Chapter 98 Taicheng - 12 Tang Bufan sat there blankly...
Tang Bufan sat blankly on Lu Yi's lap, the image of the young man in the white coat and glasses popping into his mind.
“Zero…” Tang Bufan murmured softly. After five years, he finally knew the man’s name: “Zero… he’s the one who brought me here…”
He couldn't quite articulate his feelings at that moment. Hatred? Resentment? Chen Fei was dead, and he had become a sub-beastman... It seemed too late to say anything now.
It's probably more about sadness and helplessness.
Looking at Tang Bufan, who seemed somewhat dazed, Lu Yi felt a pang of jealousy. He hadn't really wanted to tell him precisely because he knew Tang Bufan would care so much about him.
"Teacher." Lu Yi grabbed Tang Bufan's hand and made him touch his face, looking at him with eyes like a puppy: "Stop nagging him, look at me."
Tang Bufan snapped out of his daze and focused his gaze on his face. Because he was in a better mood, his dark eyes softened: "Aren't you here? What's there to see?"
“…Look at me.” Lu Yi gently rubbed her face against Tang Bufan’s palm.
"...You're really good at being cute." Tang Bufan smiled, seeing how pitiful he looked, so he leaned over and gave him a kiss on his young and smooth face.
Lu Yi felt a sweet warmth in her heart and was very happy.
Then Tang Bufan asked him, "Since Guo Wen and Pei Zhishu already know his name, do they know that I am Zero's experiment?"
"I don't know yet." Lu Yi became more serious: "They got the name Zero from one of the protesters. Teacher, do you remember when we were having dinner at Wan Qi's house before, they said there was a poisoning incident a few months ago? That protester's husband was poisoned. It seems that because of this incident, he realized that he loved that beastman and took the initiative to come to Guo Wen to turn himself in."
Tang Bufan listened attentively, while Lu Yi continued, "But that person only knew the name Zero; he didn't know what he looked like or the location of the base."
Tang Bufan thought for a moment and said, "Zero isn't that man's real name, is it?"
“Yes, it’s an alias,” Lu Yi said. “He is the leader of this generation of Rebooters; his real name is unknown.”
Tang Bufan thought for a moment and then asked, "Can't we find out the location of the Rebooter little by little by going through the person who turned himself in?"
Lu Yi shook his head: "Their information transmission went through many links, and Guo Wen is still tracing the source."
Although Tang Bufan and Lu Yi encountered the mutated poisonous people in the Taklamakan Desert, they only appeared on the Eastern Continent last autumn, which is only half a year ago. It is already quite remarkable that Guo Wen and Pei Zhishu were able to investigate so much.
"...It seems this is indeed a protracted battle." Tang Bufan sighed softly.
Lu Yi held him and turned to look out the window. She saw icicles hanging upside down from the eaves, overflowing with glistening water droplets, slowly melting away.
Spring is approaching, and wild beasts are gradually becoming active, as are those poisonous people who have been hiding.
Since he had decided to stay here for an extended period, Tang Bufan asked Lu Yi to help him modify the system of the room's computer. The computer was an all-in-one unit with only one power cord and no interfaces on the surface. So Lu Yi went back to the RV to get his toolbox, removed the back panel of the computer, found the data interface, and then pulled out a thin wire from the side of his wristband and connected it.
Next came Evelyn's job: to act as a relay station connecting the room's computer and Kai, and to implant Kai's system into the computer. Soon, the hidden 3D speakers in the room emitted Kai's gentle electronic male voice.
Good evening, Xiao Tang.
Hearing the stereo sound coming from somewhere, Tang Bufan raised an eyebrow and hummed softly, asking Kai Ge, "Are there any cameras in this room?"
“There’s only one front-facing webcam,” Kai replied. “But it has a very good sound capture system; I can determine your behavior by listening to the sound waves.”
Hearing that there was only a webcam in front of the computer, Tang Bufan's expression softened slightly. "The computer isn't turned on, so the sound capture system won't transmit any sounds coming from the room, will it?"
"Yes, this system serves AI."
“The Guo family won’t invade their guests’ privacy.” Lu Yi wasn’t as nervous as Tang Bufan. He packed up his toolbox and called to Tang Bufan, “Let’s have some dinner, teacher.”
Tang Bufan then sat down in front of the computer with great interest.
The ordering system was very comprehensive, offering a wide variety of dishes. Tang Bufan felt as if he had returned to the 21st century, where food delivery was convenient, and couldn't help but order more. Lu Yi originally wanted to order Western food, but Tang Bufan stopped him.
“You need to practice using chopsticks,” Tang Bufan said to him, gesturing for Lu Yi to follow him: “You can’t eat Chinese food with a knife and fork like a little baby anymore.”
When Tang Bufan was having dinner with Guo Wen, the servants specially brought Lu Yi a knife and fork, which Tang Bufan felt was inappropriate.
