Chapter 422: Clues and Traces
A laboratory explosion was a huge deal.
So, if they couldn't find the culprit, the cautious Angel Association would definitely conduct an internal investigation.
Perhaps this investigation wouldn't be limited to Lab Two, but would extend to all their other laboratories.
And once they started investigating, information would start to leak.
That would be Xiao Ye's chance to pinpoint Lin Chuxing's exact location.
To make that happen, he had even asked a local friend for help.
From the looks of it, however, his friend hadn't joined the Angel Association.
If his friend had betrayed him, everything Xiao Ye had done so far would have been for nothing.
Just as Xiao Ye had predicted, the Angel Association quickly began its internal investigation.
Investigating a lab wasn't as simple as just checking for suspicious items. It required special equipment, which would have to be transported in from the outside.
And that would create a trail of clues.
Xiao Ye had his contact keep a record of every lab that was investigated.
Meanwhile, he didn't miss a chance to sneak out at night and investigate for himself.
Even if he couldn't get inside the labs, he did everything he could to gather information.
「After a full week of hard work.」
Xiao Ye finally confirmed Lin Chuxing's location: Lab Seven!
It was a new type of lab, and the security was extremely tight.
With the location confirmed, the next step was much simpler.
Xiao Ye snuck up the mountain, disguised himself, and slipped into the laboratory.
His disguises were always flawless. He didn't just alter his appearance; he could also mimic a person's mannerisms. Most importantly, he was so confident and at ease that he never aroused suspicion.
「Inside the sterile-white laboratory.」
Xiao Ye walked down a long corridor and went deeper inside.
It was an isolated lab. There wasn't much inside—just a single nutrition pod with someone lying within it.
At a glance, Xiao Ye almost mistook the person for Lin Chuyue.
They looked so much alike.
The difference was that Lin Chuyue looked perfectly healthy, whereas the person in the nutrition pod was incredibly thin.
She wasn't frighteningly emaciated, but it wasn't far from it.
All sorts of tubes were inserted into her body. Having been sustained for years by nutrient fluid instead of food, and with no exercise, her muscles had atrophied.
Xiao Ye walked up to the nutrition pod and gazed silently at the person before him.
Her face was identical to Lin Chuxing's, but there was an aura of death about her.
It was a sign that her body was already on the verge of giving out.
'The Angel Association is truly inhuman. Not only do they conduct those horrific experiments, but they've also tortured a living person into this state!'
He wanted to take Lin Chuxing away, of course, but now wasn't the right time.
Just as Xiao Ye was about to leave, he heard a faint gasp from behind him.
He quickly turned and saw that Lin Chuxing was awake.
She looked weakly at Xiao Ye. "You… who are you?"
"I'm… here to save you. I'll be back in a few days, and I'll get you out of here then."
A smile touched Lin Chuxing's lips, but her eyes were filled with despair. For as long as she could remember, she had been in this nutrition pod, never once setting foot outside.
However, because her mood affected her physical condition, her captors would give her things to look at to ensure they could extract more from her body.
Things like books, a phone, and so on.
The diversions did indeed distract her from her physical pain, but they also showed Lin Chuxing just how wonderful the outside world was.
She realized her life was nothing but a joke—a tragedy.
What were her parents like? Why was she here?
When she knew nothing, she didn't think about it much. But once she began to understand, the worries started.
"You don't have to save me. I'm not going to make it. It's better to just… waste away here."
Xiao Ye could see she had truly lost the will to live. Such a despairing mindset would have a major impact on her physical health.
"Thank you. This is the first time I've ever seen an outsider here. You should go, quickly. Don't let them find you."
"If they find you, you'll never get out."
Even though she had never left the laboratory, she knew how heavily guarded it was; she had never seen an outsider before.
"I can get out." Xiao Ye suddenly looked down at her. "Do you know your name?"
Lin Chuxing froze, then shook her head. "I only have a designation: Subject X1. I'm Subject One of Experiment X."
"No, you have a name. Your name is Lin Chuxing."
"Lin Chuxing…" She repeated the name in disbelief. 'I really have a name? And it's so beautiful?'
"Are… are you lying to me?"
"I'm not. Your name is Lin Chuxing. You have a younger sister, parents who have been searching for you this whole time, and a very kind grandfather."
"Your family is well-off. They even have a company. You'll never have to worry about food or clothes. As long as you can make it out alive, you will have a wonderful life ahead of you."
"No… I don't believe it!" Lin Chuxing shook her head. She couldn't believe that was her name, or that she actually had parents and a grandfather searching for her.
Everything she had ever seen here was cold and devoid of humanity.
"It's true." Xiao Ye took out his phone and found a photo of them. "Here, look."
Lin Chuxing stared blankly at the three people on the phone. "Do… do I look like that?"
Xiao Ye hadn't realized she didn't even know what she looked like.
So he opened the camera app for her. "You've used a phone before, haven't you? Why have you never seen your own face?"
"I… I was afraid to look!"
This time, however, Lin Chuxing looked.
She was stunned. She really did look just like Lin Chuyue. Not only that, but she resembled her parents, too. It was as if her face was a perfect combination of their features.
"Are they really my family?"
Xiao Ye put his phone away. "Of course. Don't tell anyone about this. Just wait quietly for a few days. I will definitely come back for you."
'This was no small matter; he had to plan it out perfectly.'
This time, Lin Chuxing finally nodded. "Okay, I understand. I will survive!"
She would go home, see her parents, and confirm that she had a name.
If she really was Lin Chuxing, then she was a child loved by her parents—not one abandoned by the world!
Xiao Ye gave her one last look, then left.
Not long after he left, a white-haired old man arrived. "X1, your monitor is showing an issue. Your heart rate accelerated. Clearly, something happened."
"Now, tell me. What exactly did you dream about?"
Lin Chuxing's expression was the same as always, betraying no hint that anything was wrong. "I have never imitated anyone, nor have I plagiarized," she said, her voice strangely flat. "If you have any doubts, then take these photos! Or you can just go find the director!"