Chapter 12
Feng Ran doesn't have the habit of sleeping in late. She got up at seven o'clock on Sunday morning. She didn't sleep well on her first night in the new house. It was probably because she had slept for too long in the medical pod and was a little energetic. In addition, the mattress on the new bed was too soft, so she couldn't help but turn over and feel the rebound.
She had just changed her clothes and stepped out of the room when the radish-headed nanny robot, which only reached her knees, came over and asked her if she wanted breakfast and what she wanted to eat.
The voice data it uses appears to be from Bai Jinyu, an Alpha female celebrity who took over the position of "first beauty in the entertainment industry" after Qin Xin retired, using her "intense beauty" as a selling point.
Because she has appeared in many military propaganda films and is the goddess of countless military enthusiasts, it is not surprising that the artificial intelligence in Shen Shiqian's home uses her voice data. After all, Feng Linye also likes her and has set all the robots in his home to have this voice. Qin Xin was obviously unhappy, but she did not dare to say anything.
The woman's voice sounded exceptionally strong and capable, but it looked quite comical when paired with the robot's short and stout body.
"I can do anything, just something simple. What about you, Marshal?"
"The Marshal had an important meeting at the military headquarters this morning, so he left home at six o'clock."
Even though it was supposed to be a vacation, he still had to leave for a meeting at six o'clock. It was at times like this that Feng Ran truly felt like a marshal in the military. If a ministerial-level general had a meeting at six o'clock, the soldiers in the army would have to practice drills at seven o'clock. So Feng Ran didn't quite understand why so many people wanted to go to military academies and join the army.
Feng Ran ate a simple breakfast and asked the nanny robot while it was clearing away the dishes, "May I go out?"
"Of course, you can arrange your time as you see fit."
This is certainly more free than staying at the Feng family home. After all, Qin Xin and Feng Xiqiao both dislike her going out, and they would reject her out without hesitation unless it was a very important date or a necessary social event.
Feng Ran: "Yeah, I'm going out with friends and will be back tonight. If I don't contact you beforehand, you don't need to prepare my portion for dinner."
"Okay, shall we prepare a hovercar for you?"
"good."
/
Sleica Group Research and Development Experimental Center.
As Luo Le watched her cousin Chris inject drugs into the lab mice, she looked at the data on her portable computer with some annoyance.
Chris Rozelle, with his vast wealth, tossed the single-use needle into the medical waste bin, put the lab mouse back in its cage, and looked at the sullen basil he had brought to do the work.
"I heard that the contactless connector you made before has already been used by people. How was the result?"
Basil sat on the metal cabinet of the system controller, a test subject rabbit coiled up to his right. He tossed aside the portable computer he had just finished checking the data, stroked the rabbit, and said awkwardly, "So-so."
"Chris, why is it that only Alphas of S rank or higher can awaken their mental power? Is this ability purely a matter of random probability, or are there special conditions for achieving it?"
"It's hard to say. Not all S-class can awaken spiritual power. Besides, where does the Empire get so many S-class? Marshal Shen is the only 3S-class that is rare to see in decades."
"Tch, so what?"
As far as Luo Le knew, Feng Ran was at least a double S-level Alpha, but she didn't know what methods Feng Xiqiao used to change her test report so that she was only S-. Otherwise, given the temper of those people in the Imperial Talent Association, if they knew that Feng Ran had been tortured into a half-crippled state by Feng Xiqiao, they would have gone to His Majesty and angrily arrested and tortured the entire Feng family.
"Do you think it's possible that my physique could break through to S-level if I undergo secondary differentiation?"
“It seems like there have been more cases like this in recent years, but because the situation is quite complicated, my dad told me that the Control Yuan basically focuses on these cases.”
Although the Rozelit family is not as large as the Sleica family, the two families have been solid partners for decades in the field of mechanical research. Compared to the Sleica family, which has a single line of succession, the Rozelit family has more siblings and branches. Chris's father is the brother of the current head of the family, but he does not participate in the family business and works in the Overwatch Council.
The Oversight Council, together with the Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Social Research, form a three-in-one comprehensive system for the protection of second genders within the Empire. The Oversight Council conducts the initial and secondary gender differentiation tests for all citizens of the Empire, with the data being stored and managed by the Academy of Sciences. The Institute of Social Research is a welfare assistance institution for people facing difficulties due to their second gender.
"Why?"
“Because there are defective drugs.” Chris moved closer to Basil and whispered in his ear, “This is what my dad told me: if you take banned drugs to force a breakthrough in your physique, your physique will gradually weaken within five years after the differentiation ends. The test at the time of differentiation is grade A, but after the drug backlash and weakening, it will basically become grade D or F.”
Basil's expression was somewhat strange: "A banned substance?"
Chris: "Currently, the Control Yuan only knows that this drug exists, but they haven't found out how it's distributed. But this is a case of physical exhaustion, which is almost equivalent to a terminal illness. Of course, it should be listed as a banned drug. My dad and the others have been working themselves to the bone on this matter lately."
