Chapter 105 London - The Secret of Yew Hill Club Time is blurry...
At exactly nine o'clock, a black Rolls-Royce sent by Vermouth to pick her up arrived on time.
The retro look is like it just came out of 1947. Bayley's array of things is burning through the organization's budget. (A kind of retro romance)
As expected of a woman who has lived for hundreds of years (crossed out), her taste is different.
The Rolls-Royce logo on the hood gleamed brightly under the streetlights, its tires leaving thick tread marks in the fresh snow.
The driver was taciturn, wearing a formal uniform in keeping with London's high-end service industry. He held the car door and didn't even look Shiho in the eye.
This driver is probably a copy-paste of a standard London spy movie, focusing on one profession.
Ms. Bay's subordinates, "Don't look at what you shouldn't look at, don't ask what you shouldn't ask." Professional.
Shiho, standing on the steps of the apartment building, hesitated, wrapped tightly in her cashmere coat.
Ms. Miyano's classic tsundere pre-swing. "Hesitation leads to failure, decisiveness leads to failure" (not true)
Wrapping myself tightly in my cotton-padded jacket, I thought to myself: To go or not to go, that is the question.
She changed her clothes three times before finally settling on a simple, understated yet elegant black dress. It wasn't so much a statement of sophistication as a desire to avoid appearing overly particular. Her only concession to her love of beauty and jewelry was a pair of oriental jade earrings, which accentuated the icy fire in her azure eyes.
Changed clothes three times, translation: I care a lot about it.
Finally I chose the little black dress, a timeless classic and a safe bet.
The delicate jade earrings, paired with the Western background of London, create the ultimate temptation of mix and match.
The rational part of her brain, the biochemist and scientist, listed all the reasons why going to the meeting would be unwise.
The scientist's last act of stubbornness: automatically playing the risk assessment report in the PPT file in his mind.
Reason: It's dangerous. Run. Emotion: I'll just linger, not go in (referring to the club).
The list is as follows:
A. Get in a stranger’s car.
Element awareness: In Conan's worldview, getting into a stranger's car = a high probability of being involved in a case.
B, following a woman she had only met once, to a club she had never heard of.
But, she was a woman with an extremely beautiful appearance that I had only seen once.
C, giving up her controllable environment for unknown variables.
Known: Controlled environment = safe but boring. Unknown variables = dangerous but exciting. What is Shiho's choice? (No need to choose at all)
Deep down, she was always curious about the mysteries of the biological molecules she was studying and the puzzles that no one could solve, so she got on the bus.
"Passionate about puzzles that no one can solve" Translation: Knowing that there is a tiger in the mountain, ___________.
A. Going to the tiger mountain B. The tiger is beautiful C. There is APTX4869 (dog head) in the tiger's claws
So, curiosity is the primary productive force driving human progress (and death). (Tea)
After all, Vermouth itself is a huge mystery, and Shiho is solving it. (Self-guide)
The car smelled of leather and something else, a perfume she only now recognized.
Well, it has the taste of an adult (very meaningful), I’m afraid it’s not Bayley’s exclusive “Thousand Faces of the Movie Queen Limited Edition”.
She suddenly realized that Vermouth had ridden in this car recently.
On the seat was a white envelope with "To Shiho" written on it, sealed with wax and an ornate "V" printed on it.
Wax-sealed letter. V. This sense of ritual. As expected of Vermouth.
Is this V the V of Vermouth, the V of Victory, or the V of Very Flirting?
As the car pulled away from the roadside, Shiho tore off the seal.
Shiho at this moment: My turn, draw a card.
Inside was a thick, cream-colored sheet of paper, of excellent texture. This woman's taste was impeccable. Written in elegant handwriting was a sentence:
"The first rule of code-breaking is that the most obvious things are often the most deceptive. Eleanor learned this too late." V.
Here it comes, it’s Bayonetta’s Riddler time.
And V....this signature is really cool and pretentious (in a positive sense).
Below, is a chemical formula.
This made Shiho gasp. This was a variation of her current research, but it contained modifications she had never imagined.
Beilu Modou, killing like crazy. This is the ultimate love letter to tech geeks.
Precise strikes, terrifying. I understand Shiho so well.
This is no longer ambiguity, it is an academic resonance of souls (and a one-sided crushing).
Shiho thought about it carefully and thought that these modifications might really be effective.
