Chapter 42: I want to make you happy, except letting you go, everything else can be done...

"Promise?" "Promise!"

Xu Nuo woke up as if from a dream.

The middle-aged man had not yet withdrawn the hand he had extended to her, and was smiling, waiting for a return shake.

Xu Nuo's heart pounded violently, and her raised hand trembled slightly. The middle-aged man placed his hand over hers and introduced himself: "Ms. Xu, I am Zhou Junlin, Chairman of the Fino Group. It seems that my son has never mentioned me to you?"

Xu Nuo said stiffly, "I've long heard of your great name, Mr. Junlin."

Zhou Junlin withdrew his hand. "Yes, the public is familiar with me as Junlin, the founder of Fino. I rarely reveal my last name, but it is still important to give a complete self-introduction to my son's friends. Miss Xu, are you accustomed to this place? Are you having any difficulty adjusting?"

He is like the elders in every family, successful in his career, amiable, and always willing to offer advice and guidance to confused juniors.

Xu Nuo forced a smile: "No."

Zhou Junlin said with satisfaction, "This is our group's private hospital. Your ward is a fully monitored VIP ward on the top floor. If you need anything, you don't need to leave. Just tell your caregiver. Falcon Yi will be here often to keep you company, so don't worry about being bored. I wish you a speedy recovery."

"By the way, I heard that a friend of Ms. Xu is missing?"

Xu Nuo's eyes darkened, but he quickly calmed down. "Zhou Xuanyi said he disappeared. Does Mr. Junlin know where he went?"

Zhou Junlin sighed regretfully, "I'm truly sorry. Just as Falcon Yi said, after the fog cleared, we only found you, not him. It's also Fino's fault for inadequate oversight. News of the incident at the supply area has spread like wildfire these days, and now all the major bases suspect your friend of being involved with the suspected S-class mutant detected in the fog. We're hoping we can provide more detailed information from the scene."

Xu Nuo: "Do you have more detailed information?"

"Regretfully, all the information collected by on-site staff has already been made public. Furthermore, a competitor discovered an abandoned laboratory underground. We are concerned that this may be related to the accident, so we are also releasing this information. We hope that the openness of all this information will provide effective assistance to the relevant investigators..."

Hearing the keyword "underground laboratory", Xu Nuo turned and looked at Zhou Xuanyi.

She and Wei Yan stayed in the laboratory for almost the entire day and never met any other players.

She only told Zhou Xuanyi about the laboratory matters.

Zhou Xuanyi is the son of the chairman of the Finno Group.

...She was so foolish as to tell her suspicions about Fino's conspiracy to the son of the person she suspected?

Zhou Xuanyi froze in place and shook his head at her with difficulty.

Zhou Junlin smiled at them and said, "Miss Xu, don't worry. Although many people believe that the underground laboratory is related to the White Tower and link it to the accident in the supply area, I don't think so."

"I believe that with the White Tower's capabilities, it's only a matter of time before the truth is uncovered. I and your friend will definitely be cleared of all charges. Perhaps you will be able to..."

"Father." Zhou Xuanyi interrupted.

A flash of displeasure passed through Zhou Junlin's eyes, but he said nothing in the end and asked with his eyes.

Zhou Xuanyi: "She just woke up and may not be able to digest so much information. It's better to wait for her to recuperate for a few days before speaking."

Xu Nuo watched the conversation between the father and son in silence.

Zhou Junlin, worthy of being the founder of Fino, spoke with hidden meanings. If she had only suspected and speculated about Fino before, now the other party had almost revealed his cards.

He made no secret of the fact that he had overheard her conversation with Zhou Xuanyi outside the door. She mentioned the "group's private hospital" and emphasized the "fully monitored VIP ward" and "accompanying care", which was a warning that the surrounding supervision was strict and her situation was not just recuperation, but house arrest.

But why was she under house arrest? She was just a homeless and lonely student, and her rank was only B-level, not a resource that a group of Fino's size would necessarily compete for.

If she happened to discover the secret of the underground laboratory, she could have been killed to silence her. Why did she go to so much trouble, keeping her in a VIP ward and having her own son accompany her?

unless……

Unless she is an important part of their plan, losing her will have an immeasurable impact on the progress of the plan, so they have to treat her well.

Xu Nuo smiled silently.

This means that she has the chips to come to the table.

On this conspiracy card table that often affects Bai Ta, Wei Yan, major bases and Fino himself, she has a chip that is currently unknown, but Fino cares about it very much, so he keeps her.

