Chapter 764: Mysteries at the Qinggang Research Base

When Dr. An from the Research Institute returned to the Qinggang Mental Power Research Base with Lu Xin, it set off a huge reaction.

It was deep into the night now, yet very few researchers had turned in for sleep.

They seemed unconcerned with day or night; their eyes were fixed solely on their research work…

…a dedication that Lu Xin deeply admired.

And precisely for that reason, when Dr. An led a group of researchers from the Moon Eclipse Research Institute into the base, she immediately drew countless gazes—even the usually buried-head Professor Bai looked up abruptly, his eyes twinkling as he stared at the doctor’s chest area…

…at that Moon Eclipse Research Institute chest badge.

After all, it was the Moon Eclipse Research Institute—a coveted symbol for every researcher.

Even a woman like Dr. An paled in comparison, in their eyes, to that little badge…

“Welcome, welcome…”

Even in the dead of night, Professor Bai, ever the refined gentleman in an elegant classic suit with his hair and beard impeccably styled and his silver-inlaid cane polished to a mirror shine, stepped forward with Qinggang’s researchers. From a distance he extended his hand toward Dr. An, saying, “I assumed the Research Institute would be the first to arrive; I never expected you to show up only just now. We’ve been eager for your guidance…”

“We were slightly delayed by some minor matters.”

Dr. An smiled as she shook hands with Professor Bai, saying, “Hello, Professor Bai.”

“By the way, should I be calling you ‘Senior Brother’? If you had stayed at the Institute back then, you’d be at the helm by now.”

…

Professor Bai laughed, “Research work is needed regardless of where you are—it always holds value.”

“Regarding this research project, has the Institute provided any guidance or suggestions?”

…

When this question was asked, the other researchers around them all paused their work and listened intently.

That very inquiry touched on the essence of this research.

“Follow the host’s lead.”

Yet unexpectedly, Dr. An merely smiled and said, “We’re joining merely as an ordinary research team.”

“Rest assured, we’ll submit the entire sum from the crowdfunding for the research as well.”

…

Upon hearing this, the assembled researchers heaved a slight sigh of relief, their expressions brightening with delight.

Professor Bai even broke into a wide smile, every crease he normally tried to conceal now on full display as he waved, “Alright, alright, come on, hurry up.”

“First, let’s arrange a place for the Institute’s experts to stay…”

…

“No need to be so formal…”

Dr. An smiled and said, “Just give them any place to sleep for now. As for me…”

She glanced sideways toward Lu Xin, who had just followed in, and said, “Tonight, I need to check in on him first.”

Swish…

Suddenly, a group of curious eyes landed on Lu Xin.

Caught off guard, Lu Xin gave Dr. An a look of mild exasperation: Must you really announce it like that?

……

……

Under everyone’s watchful gaze, Dr. An truly followed Lu Xin back to his room.

It was a spacious, makeshift aluminum-clad room. Though simply constructed, it was arranged with great comfort.

The space was significantly larger than a usual room, even featuring a separate inner and outer area.

The reason was that when Lu Xin first arrived he made it clear that he would be coming with Ms. Lu, so Qinggang, considering the inconvenience of their shared stay, had opened up two rooms into one…

“Qinggang is quite impressive, but in some respects it does lean toward the conventional.”

Dr. An entered the room and felt as comfortable as if she were at home. After surveying the room, she tossed her small bag onto a canvas chair, then, glancing at those peeking from outside the door, she chuckled softly and gently closed it.

She even locked it with a faint click.

“Explaining this misunderstanding later is going to take quite a bit of tongue-wagging…”

Lu Xin thought with a hint of resignation before looking at Dr. An and asking, “What do you mean?”

“Researchers are meant to identify problems and solve them.”

Dr. An smiled and, pulling a pack of red soft candy from her pocket, offered some to Lu Xin as she munched on a piece.

After Lu Xin waved off the offer, she continued, “When even figures like Professor Bai start worrying about real-life power struggles, as a researcher you can’t help but feel your heart isn’t entirely pure. Truth be told, their fears that the Institute might interfere or obstruct their work are quite overblown. The Moon Eclipse Research Institute isn’t one to quarrel over such matters…”

“Of course…”

She quickly added with a smile, “If there were any contest, no one could outdo the Institute.”

“Human nature, after all…”

Lu Xin didn’t entirely agree with her words. In a low voice he expressed his doubts before looking up inquisitively at Dr. An.

He was just as eager to know what she was about to reveal.

“Well then, first accept this gift…”

Dr. An beamed as she reached into the bottom of her bag of red soft candy and pulled out a few pieces of broken playing cards.