She put the letter in her bag, and her clever mind was already rapidly running through various calculations and possible experiments that might need to be done.
Brain: Running at high speed, the CPU is about to burn out.
Just now I was hesitating at the apartment door about whether to go in. Now: It smells really good. (In the physical sense of the word, referring to the formula)
The previous anxiety had long been replaced by the joy of scientific research.
So this is Beijie's plan, making Shiho fascinated by scientific research the whole way, and not thinking about jumping out of the car or anything like that (a dangerous behavior, she probably wouldn't do it anyway).
Outside the window, the classical campus of Fairhaven College gave way to a snowy countryside, and then gradually the lights of London came into view.
From the academy (orderly) to the countryside (transitional) to London (bustling/unknown).
The lights of London, where dreams begin (bushi), the dangerous and confusing adult world, exciting.
It feels like I'm about to enter some secret base or high-end club. The atmosphere is so intense that I could be watching Sherlock Holmes and the London Fog.
When it comes to scientific love, things never go according to the rules; ambiguity itself is the biggest uncertainty.
Philosophy of life: A sense of security and a sense of the unknown are always the answers to each other.
Is Shiho's "appointment" this time closer to?
A. A carefully planned academic seminar (Vermouth Limited Edition).
B. A romantic date where both parties are together (but one party is temporarily kept in the dark).
C. A Hongmen Banquet using scientific research as bait, but actually with other intentions.
D. Children make choices, adults want them all (and shout "I can").
The Rolls-Royce finally pulled up in front of an unmarked door in what appeared to be a former warehouse area. There was no sign announcing it as a club, nor was there a line to indicate its popularity. There was only a small brass sculpture above the doorbell.
Chinese translation: This place is inaccessible to ordinary people. Those who find it are either rich or noble, or they are "one of us".
If it were in America, this would be the kind of "Speakeasy Bar," an underground bar from the Prohibition era. The more mysterious it was, the more upscale it was.
Hemlock Hill, also known as Hemlock Hill, is a club located on the Yew Hill slope.
This name was chosen, perhaps out of fear that others might not know the story behind it. It doesn't sound like a serious study group, perhaps a Black Organization cultural exchange center?
The driver opened the door: "Ms. Miyano, Ms. Wynyard is waiting for you inside."
The title is Madam, which is very old-fashioned and safe.
The moment Shiho walked through the door, she felt like she had stepped into another era. Yew Hill Club meticulously and perfectly preserved the aesthetic of those speakeasies from the 1920s: dark wood, brass fixtures, heavy curtains, and dim lighting.
A jazz quartet played on the small stage, the saxophone player's notes floating in the air like smoke.
It feels like one of those high-end clubs in old movies where secret agents meet and hold secret negotiations, with the background music playing automatically. The atmosphere is incredible. Bayley's bottomless funds are burning through. The source of funding for her line is a mystery.
Gin needed to rob a bank to raise funds, but she seemed to have never done such a thing before. As a Hollywood actress, even if she earned tens of millions of dollars for a movie, she couldn't afford such a grand ceremony and more than one luxury home around the world. Could she have bought some unknown secret currency?
This club, with its saxophone and smoke, has a standard Film Noir setup.
The customers, too, seemed transported through time... Men in suits that hadn't been in style for decades, women with wavy hair and vintage dresses, chatting quietly over cocktails served in heavy crystal glasses.
Chinese translation: Everyone is dressed like they are from "Chicago" or "Downton Abbey" (someone is making a cameo upstairs). They look like they just got off work.
Everyone cosplaying? Or are they all in the late stages of Chuunibyou?
So this is a large-scale retro-themed party? The happiness of the rich is so simple and retro.
"They're not wearing costumes."
Vermouth appeared beside her, startling her.
Tonight, she wore a high-end black dress that was as close-fitting and seductive as if it were painted on her. Her platinum hair was tied up high, revealing her elegant neckline.
Black dress. A classic Bayonetta colorway. But it seems like a couple's piece with Shiho. They have similar tastes, so they could share a wardrobe if they were together.
"What do you mean?" Shiho asked, not wanting to show that she was a little caught off guard.
Shiho: Hold on. I've seen it all. (Inner thought: Oh my! How did this woman suddenly appear?)