"..." Lu Yi was speechless, his face turning red. He never expected that one day he would be called a baby because he ate Chinese food with a knife and fork.
The food arrived quickly, carried by four or five servants on trays. They brought not only Tang Bufan's order but also some tonics.
Tang Bufan stood there blankly, watching a servant place the bottles and jars on his tray onto the desk.
"I didn't order any of these," Tang Bufan said to the maid, puzzled.
"It was the head of state who ordered it. He said that Madam Tang is too thin and needs to nourish her body," the maid replied, introducing the items to Tang Bufan: "This bottle contains Qi and Blood Capsules, these bottles contain vitamins and gummies, these boxes contain dates, walnuts, candied ginger slices, and dried longan, and these two jars contain ginseng slices and Pu'er tea."
After the maid finished speaking, she politely pointed to the teapot on the shelf in the study: "The tea set is here. Madam Tang can ask He Xing and He Yun to come in and brew ginseng slices and tea for you. If you need pastries to go with the tea, you can order them anytime via the computer. There are chefs on duty in the kitchen 24 hours a day."
Tang Bufan frowned slightly, disliking that Guo Wen had taken it upon himself to send things. However, Lu Yi didn't seem to care much. If a lady who wasn't feeling well came to his house, he would also instruct the servants to send her some tonics and nourishing snacks.
The servants left after delivering the items. Tang Bufan thought about it again and again, but in the end, he didn't let them take the supplements back. He figured it was better to eat them than not.
Lu Yi had already sat down and picked up his chopsticks. He carefully adjusted the chopsticks in his right hand with his left hand to a neat position, but when he tried to pick up a rib, the chopsticks twisted and crossed in a mess.
"It feels..." Tang Bufan hesitated for a moment before sitting down next to Lu Yi, picking up his chopsticks and putting the ribs that Lu Yi had failed to pick up and dropped onto the table into his bowl: "Something feels off."
Lu Yi looked up at him, puzzled, and picked up the small bowl of rice, mimicking Tang Bufan's manner: "What?"
Tang Bufan ate his meal side by side with him and asked, "Do you know how Guo Wen's wife died?"
"It seems like a difficult birth." Lu Yi struggled to grip his chopsticks, mimicking the action as he picked up rice and chewed it. "His wife isn't very well-known. She's been married to Guo Wen for about three years. Like Pei Zhishu, she's from a prominent underground family."
Many high-ranking orcs marry into powerful dungeon families, but those who marry into the resistance faction, like Lu Yi's father, are actually a minority.
Tang Bufan was not a true member of the resistance movement either.
"A difficult birth..." Tang Bufan pondered, then pressed on, "What's his relationship with his wife like?"
"I don't know." Lu Yi looked a little puzzled. He held the rice bowl, which was quite small for him, and looked at Tang Bufan suspiciously with his golden-green eyes: "Does Teacher care a lot about Mr. Guo Wen?"
"...No." Tang Bufan denied it, letting out a silent sigh. He was still unwilling to make wild guesses about an elder without any basis.
Seeing that he didn't speak, Lu Yi fell into thought. He held his rice bowl and began to recall the time they ate. Guo Wen sat in the main seat, calm and polite. He didn't say much, but occasionally looked at Tang Bufan with a deep gaze. At that time, Tang Bufan gave him a smile that he was trying to hide...
As if he had realized something, Lu Yi's face turned very ugly. With a "crack", the hard, high-quality wooden chopsticks in his hand broke.
"Oh!" Tang Bufan was startled and quickly looked at his hand with concern: "You gripped too hard! Did you hurt your hand?"
“…No.” Lu Yi released the chopsticks that had broken in two, looking at the man who was looking down at his hand with mixed feelings. He secretly hated himself for not being mature enough and for not noticing Tang Bufan’s discomfort immediately.
"I'll have the servants bring a few more pairs of chopsticks." Tang Bufan breathed a sigh of relief only after confirming that his hand hadn't been pricked by a splinter.
Lu Yi was still looking at him, trying to suppress the surging emotions in his heart. Tang Bufan was taking care of him and didn't want him to worry, and he also had to stay calm.
After thinking it over, Lu Yi decided to contact Angus tonight. First, to discuss two federal technology cooperation projects, and second, because he needed to place one or two trustworthy people around Tang Bufan.
The two settled down in the garden. The next day, Wan Bing's eldest nephew came over. He was a young man with slightly dark skin who looked very honest.
"Greetings, sir! Greetings, madam!" Wan Yiming greeted the two men with great excitement, his voice booming. He looked travel-worn, carrying a worn-out backpack on his back, suggesting he had packed his bags early that morning and rushed over from the outer city troops.
The group stayed in the courtyard. He Xing and He Yun watched the commotion from the side. Wan Qi patted his nephew on the back and smiled at Lu Yi and Tang Bufan: "This is my nephew, Wan Yiming."
