278. Is There More To It?
Not long after, with the help of Mobius and Ling, Dr. Mei became the new supreme leader of the Fire Moth.
As a result, most of the conservatives rationally withdrew from the upper echelons, knowing that the tide had turned and that if they continued to stand in Dr. Mei's way, the Cocoon would become a blade aimed at them.
A minority remained on the sidelines, while another group purely needed to restrain the reformers, willing to risk their lives to uphold the bottom line of being 'human.'
Dr. Mei admired these people; they simply didn't want humanity to head towards an unknown future, as humanity still seemed capable of fighting the Honkai.
Mobius's laboratory was finally liberated, no longer subject to constant surveillance.
"Dr. Ling, please come with me."
A masked figure appeared beside Ling.
"You really are elusive. You must be 'Forget-Me-Not' from the Cocoon? What brings you here?"
Ling was somewhat surprised, but not overly flustered.
"I'm sorry, I'm not sure. I'm just following orders. Please don't make things difficult for me," Sakura invited.
"Hmm, as a working person, it's normal to have no choice. I'll go with you." Ling put down the experimental equipment he was carrying and left with Sakura.
His composure impressed Sakura. He could remain so calm even when facing a top-tier assassin.
Sakura handed him a mask and then led him inside the Cocoon.
Dr. Mei and Dr. Mobius had been waiting there for some time.
Oh, and Kevin too.
"Welcome to the newcomer. I am 'Snake.' Nice to meet you," Mobius said, her mask brushing lightly against Ling's cheek.
"Speaking of which, could we perhaps change this method of concealing our identity? I think anyone who isn't blind could tell, so wearing a mask or trying to hide it would be pointless." Ling casually removed his mask.
"Wow, it's actually Dr. Ling?" Mobius feigned surprise.
"So this was your idea?" Ling glanced at the stubbornly denying Mobius.
Caught off guard, Mobius kicked him, her face darkening.
"Cocoon usually carries out assassination missions, so disguise is essential, although I also think it's a bit too obvious."
Dr. Mei also awkwardly removed her mask, and seeing her do so, Kevin quickly followed suit.
His white hair was rather conspicuous; at least Sakura's pink hair was complemented by Elysia and her sister.
"I heard that Vill-V recently developed a great magic tool that allows for instant disguise; I highly recommend it."
Ling suggested.
"When did you get involved with Vill-V again?"
Ling could almost hear a hint of resentment in Mobius's voice.
"Vill-V is a top mechanic for the Fire Moth. Many of their instruments aren't available on the market, so they have to be custom-made by her. Aside from the oddities and unnecessary accessories, her work is definitely of high quality," Ling said casually.
Hearing this, Mobius pretended not to care and turned her head away.
Kevin and Dr. Mei exchanged a glance. These two...
"Alright, let's get back to the point, Dr. Ling. I need some experimental data about your attempt to fuse humans with Honkai Beast ICHOR," Dr. Mei adjusted her glasses, explaining her purpose.
"Dr. Mei, what are you talking about? I'm a scientist working for the benefit of humanity. Why would I conduct such an experiment? Shouldn't you ask Mobius about this?" Ling spread his hands, looking innocent.
His acting was so superb that if everyone present, except for Sakura, didn't know him inside and out, they would probably all have been fooled.
"Dr. Ling..." Dr. Mei repeated helplessly.
"Alright, alright, enough joking. I've already had Ai pass that data to Prometheus, so... are you all very interested in Kiana's condition?"
Ling glanced at Kevin beside her as he spoke.
Sure enough, Kevin's face darkened, looking like he'd swallowed a dead fly. If Dr. Mei hadn't been there, he would have punched Ling.
"Kiana's strength far exceeds our imagination. Even if she wanted to destroy the Fire Moth, it's only a matter of time," Dr. Mei readily acknowledged Kiana's existence.
"She's still just a child, so I'd appreciate it if Captain Kevin could take good care of her," Ling said to Kevin.
Kevin's lips twitched slightly.
A child? The child Dr. Ling was talking about could pin him to the ground with one hand, rendering him immobile.
Let alone him, even the three of them, including Kosma and Ato, would have struggled to last a single round against her.
This overwhelming power initially demoralized Kosma and Ato, as they were among the top ranks of the Fire Moth soldiers, yet they were utterly helpless against Kiana.
And this was only because Kiana was concealing her true strength.
"…Definitely," Kevin replied with just two words and then fell silent.
"I've conducted 326 experiments on Honkai Beast ICHOR, and currently, only Kiana is a suitable candidate. Furthermore, she has Herrscher blood flowing through her veins, so I can't guarantee this is a feasible plan."
"But it's worth a try, isn't it?" Dr. Mei boldly stated.
"In the future, I plan to collectively refer to these warriors as 'MANTIS Warriors' and propose it at the next meeting, so Kiana needs to demonstrate her strength."
"I believe Kiana will listen to you, so there's no need to ask me about such matters." Ling generously replied.
"Then thank you in advance, Dr. Ling." Dr. Mei nodded.
Ling's words were tantamount to issuing her a pass, but they also made Dr. Mei a little strange. Was he really not afraid that she would betray him after mastering the 'MANTIS Warrior' technology?
Dr. Mei's wariness of Ling escalated to a new level. Perhaps what he was showing now wasn't the whole truth!
Was he still hiding something?
A bead of cold sweat slid down her temple. Even she, having witnessed a glimpse of Ling's madness, felt a chill run down her spine.
"Soon, Mobius and I might have to go on a business trip for a while, so we'll leave the Fire Moth in your care," Ling suddenly said.
"Hey, I didn't..." Mobius saw the look in Ling's eyes and seemed to understand something in an instant.
"Fine, since you've extended such a warm invitation, I have no reason to refuse. I'll give you a chance," Mobius agreed.
"Don't worry, with Sakura and Kevin here, there shouldn't be any major problems."
Dr. Mei seemed to have guessed their thoughts and didn't stop them, nor could she stop them.
...