"You want to know about these guests." Vermouth took her coat expertly, attentive. "They're not playing a role-playing game. The Yew Tree Hill Club, how should I put it, is always in a state of blurred time. The members like it that way."
Bei Jie: I have seen through your little thoughts a long time ago.jpg
She took the coat skillfully, showing her girlfriend power.
Chinese translation: "They just like this retro style. It's just a special hobby of rich people. Don't make a fuss."
"This is ridiculous."
Shiho: I can't understand it, but I'm deeply shocked.jpg
The scientists' serious and conservative worldview has been challenged.
Chinese translation: "You Londoners really know how to have fun."
"Really?" Vermouth patted her lower back gently and led her through the crowd. "This is as absurd as the time paradox in quantum physics. Some places simply operate according to different time rules."
Sister Bei knows how to flirt. As expected of you. This little action instantly raises the ambiguity value to the maximum.
Shiho-chan: Danger. Warning: Waist sensitive area. (Not really)
Chinese translation: What Bayley means is "Existence is reasonable, don't use common sense to explain, just feel it, little sister."
The club where time is blurred = a tribute to Vermouth's own "immortality" setting.
Moreover, when she was fooling around, she specifically mentioned physics, which is not Shiho's field of expertise. As a cautious scientist, she generally does not make rash judgments on areas that are not her expertise.
"Now you are pretending to be confused."
Shiho: I see right through you, woman. Stop with all that philosophy.
Chinese translation: "Are you trying to be serious with me?"
It feels like a quarrel between primary school students (bushi), but with the tug-of-war between adults, absolutely amazing.
"You're still deliberately resisting your natural curiosity." Vermouth's smile was both a little challenging and inviting. "Did you bring your diary?"
This smile is both seductive and alluring, perfectly capturing Shiho's duplicity.
Bei Jie: Kitty, your tail is wagging almost to the sky, and you still say you are not curious?
Shiho patted her bag. "I brought my notes. Keep the diary somewhere safe."
Although this diary was given to her by Vermouth and the ownership belonged to Vermouth, she still kept it well. After all, Vermouth did not ask her to bring it with her to the club this time, so there was no need to carry such a valuable thing around. Especially to a place she had never been to before.
"What a smart girl." Vermouth led her to a secluded booth in the corner.
A bottle of expensive-looking champagne sits in an Art Nouveau-style ice bucket. “Of course, if you trust me completely right away, I’d be really disappointed.”
Sister Bei: I just like little wild cats like you who are prickly and smart, hehehe.
Is the PUA master online? Or is it the truth? As expected of Sister Bei, she mixes truth and falsehood.
The Chinese translation is: "It would be so boring if you were so easy to fool." It is full of teasing meaning.
A secluded booth, champagne, and Bayley's routine, will the next step be "The Moonlight is So Beautiful"?
"I don't trust you at all." Shiho replied coldly.
+1 for textbook tsundere remarks.
Subtext: "But I still came, you can taste it yourself."
Shiho: She said no with her mouth, but her body was honest (referring to following me).
“Hahaha, who’s playing dumb now?” Vermouth poured two glasses of champagne. “You’re here after all, right?”
Sister Bei: You got it, little guy.
A fatal blow. Checkmate. Ai-chan's tsundere nature is no match for Sister Bei.
Chinese translation: "You say you don't believe it, but your feet are very obedient. Admit it, you are interested in me (or this place/this information)."
The champagne is already being poured, are we going to get drunk or not? (Dangerous statement)
"Defensive midfielder kill" and "champagne kill", the North Road Ink Bottle, every step is full of ambiguity, and the atmosphere is well grasped.
Faced with Sister Bei's soul-searching question, "You're here after all, right?", Shiho's inner OS at this moment is most likely:
A. "Damn it! I've been manipulated by this woman again." (Textbook tsundere, madly beating the villain in my heart)
B. "Humph, I'm just a little academically curious about this 'time-blurred' club and the information in your 'diary'. It's not because of you." (The scientist's final stubbornness and self-hypnosis)
C. "This champagne doesn't look cheap. I'd be remiss not to try it and see what she's up to." (Shiho Miyano, the frugal but slightly ooc)
D. "For the antidote information for APTX4869, and for my sister, this little sacrifice is nothing. Everything is for science and revenge." (Self-help and Big Picture Perspective for Career-Oriented Women)
The booths in this private club are intimate... too intimate. Something's about to happen.
