The Mermaid's "Second Move"
For the next period of time, each day became "regular" and peaceful.
Since making a deal with Li Liguo, Shen Huai'an's life has become much more "convenient." The reason is simple: the research institute seems to have suddenly woken up from its initial fear and morbid fanaticism towards alien creatures, and suddenly remembered its—or rather, "his" former identity.
The youngest recipient of the federal lifetime achievement award in xenobiology, winner of the Pronolly Prize in Genetics, author of numerous publications, and whose academic papers are among the top ten most cited in the world.
In other words, setting aside the biological attribute of "mermaid," Shen Huai'an's academic research level would absolutely crush the Federation's top alien biologists.
Li Liguo did get his hands on the manuscript, but without Shen Huai'an's "personal explanation," he simply couldn't understand it. So for the past few weeks, he'd been obsessed, constantly running to Yunhe's lab, to the point that Yunhe was now annoyed just seeing him.
The reason is simple: it's just too damn troublesome!
"Oh dear! Hahahaha..."
The saying "the voice arrives before the person" is truly apt. Yunhe's fingers, which were typing on the keyboard, froze, and her face instantly fell. Damn it! Her ancestor was giving her work to do again!
Although Li Liguo greeted her "very politely," his actions were anything but. He didn't even wait for her to swipe her key card to let him in; he directly ordered the security guards outside to open the door. Fortunately, he didn't call the security guards in—after all, what they were about to discuss were "business secrets," and it wouldn't be appropriate for a third party to be present.
Besides clouds and...
Admittedly, Li Liguo wanted to "kick Yunhe out" as well, but he was not so audacious as to dare to "share a room alone" with an S-class experimental subject; and Yunhe, as the only researcher who had lived peacefully with this "danger level unknown" mermaid for two months, was someone he could trust.
Yunhe rolled his eyes, reluctantly got up and walked to the riot cage. He expertly completed a long list of "safety unlocking applications," "external researcher access applications," "accessee safety guarantee responsibility agreements," and "bioethical responsibility commitments," etc., before finally letting out a sigh of relief and turning around:
"Why don't you stop coming here every day next time? It's such a hassle."
Yunhe patiently and gently persuaded Li Liguo: "Coming every day and only staying for half an hour each time is not as good as coming once a week and staying for a whole day each time—don't you think?"
Upon hearing this, the mermaid in the cage remained expressionless, but lightly flicked her tail a few times, splashing water all over Yunhe's trousers. Just as Yunhe was about to glare at this presumptuous behavior, Li Liguo immediately rejected her suggestion:
"Oh dear, hahaha... I've caused you so much trouble lately, I'm really sorry. Xiaoyun, come over to our group sometime, let's get together and I'll express my gratitude! Hahahaha..."
As he said this, he hurriedly ducked inside. When it came to plagiarizing others' academic achievements, Director Li was always eager to be the first and foremost. Knowing that the other party couldn't reach out of the cage to teach him the formula derivation "hand in hand," he simply risked his life.
Academic achievements lead to promotions. It's worth it!
Li Liguo wasn't particularly tall or fat, but the small cage, barely ten square meters—considering the three-meter-long male mermaid already crammed in—was practically suffocating with just one more person. At this point, Li Liguo completely disregarded the existential question of "having no shame," maintaining this intimate "back-to-back contact" with the mermaid, he bombarded her with his prepared notes and questions:
"Chief Chen, please take a look at how this formula for the shape and structure of epigenetic modifications was derived..."
...
The long half hour finally passed.
Having obtained the answers to all the questions for the day, Director Li left, satisfied. Yun He closed the protective door outside the lab and immediately jogged back to the cage, somewhat displeased, saying, "I suggested earlier that Director Li stop bothering you so much, why did you throw water at me? Do you want him to bother you every day?"
"Good question."
Shen Huai'an smiled and tapped the cage with his hand: "But if I have to spend seven or eight hours a day crammed with him in such a small..." He changed his expression to something more subtle: "a room, isn't that a bit too cruel?"
"..."
Oh dear! How could I forget about that?
Yunhe slapped his forehead in annoyance, his tone somewhat apologetic: "Um, that... I'm sorry, I forgot."
Before Shen Huai'an could speak, she suddenly seemed to remember something: "By the way, that manuscript of yours... I mean the one that Li Liguo got, what exactly is it? It's so mysterious, I think Director Li is almost obsessed with it."
Shen Huai'an did not answer her question immediately.
He leaned back slightly, his tail fin gently brushing the water's surface below the platform, creating a few shallow ripples. Yunhe, thinking he had asked the wrong question, immediately shut his mouth.
After a while.
"...This?" He half-opened his eyes, his long eyelashes concealing all emotion in them. "Researcher Yun is also interested?"
Yunhe became an instant sensation.
"What do you mean?" she said coldly. "Do you think I'm like Director Li, greedy for your academic achievements? What kind of person do you take me for!"