Now, she had to confirm this bargaining chip as soon as possible and obtain the qualification to negotiate so that she would have a chance to escape.

Thinking of this, Xu Nuo adjusted his mood and exhaled: "Mr. Jun Lin."

Zhou Junlin seemed to notice her change of heart and asked with a smile, "Miss Xu, are you remembering what happened?"

Xu Nuo shook his head: "Unfortunately, after the black fog, my memory is not very clear."

She met Zhou Junlin's slightly cloudy eyes and looked him over generously.

As a middle-aged sentry, Zhou Junlin is tall and strong, dressed neatly and neatly. He can be said to be full of energy, in good physical condition, and well maintained from head to toe.

While appearances can be deceiving, eyes can always reveal the marks of time. Zhou Junlin's eyes were more chaotic and turbid than most, like a dark, silent quagmire, emitting a decayed, dead aura. If one were to stare at just that one spot, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say he was in his seventies or eighties.

Such a ruthless character representing the Fino Group must have hidden motives behind his words and actions.

For example, now, he seemed to be accidentally revealing outside news to her, which was a bit provocative and tempting. As the party being tempted, Xu Nuo could not just read the surface, but had to infer the meaning behind his words.

He said that "Fino's poor supervision led to the spread of news of the accident in the supply area." Conversely, it can be understood that the news was deliberately released by Fino.

But this wasn't enough. In the past, all emergencies involving Evolved Humans fell under the sole responsibility of the White Tower. If the White Tower had taken over the unrest in the supply area, public opinion would have been quickly suppressed, and there would have been no possibility of causing a major uproar. This was not what Fino wanted to see.

Therefore, they simultaneously announced the news that "a suspected illegal laboratory in Baita was discovered in the competition area", making the two explosive news that appeared at the same time in the competition - "the accident in the supply area" and "the suspected illegal laboratory in Baita" strongly linked, pointing the finger directly at Baita.

The "White Tower Conspiracy Theory" was loudly presented, and the White Tower, which was supposed to be the investigating party, was unreasonably cast under suspicion and had no choice but to let the forces of various bases take turns to intervene in the investigation. Fino further added fuel to the fire, and the situation became more and more confusing, and it became increasingly difficult for the White Tower to control the situation.

The chaotic development of events allowed those behind the scenes to manipulate the situation. In other words, Fino's actions were intended to stir up trouble in a peaceful society, hoping to create chaos.

This coincided with her and Wei Yan's speculation in the cave, but what was Fino's ultimate goal? If the goal was to overthrow the behemoth White Tower and replace it, relying solely on speculative public opinion would not be enough.

Xu Nuo always felt that Fino was not just targeting the White Tower, but wanted to launch a major action quietly when all forces were caught off guard.

"Miss Xu, you've been looking at me for so long. Is there something on my face?" Zhou Junlin smiled.

Xu Nuo suddenly averted his gaze and said, "No, no, I've only heard of Mr. Jun Lin's name for a long time. I never thought I'd have the chance to speak to him face to face today. You are truly extraordinary, and your reputation truly lives up to its reputation."

She didn't play by the rules, and her face didn't show any sign of anxiety or anger. Zhou Junlin was intrigued. "Ms. Xu is young and promising, yet neither arrogant nor impetuous. It's rare to see her like that."

Xu Nuo smiled politely. "Thank you for the compliment. As a junior, I've always been very curious about outstanding elders like you. With all due respect, you founded Fino over a decade ago, and your nutritional supplements are sold throughout China. You have everything you need now. Is there anything else you'd like?"

She was outspoken, yet like the confused younger generation in countless families, she flattered him and longed for guidance.

Zhou Junlin's eyes lit up with interest. "What I want is very simple, but I'm afraid you won't understand."

Xu Nuo raised an eyebrow: "I'd like to hear the details."

Zhou Junlin scoffed. "For me, the most humiliating thing in my life is that as a Sentinel, I can only bow down to the Guide out of genetic instinct and beg for purification."

"Even an S-rank Sentinel as powerful as the White Tower, capable of decimating an entire city, is forced to remain at the White Tower and serve under the command of an S-rank Guide. They even risk frequent missions into Class-A contaminated areas, all because this Guide needs firsthand experimental materials. Isn't that humiliating?"