The champagne bubbles look like stars under the light.
Their knees bumped together under the table.
"I came here to find out what's going on," Shiho said, not touching her glass.
Shiho-chan is calm and rational, and she never forgets her duty as a scientific researcher.
"Then let's talk about the situation." Vermouth raised his glass. "Cheers to scientific research."
Sister Bei: Okay, whatever you say is what it is. If you say it’s for science, then it’s for science (smiles indulgently).
This science is probably "How to Conquer the Ice Beauty 101", right?
Shiho reluctantly raised her glass: "For verifiable scientific facts."
Shiho-chan: OK, fine, but my bottom line is verifiable facts. I'm hinting at this: don't make promises to me, woman.
The tsundere little kitten seems to be forced to work.
The two clinked their glasses, and the sound was crisp and pleasant against the backdrop of jazz music.
While drinking, Vermouth's eyes never left her.
Eyes locked. My sister's love is so hot. (bushi)
"The experimental formula for the message you left in your car," Shiho said after taking a quick sip and putting down the cup, "where did you get it?"
Now comes the point. Shiho-chan goes straight to the point. A goes up.
"Eleanor's place." Vermouth pointed to a door behind the bar and casually dropped a shocking revelation.
"The backyard of the Yew Slopes Club has witnessed more scientific breakthroughs than the labs of MIT. But... none of them are the kind that make it into textbooks."
A place where hidden dragons and crouching tigers are everywhere. The mysterious organization is confirmed.
"Why?" Shiho's scientific research radar sounded.
"Because some knowledge is too cutting-edge and not suitable for publication in academic journals." Vermouth leaned forward towards her, lowering her voice in a classic seductive pose.
"Eleanor Beckman, like you, is researching cell regeneration. But her goals are more...ambitious."
Cell regeneration, oh no, this is about to touch upon the core secret of APTX4869.
"Why are you ambitious?"
As expected, Shiho is unable to resist scientific research (and beautiful women), and her curious eyes can't be hidden.
The fish has taken the bait.
"She believes it can completely halt the aging process." Vermouth's slender fingers stroked the rim of the cup. She was showing off her beautiful fingers again.
"Perhaps, it's even possible to reverse the process."
Shiho curled her lips and laughed, "Impossible."
Shiho-chan: Impossible. My scientist instincts are on the line.
"Really? But you have been studying something very similar." Vermouth's eyes became a little sharper.
Bei Jie: Oh? Really? (Raises eyebrows) Honey, guess why I know so much?
This is a full-map cheat. She knows everything.
“Your research on telomere preservation is only a logical step away from what Eleanor is trying.”
Telomeres, specialized structures at the ends of linear chromosomes, are a crucial area of research in cell regeneration. Simply put, most of this research focuses on delaying aging and maintaining youthfulness.
As soon as the professional terms came out, the atmosphere of a showdown between top academics began to take hold. This was no longer just a simple flirtation; it was a mutual understanding on a soulmate level.
Shiho shuddered when she mentioned this particular research focus...something she had never shared with anyone before.
"How do you know about my research?" she asked.
Shiho-chan's shocked face: You, you, you...how did you know that? (Pupils tremble)
"I told you... I regard meeting outstanding women as my career." Vermouth gestured to the waiter, who nodded and disappeared behind the bar.
Translation: My career is to pick you up (bushi).
"Especially women who have the potential to succeed where Eleanor failed."
Subtext: Baby, I'm optimistic about you. You're much better than her. This is a high-end way of praising someone, and it shows a high EQ.
Bei Jie's mouth, has she ever opened a love academy?
Guess what Sister Bei is thinking about at this moment?
A. A science madwoman who only wants to do research, and Shiho is her important pawn.
B. Headhunter, recruiting scientific research geniuses online to discover talents for the organization.
C. After seeing so many things, I just want to be close to the ice beauty.
D. How can a mere mortal easily guess the face of a movie queen with so many faces? (dog head saves life)
"Eleanor, how did she fail?"
After all, APTX4869 is, in a sense, "too successful" in the real world, and both she and the washing machine have become mascots of the elementary school detective team.
"Her formula was incredibly effective...it was incredibly effective." Vermouth's expression turned serious. "The test subject's cells rapidly regenerated, then deteriorated just as quickly. Finally, the test subject died in agony."