She lightly tossed them onto the table, immediately capturing Lu Xin’s attention.

They were fragments of playing cards—some nearly whole, others reduced to less than a third of their original size.

They still carried traces of blood or some other mysterious, sticky substance.

One bore a club symbol, another a diamond.

To Lu Xin’s astonishment, he immediately recognized these fragments as matching his own Jack of Spades.

It looked as if they had been plucked directly from a deck.

……

……

“We had received a distress call from Qinggang. They said a pair of mysterious eyes had appeared over the city, and there were even traces of pollution linked to the Midnight Tribunal around Qinggang. So we rushed over from the Institute to help out.”

Noticing Lu Xin’s curiosity, Dr. An explained with a smile:

“But when we arrived, we found that the situation in Qinggang was far different from what we’d imagined.”

“Not only had it not been overrun by world-class contamination, but they were also merrily firing off cannons into the sky…”

“So we immediately shifted our focus and began tracking a Knight Orders unit involved in the attack.”

…

“That’s them.”

She nodded lightly at the broken playing cards on the small table, “Black Spade Office.”

“Just as expected, the Black Spade Office…”

Lu Xin’s heart stirred slightly.

He had once met an ability user named Black Jack back in Heichao City, who, on the brink of death, had begged him to extract a Jack of Spades from his mind and, if possible, return it to a mysterious organization called the Black Spade Office.

But he had not encountered them again, and the matter had nearly slipped his mind.

Never did he think that during this attack, the shadow of that mysterious organization would reappear.

…Could it be they’ve come to collect their dues from me?

“I had planned to capture them alive.”

At that moment, Dr. An continued, “However, the operation wasn’t exactly smooth—we did encounter a few storms along the way.”

“Although we did manage to neutralize them, all that was left were these few fragments of playing cards.”

“But fortunately, I discovered a clue on one of them that I thought might pique your interest.”

She paused briefly before smiling, “That clue is my gift to you.”

…

Lu Xin blinked in surprise and quickly asked, “What is it?”

Dr. An grinned, “Have you forgotten the terms of our cooperation from the start?”

Lu Xin paused for a moment before suddenly standing up, his expression turning serious.

He hadn’t forgotten.

Back in Central City when he met Dr. An, they had agreed that Lu Xin would help the Institute handle some of the special contaminations within his capability, while the Institute would deploy their Undercover Units to help him find someone…

…the Old Director.

So you see, the Institute has already…

“Yes.”

Meeting Lu Xin’s somewhat astonished gaze, Dr. An continued, “The ringleader of the Escaped Lab incident, the betrayer of the Institute, and the mastermind behind a series of forbidden experiments and bizarre occurrences—Professor Wang Jingyun—has made his appearance during the Qinggang attack.”

“But now he has left with some mysterious individuals, and those people are linked to the Black Spade Office…”

“More importantly, from certain clues it appears that Professor Wang’s departure was not entirely voluntary.”

“Simply put, you might consider him to have been kidnapped.”

…

“Kidnapped?”

That word made Lu Xin pause, a flicker of confusion crossing his face.

How could the Old Director ever be kidnapped?

Yet it did confirm one of his lingering doubts.

After every trial, the Old Director always left some trace to review his own performance.

But this time, after the trial ended, he had completely vanished.

Could it be because he was kidnapped?

…

…

An overwhelming flood of information rushed into Lu Xin’s mind, leaving him feeling a bit disoriented.

He couldn’t figure it out: “What on earth is happening?”

“If my guess is correct, someone associated with the Black Spade Office kidnapped Professor Wang Jingyun. Judging from the clues he left behind, it seems he allowed himself to be taken, so that our suspicions might be directed at a particular group.”

Dr. An said something a bit tongue-twistingly, softly adding, “The process was very complicated, but the conclusion is simple.”

“Behind it all, there are some truly terrifying individuals involved.”

…

Lu Xin still found it hard to grasp, even to the point of amusement.

After all, Dr. An was from the Institute—how could someone from the Institute find others frightening?

“To explain all this in detail would take too long…”

Dr. An gently pinched a corner of a card fragment on the table and whispered, “But I have a simpler way for you to understand.”

“The Black Spade Office is a mysterious organization, and its members are mostly ability users from the Abyss Group.”

“But what you need to understand is that ability users of the Abyss Group are generally outside the thirteen conventional ability categories. They didn’t acquire their powers from any mental shock—instead, they are artificially created, much like the ones you know, including Xia Chong. The Black Spade Office is especially obvious; they’re like these playing cards with abilities.”

“In fact, all of this is probably part of the Genesis Hard Drive.”