Tang Bufan quite liked Wan Yiming; he was very energetic. So he politely shook hands with him. Lu Yi carefully examined the young beastman with husky blood and found that he looked much more honest than Wan Bing.
Wan Bing was a smooth talker, Wan Qi, as the town mayor, was more honest and kind, while Wan Yiming seemed to have inherited the woman's personality and was rather dull.
"Your duty is to protect my fiancée." Although Lu Yi didn't have high hopes for Wan Yiming, he still earnestly told him his job: "While we are in Taicheng, you will be his personal bodyguard."
"Yes, sir!" Wan Yiming responded loudly, his voice so loud that Tang Bufan found it somewhat deafening.
Afterwards, Wan Bing took Wan Yiming into his room to tidy up. Wan Yiming was still wearing his old gray military uniform, which Wan Bing felt was not presentable, so he wanted to dress him in the suit that the Guo family had given them.
After the two went inside, Tang Bufan returned to his room to continue researching. The AI butler in the room was Kai Ge, and the network used was Evelyn's, with the signal transmitted via the Western Federation satellite, so Tang Bufan could research with peace of mind.
After he left, He Yun picked up a broom and swept the floor, while He Xing stood quietly beside Lu Yi, watching him.
Lu Yi turned around: "Aren't you going to help your brother clean the courtyard?"
"..." He Xing's eyes darted around, and her delicate face flushed slightly under Lu Yi's gaze: "I'm waiting for Mr. Louis's instructions."
Lu Yi looked at him meaningfully, his tone gentle but distant: "I didn't give any instructions, you two brothers just need to take care of my fiancée."
“…Yes.” He Xing turned around with a slightly dimmed look in his eyes. He Yun, who was secretly watching from a distance, handed him another broom.
Lu Yi turned around and went back to his own room, not with Tang Bufan. He had to have a remote meeting with Angus today.
In the evening, the butler, dressed in a classic Tang suit, brought several servants to deliver things to Tang Bufan again.
“Mr. Pei said that his wife enjoys calligraphy, so we brought you some brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. We also had the tailor add a few new clothes for you, in case you didn’t have enough.” The butler, whose demeanor was completely different from the other servants, gestured for the servants to put the items on the table, and then carried over an expensive tray himself: “Here are a few antique hairpins, which are also a token of Mr. Pei’s appreciation.”
Tang Bufan was puzzled, not understanding why Pei Zhishu was so kind to him.
Was he being tested? Tang Bufan felt uneasy, looking at the expensive paper and pens that the servant had placed on the desk, unsure of what to do.
Meanwhile, Lu Yi was still in the next room. Apart from coming to see Tang Bufan for dinner, he spent the rest of the day in the room having video conferences, both about the mutated poison people and about the cooperation between the two federations. It seemed that he wanted to restore international trade.
Tang Bufan didn't want to disturb Lu Yi next door. He looked at the pile of things for a moment, then said to the butler, "I'll accept the writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. Please return the clothes and hairpins. Tell Mr. Pei that I have received his kind intentions."
“Madam Tang, the dress was custom-made to fit your measurements. No one in this house could wear it if it were returned, so please accept it.” The butler placed the tray he was carrying on the table. “The hairpin is also a kind gesture from Mr. Pei, representing the friendship between the two federations.”
He brought up the friendship between the Federation and Tang Bufan, who was immediately at a loss for words to refuse. The butler smiled slightly at him, then turned and left with the servants.
Tang Bufan was at a loss. She sat on the sofa in a daze, feeling absurd about suddenly becoming a "noble lady". Finally, she resigned herself to her fate and clicked her tongue to look at the few ancient hairpins.
There are five in total: a jade hairpin in emerald green, a gilded hairpin, an antique hairpin with a pendant inlaid with rubies, a white jade hairpin, and a golden brown wooden hairpin.
Each one looked incredibly expensive. Tang Bufan felt uneasy looking at them. He picked up the lustrous green jade hairpin and took it to the computer, asking Kai Ge to check it. The result shocked him. It was indeed an ancient treasure with a history of two thousand years, made of imperial green jade.
"I can't accept this." Tang Bufan quickly put the jade hairpin back into the velvet box, afraid that he would drop it. He planned to personally deliver it back to Pei Zhishu the next day.
But returning all five items didn't seem like a good idea. Tang Bufan looked at the five ancient hairpins for a moment, then finally picked up the golden-brown wooden hairpin. He felt that this one was relatively cheaper, and most importantly, it was made of wood, so it wouldn't break easily.
Tang Bufan picked up the golden-brown wooden hairpin, held it to his nose, and sniffed it. It smelled wonderful, like sandalwood.
He smiled and, pleased with himself, picked up the wooden hairpin and walked to the mirror to try it out.
Okay, I don't know how to do it. Tang Bufan went to the computer again and started searching for tutorials on how to style hair.
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