Xu Nuo asked perceptively, "You also served in the White Tower?" "Of course, every early Evolved Person yearns for the White Tower, and I'm no exception," Zhou Junlin said. "But I've become accustomed to seeing my fellow Sentinels who flatter the powerful and blindly follow their guides. I feel pity and anger."

"For the sake of a single purification, they let their pride be trampled upon by the guides at will. Unable to control their turbulent emotions, unable to restrain the pollution, they become distorted and mad... Alas, they clearly possess the power to create a new world, yet they can only wait pitifully for the guide's mercy."

His disgust didn't seem fake: "Why do guides receive such high treatment? Just because they have the power of purification, they can sit on the sidelines and watch the sentinels risk their lives. It's really unfair."

"So, my wish is simple. I just want to fix the genetic defects that the Sentinels were born with. As long as the Sentinels no longer need the guides to purify them, we will be the most perfect creatures in this world, right?"

Xu Nuo swallowed his saliva: "So, this is the purpose of Fino doing all this? But what does this have to do with Wei Yan and me? Why do you want to..."

Zhou Junlin interrupted with a forced smile, "Ms. Xu, I think you must be mistaken. I admire your friend. As an S-rank Sentinel, he has many qualities that Fino would be willing to invest in. I don't mean to hurt him."

Xu Nuo: "What did you inject him with?"

Zhou Junlin: "It's just some concentrated nutrient solution. The plan was carried out by Falcon Yi himself, so there won't be any mistakes."

When Zhou Xuanyi was called, he froze again when he met Xu Nuo's gaze.

He hesitated. "What I injected into Wei Yan was just a higher dose of nutrient solution. The solution won't harm the sentinel. Besides helping with recovery, it can also improve all aspects of physical fitness. I'm also using it."

Nutrient stock solution...

Xu Nuo thought of the culture chambers filled with nutrient solution in the raw material area of ​​the underground laboratory and the strange mutants hidden behind the rusty green liquid.

After being killed by Wei Yan, the black fog swallowed up all the corpses... Along with the corpses, the nutrient solution that was spilled on the ground due to the broken culture chamber also disappeared.

After that, they entered a floodlit room furnished with wooden tables and chairs. Wei Yan suddenly showed typical symptoms of bonding fever and had to hurt himself to restrain his impulses.

Could it be that the ingestion of a large amount of nutrient solution triggered the combined fever? Was the subsequent injection of a large dose of nutrient solution in the supply area the cause of the outbreak?

In a flash, Xu Nuo suddenly realized something: "The nutrient solution has side effects, right?"

Zhou Xuanyi: "..."

"It seems so," Xu Nuo said confidently, "Wei Yan's reaction is very obvious. I can guess it even without you saying it."

Zhou Xuanyi glanced at his father awkwardly: "This is a commercial secret and cannot be disseminated."

Xu Nuo scoffed, "Is it a trade secret, or are you knowingly concealing the danger? If this continues, can you keep it a secret?"

The nutritional supplements sold widely on the market by Fino are made from nutrient concentrates. Now that the raw materials have side effects, the finished products cannot be without them. The nutritional supplement market has not seen a backlash for the time being, probably because the Sentinels' intake of the doses is not enough.

If those sentinels were injected with large quantities of nutrient solution continuously like Wei Yan, they would probably also cause combination fever and riots like him.

But as time goes by, the nutrients injected into the sentinels' bodies will always increase, and when it reaches a critical point one day, it will trigger... a fever among all members.

Zhou Junlin smiled amiably: "Miss Xu is incredibly intelligent. Since you already know, Falcon Yi, there's no need to hide it."

Zhou Xuanyi looked down at her. "The infusion of nutrients will subtly improve the Sentinel's physical strength and physique, and correspondingly, their five senses will become sharper. When the injection reaches a certain level, the Sentinel will develop a sense of scent, able to smell the Guide's aura, which was previously completely imperceptible, and gradually become fascinated by it."

"If an overdose of nutrients is injected, or if the aura of a guide is strong around them, the sentinel will fall into an inexplicable fever and become restless. Only by being comforted by a favorite guide and smelling her aura can they calm down."

"Fino developed the nutrient supplement to help the Sentinels reduce their reliance on guides and improve their ability to fight independently. However, it has now failed to meet the original intention and has instead increased the Sentinels' desire for guides. Father is currently trying to find a way to resolve this issue."

Guide scent, fever period, isn’t this the pheromone and combination heat setting that Xu Nuo guessed?

