Lu Mingming hung up the comm-computer, hastily tidied her clothes, and, avoiding the large contingent of researchers, returned to her bedroom to wash up briefly and prepare for bed.
She intended to meet Qingchen again in her dream that night, to see if she could convey more information.
There were no dreams that night.
Lu Mingming woke up groggily the next day, rubbed her eyes, and recalled the dream, but it was a complete blank.
This meant Qingchen had not come to find her that morning.
Waiting like this was not a good idea; Lu Mingming had no intention of staying put and waiting for death.
It was time to escape.
The new day began with research work as usual. Apart from that, Lu Mingming secretly used her portable space to search for long-lasting food in the cafeteria, essential supplies for drifting at sea. A life buoy was also indispensable.
Lu Mingming had many ideas and spent three consecutive days preparing.
Fortunately, Mo Liyan had not yet returned to the research institute, and the one million star coins promised by the great benefactor Lu Yan had been transferred to Lu Mingming's account, making her movements much more efficient.
That evening, Lu Mingming packed her bags for departure.
"Hong Yu, when we leave later, don't make a sound. Sister is going to take you to a new place to live."
Lu Mingming crouched down and stroked the cub's face, holding a small portable space storage bag in her hand.
She quietly pushed open the door—it was now 1:30 AM on the main planet, and Lu Mingming peeked around alertly.
She had stolen a nap at her workstation during the day and was now full of energy.
However, Hong Yu in her arms couldn't last much longer, half-closing its eyes and dozing off.
To avoid being discovered, Lu Mingming deliberately chose laboratory shoes that made almost no sound, and her all-black attire made it easier to hide in the darkness.
Lu Mingming remembered that there was a small path off one of the routes, which led to the back door of the research institute. Only those who had worked there for a long time would know about it; this was inadvertently learned from Bai Yi.
She luckily copied Bai Yi's NFC code using her comm-computer, using it as a temporary card to open all the password-protected doors along the way.
Everything went smoothly, and Lu Mingming's heart pounded.
She had thought about this day for too long.
Once she reached a safe place, she would find a way to contact Qingchen to try to wake up.
Thinking this, Lu Mingming looked towards the exit in the distance, her heart beating faster.
When she was about five meters away, in the pitch-black night, a figure emerged from under a large tree by the iron gate.
A silhouette of long, wavy black hair danced in the night breeze. The eyes that looked towards her were the only bright spots in the deep night. Lu Mingming froze on the spot, unsure how to react.
After a moment, she silently held out her hand: "Hi?"
The figure walked into the light, and the white light overhead illuminated their face. Lu Mingming finally saw clearly that it was Knighten.
"What are you doing out here so late at night...?"
Knighten hadn't finished speaking when Lu Mingming quickly interjected, "I was taking my cub out for a stroll after a late-night snack. Haha."
She thought the excuse was ridiculous, but she had no better option at the moment.
"Taking your portable space out for a walk?"
Knighten immediately grasped the key point and directly exposed Lu Mingming's lie.
His gaze continued to wander, settling on the object in her arms.
"You... are you married?"
Knighten asked instinctively, searching Lu Mingming's hands for any sign of a ring, but finding none, he couldn't help but frown.
To think that the peeping lady who had repeatedly probed and was connected to different energy lines...
"Married... what a sin. What were they thinking in that other world? No, I must tell Orlanal about this."
Lu Mingming didn't refute when she heard Lu Yan speak, giving an awkward smile and inwardly hoping for it.
The farther away they were from them, the farther she was from the chaotic political scene, and she didn't have to worry about trouble finding her.
Lu Mingming felt the weight of Hong Yu's backside in her hands. Hong Yu, half-asleep, opened its eyes and looked at the man with black curly hair in front of it, suddenly perking up. Its eyes gradually widened into round orbs.
Knighten, with his keen senses, looked back. The large and small figures, both with black curly hair and rose-colored eyes, faced off in the cool breeze.
