's friend must have been orchestrated behind the scenes.

In that case

"Of course, after all, if something happens to Luo Xiaoji, her sister will probably come to me first. Also, I happen to have some things on my side and hope to get help from Steward William."

"No problem, shall we go to my office? Dr. Liao Ji, this way please."

Happy Lantern Festival!

Let's pretend today is February 2th.

The first law of authors: when they start releasing a separate chapter to celebrate a holiday, they will definitely want to ask for leave at the end.

I'm done joking around. I was forced to work overtime tonight and got home very late. Although I have some drafts saved up, I'm still not quite satisfied with them, so I'll hold off on posting them for now. I'll take this opportunity to revise the outline and ideas for the next part and speed up the pace that's been a bit slow lately.

I'd also like to mention the concept behind the Machine Alliance volume. I divided it into two storylines: "Reality" and "Dream". In the "Zero Dream" storyline, I wanted to use the setting of simulating the old world to show the experiences of the five heroines and Ash in the game. The reality storyline serves as a prelude to the awakening of Zero and the subsequent content about the machine servants.

I have a lot to write about, but it feels a bit too cluttered, so I plan to cut out the groundwork for the real-world storyline and focus more on the past stories of the five female protagonists.

That's about it, red bean paste, smear masade da!

I should get a recommendation this month if all goes well. I'm trying my best to get back into shape and update like crazy! (Serializing is really exhausting.)

that's all.

Chapter 228 The Game

49th floor of the Kyle Building, Administration Department.

The elevator, as transparent as glass, ascends at high speed, and the Dream City beneath your feet shrinks infinitely. The colossal buildings that you have to look up at on the street seem like building blocks in front of the towering Kyle Tower.

Even the most bustling city center, with its streets teeming with traffic, suddenly appears ordinary and unremarkable when viewed from a great height. They are nothing more than squares, and the people on the road become tiny black dots in the field of vision, like busy ants moving in and out of an anthill.

"Dr. Liao Ji, isn't the scenery here quite nice?"

“When I was a child, I often passed by the Kyle Building. Every time I came here, I would look up and secretly vow that one day I could stand on the top floor of this building. Looking back now, it was really foolish. Dr. Liao Ji, do you have any dreams that you have always had? Perhaps the company can help you?”

The manager in the elevator was gazing out the window, seemingly chatting with Liao Ji and expressing his feelings. Liao Ji, who was next to him, listened and shook his head at William with a smile.

"I'm afraid the company can't help with that. My dream is very simple: to find a wife, get married, and have children."

"Uh, Dr. Liao Ji is really... so open-minded, haha."

As if Liao Ji had left him speechless, a brief silence fell over the elevator. Fortunately, after a short while, the elevator doors opened with a ding, revealing a bright, silver-gray lobby. Facing Liao Ji, he could see the iconic pair of angel wings of Kyle Technology, plated in the center of the wall in the distance.

"This way, please, Dr. Liao Ji."

Compared to the lobby on the ground floor, the higher the floor, the quieter it became. Liao Ji didn't see many employees along the way. The entire corridor was quiet, and even the sound of their footsteps was almost non-existent because of the soft, high-quality carpet on the floor.

The office wasn't far from the elevator; it was just a few steps away. Before entering, an electronic sensor above the door shone blue light at the two of them. After the scan was complete, a sweet AI welcome voice sounded, followed by an electronic gate opening from both sides.

Based on Liao Ji's observations along the way, it must be said that KEL Technology's security procedures are excellent, with various scans and AI deployed throughout the building, and each area having precise level restrictions.

Following William into the office, the enthusiastic manager first made Liao Ji a cup of tea before sitting down opposite him.

"Mr. Liao Ji, the following matter is of great importance, so I would like to confirm your identity again. I wonder if you and the Quess Group..."

"I have no connection with the Quess Group."

Liao Ji's opening statement immediately made William frown, but fortunately, the next sentence...

"But I made a promise to his sister."

He was naturally referring to Luo Xiaoji. As for the guarantee, it was something Liao Ji had said unilaterally: "If anything happens, your sister will take the blame." But when it reached William's ears, the steward's expression changed drastically.

"So you're a friend of President Diane, then there's no problem."

黛安

Is that Luo Xiaoji's sister's name? Liao Jimian remained expressionless, secretly noting it down.

As for William on the other side, he didn't have any doubts at all. On the contrary, he seemed to think it was a matter of course. After all, the female chairman was known for protecting her own. If she could let her younger brother go abroad alone, there must be someone she absolutely trusted by her side.

William already regarded Liao Ji as Diane's confidant.

"Here's the thing, we've already discussed what happened last night with the lab, so I'll be frank. According to the company's intelligence department, the Blackfire Gang still harbors resentment towards Dr. Luo Xiaoji and may launch another retaliatory attack against him in the near future. Please be very careful about this."

Is that all?

William could tell from Liao Ji's tone that he wasn't taking it seriously, even though it was exactly the effect he wanted. However, he still had to add a few words of reminder.

"The Blackfire Gang is a newly established gang in recent years. Although it has only been around for a short time, it has already caused several old gangs to suffer setbacks. As the saying goes, a newborn calf is not afraid of making a mess. Mr. Liao Ji, you should be more careful and not be careless. After all, with Dr. Luo Xiaoji's background, if something really happens, the power of the Quess Group could probably cause quite a stir in Dream City."

"Alright, in that case, could you please send me some information about the Blackfire Gang, Mr. William?"

"of course."

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Liao Ji obtained some information from Kyle Technology's intelligence department and had almost figured out what William was up to.

Simply put, they're using Luo Xiaoji as a shield and scapegoat.

The Blackfire Gang virus that already existed within Kyle Technology was uploaded by William, indicating that he had colluded with the Blackfire Gang to sabotage the press conference two days later.