Chapter 178: Radioactive Isotopes

Tonight the sun had set around six in the evening, giving birth to a night full of stars. The soft chill of the night made Lai Su hugged his coat tighter around his body. He walked briskly, trying to do his best to reach the next streets before the traffic lights would turn green.

He muttered a curse when he almost tripped. Lai Su straightened his back as he looked around. Realizing that no one was paying attention to him, he proceeded to pick up the papers and walked towards his apartment building. He eyed his watch, it was only a few minutes past seven. However, staying in the streets of Kong City is practically a suicide for someone like him. 

He grabbed the key card and hastily opened the one-bedroom apartment that he just rented when he took the job as the new researcher in the S university. A sigh left his lips.

Living in a city full of dangers was horrible. After all, he doesn't really know any martial arts that could protect himself. Su Lai had long argued with himself about learning something, perhaps some self-defense or shooting, even archery would help him out. However, he was always stumped with work.

His research about different chemicals was too important for him to spend some time in the gym or dojo to do nothing but sweat. Lai Su sighed as he removed his shoes and jacket. Then he removed his…

His thoughts halted when he noticed a man sitting on the couch that he was also using as his bed. 

"Who— Who— " He stammered as he cursed himself inwardly. How come he didn't notice the man's presence? "Who are you?" He stared at the man who was obviously younger than him, short hair, clean-shaven handsome face. Call him judgmental, but everything about him was screaming, rich young master. 

"Mr. Lai… it is a pleasure to meet you. Please sit down and call me Q."

Q. 

He frowned and slowly moved towards the young master. He had heard of the name Q before he, to be honest, he never expected that the man would look like one of his university students. "Are you— Are you really Mr. Q?" he asked. As someone who worked with chemicals all the time, Lai Su had ways to obtains some… dangerous ones from the black market, and that was the reason why he heard the name Q. 

"I presume you already heard about me?" the man calmly lifted an eyebrow before he crossed his legs over the other, a calm expression was on his face. "Did you think I am some old man, smoking old tobacco?"

"I— I don't know." He balled his hands into fists and put them in the pockets of his black slacks. "I just— Mr. Q— Why are you here?"

"Well, I heard about your talents in chemicals, and I wanted to hire you." Shen Qui smiled at the man. "Name your price."

"Mr. Q— I— I don't think that is a very good idea." He had been hired by someone before, and it didn't really end well for him.

"I already told you. Name your price."

Lai Su immediately shook his head as if his life depended on it. He already promised not to work for someone else again. He was tired of running, hiding. And this wouldn't have happened if he didn't make the wrong decision to work for that person. "I'm sorry. I can't work for you." Determination flashed in his eyes. He knew that Mr. Q is one of the most dangerous people in this city, and if he really decides to kill him then, Lai Su could only blame his bad luck. However, even in his death, Lai Su would never bend.

As expected, Shen Qui's face darkened when he heard his words. Then he turned to the part of the room where the light coming from the small lamp wasn't able to reach. "I told you we cant recruit this one." He sighed before he removed a gun from the holster. Seeing this, Lai Su only stared at the gun, calmly. He was but a skinny five-foot nine man, even if he tried to fight against, Mr. Q, he just… couldn't win.

"Aish… so impatient." The woman's voice made Lai Su froze. He looked at the spot next to his small fridge where a woman— a white-haired woman— was smiling at him. He shook his head and closed his eyes. Since when did a beautiful woman smile at him?

"Call me Xi."

The next thing that he knew, the woman was — was already sitting at Q's lap. He gulped, confusion flashed in his eyes.

"His lap is more comfortable than your couch," the woman uttered, her voice was surprisingly soft, her white hair glinted against the warm light of the lamp. 

"I— I already told you— I am not going to work for anyone again."

"You sure about that?" the woman lifted an eyebrow before she handed him a piece of paper that had been folded too many times. He frowned but still accepted the paper. He opened it and immediately read it's contents.

"This— This is— "

"I heard you were researching radioactive isotopes?"

"You— "

"But someone stole your research, right?" Lyca smiled. "I heard it was actually a big pharma company that just announced their new invention. A device that uses radioactive to kill cancer cells… forever."

"Where did you get that information?" Lai Su's face paled, his heart started racing at the mention of the research that he completed.

"People talk, Mr. Lai. The only ones who would are the dead," she said coolly.

"So… So what are you going to do now? Threatened me? Do you want me to make another one of those machines? Aren't you just like them?" Lai Su's face frowned. "I am telling you. The machine doesn't work. It was nothing but a failure! Do you understand? That research would only kill people!"

To his surprise, the woman named Xi and Q only snorted.

"Who told you that we wanted you to create something like that?" Shen Qui asked.

"Then— Then why would you hire me if not for the— "

"Aish… Mr. Lai… I am so sorry to burst your bubble but… we wanted you to create something that kills people faster than a bullet could. We don't want you to create something that heals but something that destroys."

Lai Su's face turned darker. "You are insane! I am not— "

"Check out the next formula," Lyca said. Lai Su lowered his head. What he hated the most were people who wanted profits. People who would sacrifice anyone just for money! How could these— His thoughts soon left him when he saw the second formula. "This is— "

"I made that," Lyca said. "Now.. Mr. Lai…" she made a deliberate paused and smiled at him. "Let's do this again. Do you want to work… for me? Become my assistant and create some chaos here and there." She leaned back and lifted her eyebrow. "What do you think?"

The crease on Lai Su's forehead deepened as he stared at the woman's face. "You— You are from the Long Family?"

"Why do you ask?"

"The Long Family claimed that they were the one's who made those bullets." Lai Su said. His words was enough to change Lyca's face. 

.....

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