Arknights: Studying medicine can't save Terra

She said earnestly, "Christen, whatever you're planning, or whether you're truly overwhelmed by the situation and have no other choice, I suggest you calm down and try to clear your mind for a while."

You possess an enviable intelligence, but the more you think now, the more mistakes you make.

"Okay, then... will you protect me?"

Christen opened Himer's information on the terminal, zoomed in on Himer's photo, and examined the girl almost pixel by pixel.

Seria was taken aback and almost blurted out the guarantee.

At the critical moment, she swallowed back the promise that was about to come out of her throat.

Don't let Christen lead you astray. This woman doesn't need any protection. Qi Yan had no intention of harming her at all!

“Listen to me,” Saria instructed. “The situation is unclear right now. Don’t let Himer and the others get involved. Just find some excuse to send them away.”

As for Qi Yan's matter, I will personally go to him and ask him everything once he arrives in Trimont.

"Should we prioritize protecting these three girls?" Christen remained noncommittal.

Saria: "..."

Even with her diamond-like mind, she belatedly realized that something was wrong.

It wasn't just Qi Yan; something was off in other places too.

What went wrong?

Saria rubbed her temples, lost in thought.

Unfortunately, Christensen interpreted her reaction as a tacit agreement.

"Alright, since it's your request, I agree."

Christen turned off Himer's photo on the terminal screen and casually assigned the three a task: "At Base 359 outside Tremont, our Originium Arts Application Department Director, Ms. Dorothy, needs some assistants."

After thanking her, Saria regained her composure and assured her, "As for the predicament you are currently facing, I will find a way to help you resolve it."

"Heh, I'm just glad you didn't blame me afterwards," Christen said, puzzled.

“It’s nothing,” Christen changed her tune. “So, how do you need my help?”

"The biggest help you can give me is to just clear your mind and stop trying to figure out what Qi Yan is thinking," Saria earnestly instructed, even with a hint of pleading.

Christen sighed softly:

"You still refuse to face the truth. I never thought you would be the one to ultimately choose to avoid dealing with it."

Saria: "..."

For the first time, she felt so deeply the drawbacks of her inability to express herself.

She really wanted to tell Christensen that Qi Yan wasn't the kind of person who would scheme or plot, but she genuinely didn't know how to express it.

Christensen didn't believe her when she directly stated that Qi Yan wasn't that kind of person, and instead presented a bunch of evidence and logical reasoning.

If the argument continued, Saria was afraid that she would actually be brainwashed by Christensen.

“I’ll go investigate Ferdinand first.” Saria wasn’t going to waste any more energy on this ridiculous misunderstanding. She turned to get her trench coat from the hanger. “Rhine Lab belongs to everyone, not to any one person’s ambition.”

“But what if Ferdinand really can lead Rhinelife to a better future?” Christen suddenly asked.

Seria turned around in surprise.

Christen's expression remained indifferent, as if she were talking about something unrelated to herself:

"It is a fact that I was placed under house arrest, it is also a fact that I had no room to resist, and it is also a fact that I did not try to resist."

"If Ferdinand can lead Rhine Lab to a better future, I don't mind; if he fails, I will step in to temporarily protect Rhine Lab."

"Didn't you say you had no one else available?" Saria frowned.

“The people who are willing to support me unconditionally and are trustworthy have been transferred, but no one stipulates that collaborators must be completely trustworthy, right?” Christen waved to Seria to calm down. “At least let Ferdinand finish his work first. After I leave, someone at Rhine Life will have to take the lead.”

You're not suitable, Muirsay isn't suitable, Justin Timberlake isn't suitable either, the best choice right now is Ferdinand.

Saria said helplessly, "Don't act like you're starting to think about the future. Qi Yan won't do anything to you, I can guarantee that."

Christen smiled without saying a word.

My friend still doesn't understand the situation.

Even without Qi Yan, it was time for her to leave.

Christen looked up at the ceiling of her office.

There's a rather conspicuous skylight there, which was accidentally knocked out by someone who came to visit instead of using the main entrance. Now, she's transformed it into the perfect window for looking out at the sky.

"The barrier that prevented the truth from being broken has been breached, and I look forward to tonight."

Christen intertwined her fingers and sighed, "But with Qi Yan's abilities, it won't take him long to get here. I don't know if I'll be able to wait until the night sky appears."

"You don't need to worry about that."

Saria suddenly spoke up.

Kristen: ?

Faced with Christensen's doubts, Seria displayed unprecedented confidence:

"That guy won't be able to get here anytime soon. I even doubt that he'll be able to find the Colombian border by the time the rest of Rhodes Island arrive."

Even though you seem to have your own plans, I've decided to investigate Ferdinand myself. That's all.

After saying that, Seria resolutely turned around, picked up her trench coat, and left the office without looking back.

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

I've noticed many readers in the comments section have noticed this and have been asking about it, so I'll give a unified answer here.

Yes, this book is nearing completion.

The Columbia chapter will be the final part of the story, and Lao Yan plans to finish the main text before the end of the year.

I know many readers are looking forward to more story events, but I really can't do that. Some storylines can't be inserted into the book. Rather than forcibly stitching them together and constantly opening new chapters, it's better to leave them blank.

Of course, there will be some side stories as supplements after the main text ends, so you can rest assured about that.