The original text of this novel does not contain any setting about pheromones. Now, as the plot unfolds, this setting has actually evolved through Fino.

Is the worldview evolving and improving on its own, patching up the bugs in the original text? Is this... still the world of the original novel?

Xu Nuo: "But then again, isn't the side effect of excessive nutrient intake causing combined fever your R&D department's business? What does it have to do with Wei Yan?"

Why bother him for no reason?

"Combination fever? That's a good name," Zhou Junlin narrowed his eyes. "Miss Xu seems to know more than I thought."

Xu Nuo knew he had spoken out of turn, but he also knew he couldn't show his weakness. "I just don't understand. Whether you want Sentinel independence or to solve the side effects of the nutrient supplements, what does all this have to do with me and Wei Yan?"

Zhou Xuanyi: "I'm sorry, I can't reveal the specific details of the plan. But I can assure you that what my father did was not what you think, that he intended to achieve his goal by hurting someone."

"Father simply wishes to create a new world where Sentinels no longer need to rely on Guides. We won't let our heightened senses riot at will, and we won't need to pray for purification from Guides to maintain our emotional stability. We can be free and independent, uncontrolled by anyone."

"The advent of the nutrient supplement was just the first step for Fino. It improved the Sentinels' independent combat capabilities and even had a slight purification effect. While consuming the nutrient supplement caused the Sentinels to differentiate their senses to detect the Guide's scent, triggering binding heat, it also allowed us to notice the Guide's scent as a key substance."

"Before this, no one knew of the existence of this substance. Now, Fino's researchers have used it to develop a guide agent. This can replace the guide's soothing effect and alleviate the feverish riots of the sentinels. This is Fino's crucial second step."

"The third and most important step is to find the most special Sentinel and create in him the first Sentinel in history who can maintain mental stability independently without a guide. Once completed, this will mark the beginning of a new era."

Xu Nuo looked at him talking eloquently and suddenly felt unfamiliar.

He seemed fascinated by the "new world that Zhou Junlin wanted to create" and was looking forward to the day when he could get rid of his dependence on the guide.

Xu Nuo is not a Sentinel, so he cannot empathize with the Sentinel's desire to break away from the Guide and regain "true independence". However, the world oppresses the Sentinel deeply, so it is not surprising that the Sentinel wants to rebel.

But... they plotted against Wei Yan.

Xu Nuo: "The most special sentinel, isn't that Wei Yan?"

Zhou Xuanyi: "He..."

"He's the child we've nurtured since he was young," Zhou Junlin interrupted with a smile. "He performed exceptionally well at a young age, passing numerous tests. But he was still young at the time and didn't understand my good intentions, so I decided to let him venture out for a while. After that, he founded Fino. Now that Fino has grown to this point... it's time for him to return."

Did Zhou Junlin participate in Wei Yan’s childhood?

A chill ran up Xu Nuo's spine, and the confusing clues in his mind were unraveled, cross-linked bit by bit, and finally formed a straight line.

Wei Yan once said that he had many enemies when he was a child, and he was able to get rid of them only by seeking the protection of the White Pagoda.

He also said that he was trapped in a laboratory as a child and his body was subjected to many experiments. The forces behind the construction of the underground laboratory wanted to create a controllable weapon of mass destruction that would make all forces submit.

The one who conducted experiments on Wei Yan was Zhou Junlin. Fino's plan had been set up ten years ago.

What Zhou Junlin is planning is a monster sentinel with explosive power comparable to that of an S-class mutant but fully controllable. He wants to use this power to overthrow the existing order.

However, Wei Yan, who suffered from the pain of experiments in his childhood, is full of hatred for Zhou Junlin and is unwilling to be controlled. If he finds out that he has the power to destroy everything, he will probably seek revenge as soon as possible.

To control a monster, you need to make it vulnerable.

So Zhou Junlin let him go, making him mistakenly believe that he had escaped by luck, and then he met Xu Nuo.

Xu Nuo has no memory of when she became Wei Yan's white moonlight, but Wei Yan undoubtedly has a soft spot because of her.

During the game, she directly interrupted Wei Yan's first outburst, and was at the center of the second outburst without any harm.

Isn't this a test of Fino's weakness?

And now that the test was successful, Fino could hold her hostage and control Wei Yan, turning him into an enslaved monster through the stimulation of nutrients.

This is completely contrary to Zhou Xuanyi's claim that he "created the first Sentinel in history who can maintain mental stability independently without any guide"!