Sound familiar? Is it a classic line from some unscrupulous advertising campaign? "Everyone says it's good, but the people are gone."
With this expression, Bayley transforms from a versatile actress into the heroine of a tragic drama in a second. Actresses with good acting skills are just different.
Cell: I was terrified. It was the ultimate high and then it was over.
The effect of this drug is comparable to working overtime to finish a manuscript before the deadline. It feels good for a while, but the crematorium will follow.
"What test subject?"
Shiho got to the bottom of things and was a true scientist with an overflowing thirst for knowledge.
"Her lover." The emotion in Vermouth's eyes became a little unpredictable. "A woman named Charlotte Wynyard. My grandmother."
Charlotte Wynyard...just hearing the name, she is a female classmate with a story, and also an aristocratic elder sister.
Isn't the name Wynyard just a pseudonym? Isn't it just a disguise for Vermouth? This family really exists. (Don't take it too seriously in the science world; you'll be savaged by the nonsensical plots of screenwriters like Ozawa Nobuo.)
This new clue actually changed Shiho's judgment about Vermouth's interest in the diary a little bit.
After all, if it involves your family history, then it is completely reasonable to be persistent and even invest money.
Shiho: I thought you were coveting my mom's scientific research notes, but it turns out you were trying to find some sweet things with your own grandma CP?
Shiho's worldview: The patch package is being updated, version number V2.0, and a new module "The love, hate and hatred of the ancestors of this beautiful woman's family" has been added.
"You mean Eleanor, tested her formula on your grandmother? And then killed her?"
This operation would probably knock the Ethics Committee's door flat. But if Charlotte signed the consent form, it should be fine.
"I mean, Eleanor and Charlotte were research partners. Lovers. Pioneers." Vermouth said seriously.
"When their experiment went awry, Eleanor destroyed her notes, encrypted the remaining contents, and disappeared. Charlotte died alone, her body degenerating beyond recognition in a matter of hours."
Bei Jie: Key points. "Lover." "Pioneer." My CP must be real. No rebuttals accepted.
"Aged beyond recognition in a matter of hours"... This is even more terrifying than the reverse operation of a one-click beauty filter. Time is a butcher's knife, and this medicine is a time accelerator.
So, doing scientific research not only costs your hair, it may also cost your life... and your object.
The waiter returned, placed an ornate key on the table, and disappeared again.
A tool waiter, he gives away SSR props when he comes online, and he doesn't steal the limelight when he goes offline. He is a role model in the NPC world.
This key is obviously a token that opens the door to a new world (copy).
"This is the key to the back room," Vermouth said, handing the key to Shiho gracefully.
"Eleanor conducted her final experiments there. Charlotte also died there. The room has been preserved exactly as it was that night in 1890."
Please check the BE Aesthetics Memorial Hall tickets.
In 1890, the cost of maintenance was probably an astronomical figure. Organization: Funds are burning again.
Shiho stared at the key, her scientific curiosity and the uneasiness in her heart overlapping with each other.
"Why should I watch this?"
Shiho: I'm just an ordinary (not so) scientist, why should I get involved in the love-hate relationship and yuri Shura field of the previous generation?
It’s just that this curiosity is very similar to that of readers who click on fan fiction marked “Contains swords, beware”.
"Because your research was just a little bit away from achieving the same breakthrough." Vermouth reached out and gently covered Shiho's hand, "And in the experiment, you may have made the same mistake."
So, was the APTX4869's "success" actually a happy accident? Or had the gears of fate already begun turning?
Shiho felt a surge of electricity in her arm, but she did not avoid Vermouth's touch.
My own advice is that there is nothing wrong with girls touching hands a little bit.
But the person in front of him was no girl, she was a Hollywood enchantress. The danger was overwhelming.
"What's wrong?"
"I believe that science exists in a vacuum. And scientific discoveries don't have to cost anything." Vermouth's thumb drew small circles on Shiho's wrist softly. "Eleanor's formula was missing a key element...but she realized it too late."
Drawing circles on the wrist with your fingers, this is some old idol drama seductive scene. But it works.
Research funding. Ethics. Hair. None of it comes at a cost.
Do you know about equivalent exchange? Even alchemists understand this principle.
"What element?" Shiho tried her best to ignore the tingling sensation in her hands and continued to talk about business.
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