Chapter 154 - Do You Like Romance or Fantasy? pt 1

Liu Xiaodan glanced at the child before frowning at the soldier talking to him. However, Seven sounded more like he's horrified than caught red-handed. He had seen that child before, and yet the look on his face had always been innocent. Moreover, right now, the child was like a real ghost and calling him out on a lie.

"W-Wait, he's not lying…" Eight, the one hanging from Ten's shoulders, spoke and took Liu Xiaodan's attention. "It's really our orders to fetch you because you cause a system outage in the Hall. The paddocks opened because of you, and you're quite an important asset to Dr. Fan. It's just that… I saw Mr. Wu was talking to Captain earlier. If they attacked you, it's probably under his orders."

"Why are we still talking?! Shouldn't we be leaving now that 4-28 is here?!" Five had grown hysterical. No one blamed him as he was just next to Four when they were first attacked. Something else ate his friend, but in their efforts to chase the King responsible, they ran into the curled woman. Not to mention that Eight got hurt because of him.

The father looked down at the child as if seemingly forgetting his anger from what happened earlier. However, he couldn't discount the fact that these people would shoot him if they were ordered by that Mr. Wu. He then thought of something. "I'll walk you out of here, but I have conditions."

Ten instantly agreed without waiting for everyone else. In his defense, Eight was dying. "What are they?"

"One, you do not shoot me. Ever again. If you shoot me in the future, I will divide you between the nurse and the student." Liu Xiaodan almost growled. "Two, tell me who this Mr. Wu is to the facility, classified or not. Three, remember that I had given you the first condition. In any case you find out what happened to the others after me, remember that they shot me."

"Sounds easy." Ten didn't see anything wrong. At least for now, they would be able to get out if they didn't shoot Liu Xiaodan. They could always resign or make excuses to not be available if asked to deal with him in the future. They all had seen what the nurse could do; would they want to witness the so-called student as well? As for Mr. Wu, what kind of information could they give? They didn't really know much anyway.

…

Based on Ren Shanyue's directions, they should pack up today so when she picked them up tomorrow, they would attend the orientation and be sent to the facility right after. That was also the request for all participants to both Red Scales project. The announcement might be too sudden, but all of them were rushing to get inside.

Ruan Jin already told Yu Mona about it, and the mother could only give him daily reminders. Moreover, she kept on telling him to protect his girlfriend, make sure he cleans after himself, and eat until he's full. She had no idea what kind of project it was, but Ruan Jin should be healthy enough to finish it. He also went out for a drink with his friends before the night would end. 

Li Feng had to leave his father's health to his mother, Dr. Wang, and the black horse. Just like what he said to everyone else, he didn't want to take Heima with him. Moreover, the black horse himself admitted that he was indeed too weak to survive in such an environment. He would rather keep the Li and Mian families company for now. However, he decided to shed a part of himself as a trinket for Li Feng to keep.

It was to protect his dreams from weaker entities, Heima said.

The Li family heir stared at the trinket on his palm. It wasn't much, but it was actually Heima's stuffed foot. It was fastened by a strange fabric and could be worn like a necklace. Li Feng was told to always keep it on his person at all times, be it around his neck on just in his pocket.

"That's a cute memento." Qiao Shan giggled as she came to sit next to Li Feng at the bar counter. She just finished her preparations and rushed to the bar when Li Feng sent her a text. "You said you need my help in something?"

"Y-Yeah, though it would be very awkward if you decline." Li Feng laughed out and pocketed the stuffed horse's foot. He then leaned on the counter and held his drink. "I was just thinking… I knew Chuan Nayi and Ruan Jin from school, and there's a lot of things that I do hear about them. But I don't know you… like… aside from your name and your family affairs…"

"Oh, well, that's funny… I'm not really interesting…" Qiao Shan chuckled and received a drink from the bartender. She drew her finger on the rim as if the ripples would show a divination. After that, she took a sip. "I'm not really anyone outside my status as the princess of the Qiao family. My whole life revolved around our family business. I'm homeschooled, and I don't attend college."

Li Feng lifted his brows. He then hummed and took a sip from his drink. "I used to be like that, too. That's why I was very fascinated by the film industry. There's always something out there that people couldn't just see until you show it to them. Everything… also attributes to the human heart and mind. Colors, sounds, imagination… I've been in love with this course. Sadly, I can't really go back right into directing without thinking about what happened."

He then moved his head to the side even if he was still looking at her, mesmerizing Qiao Shan. "What do you feel about films, Qiao Shan? Do you like the popular genres? Romance? Fantasy?"

"…I really don't watch films. I mean, I do take a look, but I have never finished one. There's always something about endings that I don't like." Qiao Shan hummed and hooked her hair behind her ear. "I just want things to start, but to see everything end… it's just my dreams coming to their own deaths. No matter how great it is, in the end, it will only die down." She then sipped on her drink. "I'm beginning to think that I was born so others could succeed…"

"That's a very awful mindset…" Li Feng frowned, but he took his glass and gulped down the remaining of it. He then took out some money and paid over the counter. "Come with me, Qiao Shan. Let's fix that!"

Qiao Shan twitched and hurried to finish her drink as well before leaving, knowing that Li Feng paid enough. She then picked herself up and chased Li Feng who ran to the door. "I thought you need my help with something!"

Li Feng laughed out. "Yes, we can do both. Don't worry…" He then wrapped an arm over her shoulders as they walked away from the bar. "We can do both."