The other party's words were contradictory, but Xu Nuo used this to determine Fino's two goals: first, Fino wanted to overthrow the old order of the White Tower and establish his own new order; second, in the process of establishing the new order, Fino needed Wei Yan.

Her only bargaining chip now is Wei Yan's feelings for her.

Fino plans to use her as bait to lure out Wei Yan and control him, so Xu Nuo must find a way to escape from here before Wei Yan is lured out.

She took a deep breath to control her suddenly tense emotions.

Zhou Junlin looked at her with amusement: "Miss Xu, don't be nervous. I think Fino's private hospital should be the safest place in the world."

"Father," Zhou Xuanyi suddenly stepped forward and said, "I remember you have a meeting at the company later."

Zhou Junlin narrowed his eyes in displeasure, examining him from head to toe. Seeing him subtly protecting the young woman behind him, he suddenly smiled. "In that case, I have things to attend to at the company, so I'll be leaving first. Falcon Yi, take good care of Miss Xu. After all, she was injured during our competition. If anything happens to her, I'll hold you responsible."

Zhou Xuanyi lowered his head and said, "Father, take care."

Zhou Junlin seemed to have noticed something and chuckled, then turned and left.

The ward door closed, and the oppressive atmosphere eased a little. Xu Nuo silently clasped the doorknob tightly: "So I can't go back now, right?"

Zhou Xuanyi's eyes darkened: "...Hmm."

"Why?" Xu Nuo asked knowingly.

Zhou Xuanyi: "You haven't recovered yet."

Xu Nuo: "But I want to leave now. I know my body and I won't hold Fino responsible later."

He remained silent.

Xu Nuo sneered: "Zhou Xuanyi, you are deceiving yourself."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know so much was going to happen," he said sincerely.

He seemed to have nothing more to say except to apologize. He returned to the table and picked up the cold soup: "The food is cold. I'll make you a new one."

He picked up the tray and headed towards the kitchen.

Xu Nuo: "Zhou Xuanyi."

He turned his back to her and paused.

Xu Nuo: "Can you please let me go? I can pretend that I don't know anything about what happened before. We can still be friends."

Zhou Xuanyi lowered his head: "Father said that as long as this period of time is over, you can go wherever you want."

Xu Nuo: "How long is 'this period of time'?"

Zhou Xuanyi clenched his knuckles around the tray. "Father didn't tell me the specific date."

Xu Nuo sneered, "Zhou Xuanyi, do you believe what you're saying? The son of the founder of the Fino Group deliberately approached me and tricked me into a trap. I'm really flattered. Fino has been planning this for so many years. I'm afraid it's not as simple as you say, giving the Sentinels independence and freedom."

Zhou Xuanyi said calmly, "It's not as complicated as you think. Father just has an obsession and wants to create a new world with his own hands."

Xu Nuo knew what was good for him and shut up.

There is no possibility of communication, Zhou Xuanyi has been brainwashed by Fino's ideas.

Seeing that she didn't say anything else, Zhou Xuanyi turned and walked into the kitchen, rolled up his sleeves and started washing vegetables.

After his relationship with Fino was exposed, he was no longer as arrogant as he was during the game. Instead, he restrained his temper and only responded with excuses in response to her constant questioning.

Xu Nuo looked at his back as he bent over to wash vegetables and fell into deep thought.

After dinner, it was already getting dark outside the window. Zhou Xuanyi cleaned up the dishes and asked his escort to bring over a row of women's clothing. "Your luggage hasn't been found yet. These are the latest women's clothes. Do you like them? If not, ask them to bring some more."

Xu Nuo crossed his arms and glanced at her: "I don't like it."

The attendant immediately brought two more rows of clothes of different styles and colors.

Xu Nuo still shook his head.

Zhou Xuanyi frowned: "You don't have anything you like? What kind do you want?"

Xu Nuo: “I don’t know.”

The escort brought in three more rows with great fanfare.

"dislike."

…

"don't want."

…

"The next batch."

After going back and forth like this for nearly ten times, Zhou Xuanyi waved the person delivering the clothes away and said, "If you're unhappy, you can just tell me directly. There's no need to be so roundabout."

Xu Nuo folded his arms and said nothing.

Zhou Xuanyi: "I just thought this might make you happier."

Xu Nuo raised his chin: "It's easy to make me happy. It just depends on whether you are willing to do it."