Missing
"Thank you very much."
Mu Qingyan used the force to stand firm and turned to look.
The man holding her looked unfamiliar, with a German-like firmness in his brows.
Although he was wearing the same suit as the other participants, he was not pushing and shoving like them. At around 30 years old, he was calmer than many of his predecessors.
"Chinese?"
Very fluent Chinese.
Mu Qingyan quickly matched the other person's face with the countless portraits in her memory. Just as she was about to say hello, Dustin had already walked through the crowd and appeared in front of her.
It was extremely quiet and no one dared to stop him.
"Yan, are you okay?"
Mu Qingyan shook her head at her friend's worried gaze, still not forgetting her identity. She introduced herself like a competent assistant:
"Boss, this is Dr. Guan. He will be in charge of this discussion—"
"Everything's alright, right? Let's go in."
Dustin wasted no time and took the lead by grabbing the person's wrist.
Even if Mu Qingyan didn't say anything, he recognized who the person in front of him was.
Vasile Guan is one of the world's top cardiac surgeons. His achievements in coronary artery transplantation are not only unmatched in the industry, but the precision of such surgeries is something that even robots and AI cannot truly replicate.
However, he did not directly participate in the discussion of this meeting. The team he led only served as clerks and mediators, responsible for recording the final decision and publishing it truthfully to the public.
Being chosen as the mediator was a testament to Dr. Guan's character, but Dustin never cared about that.
Mu Qingyan naturally couldn't offend the "boss" in public, so she just nodded politely and followed him into the elevator.
…
In the conference room, the round table with 200 seats was arranged in two circles. Mu Qingyan sat in the row behind Dustin as usual, which made it easier for her to keep in touch with Kins.
She carefully observed the overall layout, but did not find anything wrong.
Moreover, since the use of global live broadcasts many years ago caused countless problems, such international conferences are prohibited from having robots or even cameras, and rely entirely on mediators to perform supervision and notification functions.
"Thank you all for taking the time to come to Halden. Terrence Bedford's alleged crimes of violating human rights and dignity have caused global panic. Thank you all—"
Vasile Guan's gaze fell on Infinity's CEO and paused for a second.
"—It is only by assisting without regard for gain or loss that the victims are safely and properly placed. Today, please continue to adhere to the four principles of bioethics: beneficence, autonomy, non-maleficence, and fairness, and render a reasonable judgment on Terrence Bedford, bringing an answer to the global human race—"
"Shouldn't this kind of thing be dealt with severely? As far as I know, most of the victims are children. Such disregard for ethics and morality, Dr. Guan, you've saved countless lives. Don't you think Terrence Bedford should be sentenced to death?"
This statement immediately received a lot of support.
Vasile Guan's attitude and expression lost their businesslike composure. He smiled politely at the indignant crowd and raised his hand to silence the noise.
"My opinion isn't important. After all, for doctors, life is equal, and I can't make a decision so easily. Therefore, I hope you won't make conclusions based on your own selfish desires."
The extreme voices gradually died down, but everyone knew that this was not a disdain for Vasile's "great and glorious" remarks.
Because this good doctor has treated extremely vicious criminals more than once, allowing them to live without suffering from illness before stepping onto the execution ground. He was even stabbed by a prisoner who suddenly regained consciousness when he was caught off guard, but he still did not change his practice.
Mu Qingyan listened with two minds focused, while connecting to Kins's communication channel through contact lenses to check the news from there.
Although Terrence Bedford hasn't shown up yet, it's not a bad thing. The table is already filled with various food and drinks.
In order to hide his true intentions, Kins pretended to eat some. Fortunately, his internal system had no problem processing these carbohydrates.
"Yan, I really doubt that the young master is so excited every day because of excessive sugar intake."
In the picture, Kins picked up the strawberry cake gracefully and pretended to wolf it down, as if he was intentionally ruining his handsome face, which made Mu Qingyan want to laugh.
But soon, the door of the room opened and Terrence Bedford was pushed in in a wheelchair.
He still looked like an English gentleman, with his clothes and hair meticulously groomed.
only…
Mu Qingyan lightly touched the black-framed glasses used as disguise with her fingertips to magnify the image.
The look he gave Kins and the slight twitching of Terrence Bedford's facial muscles captured by the camera really made her feel uncomfortable.
Because she could see that the man was now in an inexplicably excited state, completely different from the one she had seen before in the Shen's Manor.