That's it, love you all~

Chapter 1139 Extreme Realm and His Mistress

Outside Trimont, Experiment Base No. 359.

A group of pioneers, organized by the Colombian government and recruited by Rhine Lab to handle odd jobs at the experimental base, gathered together and started their usual chat during their lunch break.

They called it casual conversation, but in reality it was nothing more than throwing negative emotions at each other. A group of infected people who couldn't see a future complained about the unfairness of their lives.

"I heard there's more experimental waste to be disposed of this afternoon, another chore."

"We don't know if the experimental waste is polluting, or if our protective suits can block it."

"Well, at least the owner of this experimental base, Ms. Dorothy, is relatively good to us pioneers. She has never skimped on our protective suit supplies."

Among a group of pioneers, a middle-aged man picked at his teeth, looked at the clean and tidy park not far away, and sighed:

"What are your thoughts on the suggestion Ms. Dorothy made some time ago?"

Upon hearing this, the crowd fell silent for a moment.

After a moment, someone hesitated and muttered:

"Once you sign that contract, you'll have the chance to go back to the city and see your family. That sounds amazing... it's terrifying."

"Anyway, I'm going to sign it."

The middle-aged man spat and said fiercely, "I don't know any words, and I can't understand this so-called contract, but I want to go back to see my daughter!"

No one spoke up to stop them.

In fact, while these people expressed their concerns verbally, they couldn't help but feel uneasy inside.

These infected individuals are not allowed to enter the city, but for the sake of that elusive high insurance premium, they have no choice but to join the pioneers, risking their lives to serve the big shots in the city.

Now a kind-hearted bigwig has made a promise that if you cooperate with her in the experiment, you will have the opportunity to return to the city and see your family.

Even though everyone knows things aren't that simple, it's still hard to refuse.

Someone suddenly nudged the newcomer next to them and tentatively asked:

"Extreme, you're new here and very young. I've noticed you have a lot of ideas these past few days. Why don't you share your thoughts?"

'Extreme' scratched his head, grinning as he showed off his big, white teeth:

"Let's do it! We have to pull off this job!"

As you know, I come from Iberia. My good brother Thorn and I were living a peaceful and happy life together.

Then suddenly this damn healthy porn star showed up, saying he wanted to take me as his male concubine and make me his mistress!

How could I agree to that? I stand tall and proud, not because of my handsome face, but because of my manly dignity!

"Alright, alright, we've heard your story so many times we're sick of it." The person next to him smiled wryly and recited the 'Extreme' story from memory. "In the end, you refused to submit and joined forces with your good brother Thorn to resist the tyranny of that Philin. Unfortunately, you were ultimately defeated, and your good brother remained in Iberia forever."

Now you've gone through countless hardships, chasing Felin's trail across most of Terra, and finally found him in Trimont... To be honest, your experience is truly outrageous.

"What I find even more outrageous is that that Film actually managed to choose Extreme Realm," another person couldn't help but tease.

Qi Yan, using the alias Ji Jing, glared:

"What? Am I not handsome?"

"Handsome! But only if you don't speak, a limited edition handsome guy for the mute."

These words immediately drew laughter from the crowd.

Qi Yan rolled her eyes.

Laugh all you want, what does it have to do with Qi Xiaobai?

The crowd laughed for a while, but the topic was quickly veered off course again.

"Speaking of which, where has that golden cloud that used to float around in the sky been lately?"

"Who knows? At first, some people thought it was a celestial phenomenon, but the clouds were like headless flies, circling overhead every day, and no one knew what they were looking for."

"You're not lost, are you?"

"Just kidding, those clouds are flying in the sky, with such a wide field of vision and such a fast speed, even a *Columbia nickname* couldn't possibly get lost."

The crowd burst into laughter again.

Until someone noticed that Qi Yan had suddenly fallen silent, they couldn't help but ask curiously:

"Extreme Realm, why aren't you laughing? Isn't it funny?"

"I'm not naturally inclined to smile," Qi Yan replied with a straight face.

Everyone:? ? ? ? ?

Just as the lively atmosphere was brought to a standstill by Qi Yan's words, a young, red-haired film man walked over from a distance.

The man was also wearing the pioneers' work uniform, but he had a unique air about him that set him apart from the others. It was as if he was a pioneer, yet he was above the pioneers, possessing his own pride and something he was unwilling to give up.

"Sunny, you've come to rest too?" someone greeted warmly.

The young man named Sonny shook his head, his light green eyes scanning the crowd, and reminded him:

"Break time is over. Everyone, pack up and get back to work. There's a lot of work to do this afternoon."

"Extreme, come with me for a moment, I have something to tell you."

Seeing that their captain had spoken, the pioneers stopped chatting and stood up, dispersing in twos and threes.

Qi Yan got up, patted his bottom, and walked over happily, asking:

"Our top lawyer wouldn't have sought me out for my looks, would he?"

Sonny pursed his lips helplessly.

Among this group of pioneers, only this guy dared to joke about his past experiences before he contracted Oripathy.

"Extreme Realm, I have something important to discuss with you."

Sonny's light green eyes scanned the room, and after confirming that no one was around, he lowered his voice and said:

“I can tell you’re not simple. You’re able to travel alone in the Terra wilderness and keep a close eye on a big shot in the city. Even with my knowledge, I’m amazed by your abilities.”