As their gazes met, invisible energy waves rippled outwards, and finally, Knighten broke eye contact and replied, "...Don't you spread it around that this is my child. I've been single for at least 800 years."
Lu Mingming: ...
Lu Mingming: "Rest assured, I won't."
Knighten nodded with satisfaction and deliberately reminded her, "You'd better not bother trying to escape. Fortunately, you ran into me. Besides these password-protected doors, there's a lock outside that must be opened personally by the dean.
If your fingerprint is incorrect, you'll be vaporized by a laser, like this—"
Knighten flipped his hand, and a pearl appeared above his palm and shot forward.
Instantly, a laser flashed through the center of the pearl, which immediately shattered into powder.
Lu Mingming's mouth and tongue felt dry.
If Knighten hadn't warned her, it would have been a dead end.
"Thank you."
This person was actually a bit warm-hearted.
Lu Mingming's impression of Knighten improved slightly. The other then said, "What race is the cub you're holding? It looks a bit like me."
"Him—"
Lu Mingming suddenly remembered what Qingchen had said: [Do you know, that merman and the cub in your arms are the same person!]
She choked and couldn't speak, babbling a fabrication: "I don't know. He and I grew up together. My parents adopted my brother."
"Oh, I see."
Having obtained this information, Knighten nodded perfunctorily, "Go back."
With permission granted, Lu Mingming hurried back to the dorms with the cub in her arms.
Hong Yu, nestled on her shoulder, stared unblinkingly, its gaze piercing the night as it met Knighten's eyes behind them.
Who... is that the scent of the merman lord... it is me.
...
Because of the unexpected tip-off, Lu Mingming couldn't escape today. Helplessly, she had to temporarily halt her original plan and wait for another suitable opportunity.
When would the next time be?
Lu Mingming lay in bed for a moment, her mind consumed by the matter, unable to sleep for a long time.
As the alert bell rang within the research institute, Lu Mingming quickly washed up and arrived at the laboratory for the second time with dark circles under her eyes.
Her sanity was hanging by a thread, her mind a muddled mess, unable to grasp the key points.
Suddenly, a pair of hands covered Lu Mingming's mouth, sealing it tightly and preventing any sound, before quickly dragging her into the women's restroom.
The narrow palm space was filled with heat in her breath. The ingrained movements made her instinctively and skillfully form a mental energy attack incantation, but without mental energy support, it was ultimately empty.
Lu Mingming suddenly snapped back to reality, looking at her own hands in surprise.
How did I know how to use mental energy?
Forcibly dragged into a secluded stall, a disguised low voice came from behind her ear, followed by a cold, sharp object pressed against Lu Mingming's waist: "I'll let go of you in a moment, but you can't make a sound."
Lu Mingming dared not move, letting out a muffled "Mm" to indicate her agreement.
She had already deduced from the person's breathing that they were of similar height, and given that they were in the women's restroom, the other person was undoubtedly a female.
However, she didn't know what the person intended to do.
"I heard you secretly reporting information yesterday, which means you must have contacted an insider... I've been undercover here for three years and haven't obtained a single bit of anything."
The woman said this with a hint of gritted teeth.
"You must tell me all the information, and from now on, you must work for my organization regularly and long-term. If you refuse, you can guess the consequences, right?"
Lu Mingming nodded obediently.
Whatever it was, she would agree first; saving her life was paramount.
The pressure on her mouth gradually loosened, giving Lu Mingming a moment to breathe and ask, "Which organization are you from?"
The woman snorted coldly, "Don't get any other ideas."
She opened Lu Mingming's comm-computer and entered: "This is my contact information. Tell me all the news. I will supervise you in the research institute. If you try any tricks, consider that I might expose your spy identity."
Lu Mingming agreed and casually turned her head—it was a young assistant who often stayed by Mo Liyan's side. She hadn't expected her to be a spy planted in the research institute.
However, all of this was irrelevant to Lu Mingming.
She agreed without hesitation: "Rest assured, I know my limits and will complete the mission perfectly."
When it came to being a spy, Lu Mingming was a professional.