Basil was clearly uninterested in his mundane affairs: "So, medicine can indeed have an effect on special areas like physical constitution and mental strength, right?"
Chris was shocked: "Hey, Basil, you don't actually want to research banned drugs too, do you?"
Basil: "No, I just wanted to study whether mental power has any reaction force. You know, why can't the Academy of Sciences make a mental power connector when there are so many Alphas in the military?"
Chris sighed. He had never been able to understand his cousin’s thoughts. Although Rolle had shown a great talent for eating, drinking, having fun and being a rich young master since childhood, and had no interest in inheriting the family business, and even wanted to attend the military academy’s direct-entry class after entering the elite high school, his talent in medical equipment was the strongest in the history of the Sleica.
He clearly only started learning about this subject after high school, but he was already able to make that useless contactless connector in a decent way. Although it was useless, it was very bold and innovative.
Chris envisioned him becoming the head of the family, leading Slyca and Rozelite to dominate the medical industry, living a life of luxury and prosperity, with everyone having a bright future. However, when he was brought into the laboratory, he still seemed uninterested.
Luo Le didn't care how much Chris wanted to curry favor with him. In the end, he only wanted to do these things for Feng Ran. The effects of mental power were a bit troublesome to study. He wished he could break through to S-level in physique during the second differentiation.
However, if the drug really has an effect on physical constitution and mental strength, then calming the mind is probably more valuable for research than using it for physical breakthroughs.
Just as he was pondering how all of this could be made feasible, the terminal beeped and a message popped up.
[Feng Ran: I'm about to head out now, shall we meet?]
Basil jumped down from the metal cabinet, cheered, picked up the lab rabbit, and shoved it into Chris's arms.
I'll do the data for you another day! I have to go now!
Chris squinted at him and commented, "He's a womanizer who forgets his principles."
After getting off the hovercar, Luo Le still harbored resentment towards his cousin. If only he hadn't had to do that stupid data for him today, he could have changed into a nicer outfit when he received Feng Ran's message.
He crumpled up his lab coat and tossed it onto the hovercar. Today he was only wearing a white T-shirt and black shorts, which didn't fit Sleika's fashion sense at all. It was all Chris's fault for making him dress so disgustingly to see Feng Ran!
As soon as he got out of the car, he saw Feng Ran waiting for him at the intersection. He didn't know how long he had been waiting. At this moment, Luo Le felt resentful again. Why did the Sleika family build their laboratory so far away from the city center?
"I'm here. Have you been waiting long?"
Feng Ran looked at him with a sweet smile, and Luo Le felt as if his whole heart had been soaked in honey. He quietly straightened his back, even though his disgusting outfit today wasn't anything worth showing off.
Feng Ran: "Are you very busy?"
Basil was talking nonsense: "No! I've been waiting for you to call me. I'm at home feeding the cats, fish, and birds. The robot even tries to take my work. I'm so bored."
Feng Ran found it amusing and pointed to his feet, "You haven't taken off your shoe covers."
Basil's face flushed bright red.
Ugh, he's the dumbest idiot in the world, bar none!
He's a dog if he ever helps Chris with data again!
As Basil removed the shoe covers, she explained, "It's like this, the robot made me wear shoe covers to clean up the cat hair in the house," but when she saw the words "Sleica Lab" clearly written on the edge of the shoe covers, she hesitated and stammered, "Okay, okay, I'm helping my cousin record experimental data in the lab."
He crumpled the shoe covers into a small ball and stuffed them into his pocket, then looked at Feng Ran with a resentful expression. "With my talent, of course I'm always in high demand. He needs my help no matter what, and he'll only go if he begs me on his knees. It's not easy for me to squeeze out time to keep this appointment, so you should cherish it."
Feng Ran cooperated readily, placing his hands reverently in front of his chest and looking at him with admiration: "I understand, thank you, Young Master Sleika, you are such a kind person."
Those two words were a little too much for her ears, and Basil felt a little embarrassed. She muttered, "Okay, so what brings you out today?"
Feng Ran leaned closer to him, opened his terminal, and showed him the promotional poster: Sea Anemone Herb Garden Cultivation Exhibition.
"I'm curious about something and would like to see this exhibition. Would you accompany me, young master?"
Basil: "Don't call me young master anymore," he said, looking at the poster again. "Sea Anemone Herb Garden? Never heard of it. I'm actually curious that there are independent households that can survive in Kalishu's territory."
Feng Ran smiled but didn't say anything.
As a traditional medical family, the Kalisch family owns herb gardens in various regions throughout the country, and their scale is quite extravagant. Individual businesses would find it difficult to compete with them. As for why this inconspicuous sea anemone herb garden has managed to survive, it must have its own special features.
“But before going to the exhibition, there’s somewhere else I want you to go with me.”
"No problem!"
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