——————————
The perfectly fine morning was ruined by her "excessive sensitivity and excessive pride," which made things very unpleasant.
After that, the two didn't exchange another word, and the atmosphere became unsettlingly tense. Yunhe hadn't originally intended to show weakness, but the time had come.
To be precise, it's time to clean and maintain the scales.
As one of the oldest research institutes in the Federation, the GI Research Institute has an extremely complete and rigorous set of operating procedures. For example, it specifies when to feed experimental subjects, the nutrient ratios, and the precise weight of each food item down to the gram…
Of course, this also includes routine tasks such as cleaning the bodies of experimental subjects and tidying up the observation room.
Moreover, Shen Huai'an's situation was extremely unique and complex. As an S-class experimental subject, although he possessed an intelligence level equal to or even far exceeding that of humans, the restrictions he was subject to were also the highest level and the most stringent—so stringent that he was completely unable to take care of himself. Being unable to take care of himself meant that whether it was eating or cleaning his body, he had to rely entirely on the research institute—that is, on her, the "responsible researcher"—for care.
Yunhe had been a subject of several Class B experiments and had even taken care of them "throughout the process." Honestly, she had to mentally prepare herself a thousand times before going into the cage each day, because the stench, like that of a zoo's lion and tiger enclosure, was just... intoxicating! It could make her faint!
But Shen Huai'an is completely different from them.
So far, Yunhe has never smelled any unpleasant odor around or inside his cage. Sometimes, she can even detect a faint scent similar to ambergris. Shen Huai'an's own explanation for this is that it's "just oil secreted from the surface of the scales, used to reduce water resistance." She even had some sample tested, and the results confirmed this. At that time, she even jokingly suggested to him that she could sell this thing for a certain price, and the answer she received almost made her vomit her dinner from the night before.
You want this?
At that moment, Shen Huai'an narrowed his eyes mischievously and said slowly, "Are you sure you want to sell mermaid excrement for money?"
From then on, she could no longer look directly at... or rather, could no longer "smell the fragrance" with a "single mind".
This is like one person squatting on the toilet while another person next to them sniffs frantically, shouting excitedly as they do so:
Oh my god, it smells so good!
So now.
Still sulking (for no apparent reason), Researcher Yun, with a stern face, meticulously examined the mermaid's scales with her instruments, while simultaneously catching that familiar scent. She gave his tail a slap in annoyance, saying expressionlessly:
"You've secreted that stuff again! Sit up straight, I'll clean it up for you."
As she spoke, she suddenly felt like a caregiver in a nursing home, cleaning up after the elderly. Shen Huai'an observed her "heroic sacrifice" expression with amusement, almost bursting out laughing: "What, you think it's dirty?"
"nonsense."
She slapped his arm again, annoyed: "I was wiping your poop, bro! You're lucky you didn't throw up!"
Shen Huai'an chuckled and finally couldn't help but laugh out loud!
"Ha ha ha ha……"
His laughter, though not exaggerated and very restrained, still startled her. The chains binding him rustled with his laughter. Under her bewildered gaze, Shen Huai'an lowered his head and laughed for a while before finally managing to suppress it. When he met her gaze again, his eyes were watery—
Holy crap! Seriously? You're laughing so hard you're crying?
“You…” He shook his head helplessly: “It really is true, you believe whatever anyone says, Researcher Yun.”
"you!"
Yunhe then realized she had been tricked. Annoyed, she raised her hand to slap him again, but suddenly heard a voice resound from the depths of her heart!
Yunhe, don't be afraid, it's me.
"..." Yunhe was stunned. She turned her head in disbelief and mechanically looked at Shen Huai'an again. The latter did not say anything, but just looked at her with a smile.
Do not make a sound, and do not alert the surveillance cameras.
Yunhe opened her mouth, about to say something, when she heard the chains rattle as Shen Huai'an grasped her wrist and slowly shook his head at her.
I trust you won't report me.
That silent voice echoed in my heart once again:
Yunhe, now, you're the only person I can trust.
Yunhe shut her mouth. With her back to the surveillance camera, she forced an awkward and frightened smile at him.
She wasn't stupid. She knew what it was. That's why she was even more terrified.
He can actually use mental power...
—This, this is the highest level of prevention and control measures for alpha!
Biological warfare-level defenses...were breached just like that?
As if sensing her fear, Shen Huai'an tightened his grip on her wrist slightly.
Yunhe.
He sighed silently, a sound that echoed in her heart like a pebble dropped into a lake.
I know what you're afraid of. I won't use you to run away, don't worry.
Yun remained stiffly in the position of brushing his scales. She tried to ask herself: So what? Why are you doing this? Shen Huai'an, what is your purpose?
"Researcher Yun," Shen Huai'an suddenly spoke, his tone very natural: "What, are you still angry with me?"
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