He even maneuvered his wheelchair, moving closer and closer to Kins who was sitting at the table.
It wasn't until several blue beams of light suddenly lit up in front of him that his way was blocked.
"This is... I asked them to prepare it for you, Xiao Yin... do you... do you like it?" The man rubbed his fingers unconsciously, his tone full of anticipation.
"Oh, not bad. It's rare that you think of me before you die, dear uncle."
Typical Kinsley sarcasm.
Terrence Bedford was not dissatisfied with this. Instead, a smile appeared on his pale face:
"I was the one who took care of you for the first few years after you were brought back, Xiao Yin. I have to say, this is really... the only thing Lawrence did right. Even though you hate me so much now, I—"
"So much nonsense!" Kins stood up suddenly. "If that's all you wanted to talk about, I'm sorry, I'm busy. I can't keep you company!"
"Alas, after all these years, your temper is still like that of a child..."
Terrence Bedford lowered his head and sighed softly, his tone sounding rather nostalgic.
Then he waved his hand soothingly: "That's exactly what I wanted to say, but don't worry, I know the mystery in your heart, so don't worry, just listen to me while you eat."
He pointed to the food on the table.
"Xiao Yin, I like watching you eat."
Every word of the conversation in the room fell into Mu Qingyan's ears. Terrence Bedford began to talk about everything that happened to the child originally named Qi Yin after he was brought back at the age of 13.
This would undoubtedly stir up some painful memories for her, and Kins even thoughtfully sent silent comfort from another channel.
But she had to listen, not only because she wanted to understand the years that the child had missed in her life, but more importantly, Terrence Bedford's demeanor and tone, as well as the intimate name he addressed her, all made her feel cold inside.
"...Back then, you always cried and refused to sleep, and you would only obey me if I stayed with you. You said I was very much like your father..."
"You don't like being trapped in school, that's easy. I'll teach you myself. Back then, you were always very dependent on me - obviously, you have completely forgotten..."
"Later, as you grew up, you began to drift further and further away from me. Xiao Yin, why did you insist on entering the entertainment industry?"
Terrence Bedford's expression suddenly turned gloomy.
"When that damn film company boss got you drunk, you weren't even 16 yet, and even then, you didn't change your mind! Who are they? I've always raised this child by my side, so why should they let outsiders manipulate me?"
These words had the meaning of a loving father and a filial son. Mu Qingyan knew that Kinsley must have had a hard time at that time. These real facts made her feel heartbroken, but she could only remain calm in front of everyone.
"Any thoughts on this question?"
Suddenly someone sat down next to me.
Mu Qingyan calmed down and looked around. It was free discussion time. Some participants with similar opinions gathered together as if they were about to start a team competition. The mediator team was maintaining order.
In front of me, Dustin was hugging his arms, leaning forward slightly, nodding his head rhythmically, clearly in a dreamlike state.
Mu Qingyan admired Vasile Guan very much, but she didn't have to deal with him. However, due to her special status, she could only take over the topic:
"Some governments can prioritize the interests of the people, but we have to admit they want Terrence Bedford alive. This isn't just for Country E. After all, tax revenue is fundamental. Bedford's nanorobot company is a major taxpayer, and the profits from organ transplants are also—why are you looking at me like that?"
The good doctor looked at her with a smile, and after a while he said:
"You clearly weren't listening to the meeting, right? Don't tell me this answer was an accident. Just now, when Dustin was defending his assistant downstairs, I thought it was totally out of character. Now it seems you do have the ability to gain his trust. Yan? That's the name, right?"
"Yes, Dr. Guan, it's an honor to meet you."
Mu Qingyan shook hands and talked with people in an orderly manner, which did not affect her from continuing to observe the developments on the other side.
But soon, her polite smile could no longer be maintained.
Terrence Bedford was still chattering about Kinsley's early days in the entertainment industry, but his tone was becoming increasingly off.
"Xiao Yin, you've really grown up and become more and more handsome. Are there a lot of people who like you now? But your uncle thinks you were the best looking when you were a teenager..."
The drama of loving father and filial son that Mu Qingyan had originally thought about was not real. The hoarse voice overlapped with Vasile's. Mu Qingyan even lost the energy to do two things at once.
"Back then, you were so good and obedient. Of course I knew what those pig-dog people wanted to do to you! But they can't bully you anymore. You really should have seen them lying on the ground, wagging their tails and begging for mercy!"
"Look, uncle likes you so much, why do you always run away from me?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
