21st Century Necromancer

Egawa Sae, after agreeing to help Jounouchi Hiromi release a statement, soon adjusted her mindset.

Although Egawa Sae was a feminist, she was not radical and could understand Hiromi's decision, as the challenge posed by artificial womb technology was not merely to women's social status but a confrontation to traditional human morals and ethics. Hiromi's reluctance to make the issue seem too radical and further intensify conflicts made sense.

After getting her emotions in check, Egawa Sae naturally refocused on how to report the story and also took the opportunity to request an interview with Jounouchi Hiromi.

This interview was clearly not a simple casual chat; it was a very formal television interview.

Chen Yu watched Jounouchi Hiromi and Egawa Sae discuss the interview and felt it was unrelated to himself. After informing Hiromi, he left the sterile laboratory to check on the progress of his experiments and then planned to visit the patients in the ward.

"Seeing your fiancée receive so much social attention, don't you have any thoughts on this, Professor Chen Yu?" However, as Chen Yu was about to visit the ward, Qingdai suddenly appeared behind him, deliberately uttering such provocative words.

Chen Yu turned around and looked at Qingdai leaning against the wall, frowning.

Chen Yu had always maintained a respectful but distant guard towards this enigmatic woman, whose gender was uncertain, but her repeated attempts to stir up trouble between him and Jounouchi Hiromi made him uncomfortable.

It was like a mosquito buzzing in your ear, not causing any harm, but still extremely annoying, making one want to slap it dead.

"What exactly is your purpose?" Chen Yu didn't want to beat around the bush with Qingdai and directly questioned her motive.

Hearing Chen Yu's question, a self-mocking smile appeared on Qingdai's face, and with a sigh, she asked, "Can't Professor Chen Yu guess?"

"You want to disrupt my relationship with Hiromi, that much is evident, but I don't understand why you would do that." Chen Yu looked at Qingdai and suddenly felt that she exuded a pervasive loneliness, as if she didn't belong to this world, emanating a sense of alienation and solitude.

However, Chen Yu had no desire to delve into her secrets and story. He was only annoyed by this woman who repeatedly tried to sabotage his relationship with Jounouchi Hiromi.

Perhaps sensing Chen Yu's annoyance, Qingdai's self-mocking look intensified, but she still explained to Chen Yu, "I actually don't want to do this, but I am with the Tashiro Family, and I cannot defy the family's orders. Just like your subordinate Nanao, both she and I are sent by the family to get close to you. However, she only wants to steal the formula for the broad-spectrum anti-cancer agents from you, while I... want you as a person."

"You want me as a person? Through seduction? If so, trying to disrupt my relationship with Hiromi has to be the most foolish way of seducing I've seen." Chen Yu didn't fully believe what Qingdai said, but he also felt that she was not lying to him.

Nanao Tashiro originally came with the intent of stealing the formula for the broad-spectrum anti-cancer agents, a fact that still somewhat surprised Chen Yu.

Chen Yu had understood that Nanao Tashiro had other motives for coming to his team and joining his research group when Yamamoto Hisae brought her to his lab. Nevertheless, with the thought that it was better to have a potential spy under his vigilance rather than sending an unknown one to infiltrate, Chen Yu still accepted Nanao Tashiro into his lab.

All along, Nanao Tashiro's behavior could only be described as standard and compliant. She neither showed ulterior motives nor slacked off; in all aspects, she was just like any other ordinary researcher.

Therefore, Chen Yu did not probe further. He allowed Nanao Tashiro to continue staying in his lab and even used her identity to handle some issues.

But now, Qingdai's words made Chen Yu realize that Nanao Tashiro was indeed after his research project, as he had initially guessed. He just didn't know why she had not carried out her original mission.

"Sabotaging your relationship with Doctor Jounouchi is, of course, a very foolish method, but who can blame me when the family's orders were such?" Qingdai continued as Chen Yu pondered Nanao Tashiro's intentions: "Those in charge of the family are stuck in their old ways, those stale old men who look down on women and yet wish to use them, could only come up with such low-level strategies. Although I could have used other means, I didn't want to, so just like that little girl Nanao, slacking off didn't seem so bad to me."

Hearing Qingdai say that both she and Nanao Tashiro were slacking off, Chen Yu couldn't help but feel intrigued and asked her, "What is your relationship with Nanao? It seems like both of you despise the Tashiro Family quite a bit."
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"In terms of relationship, Nanao should call me 'cousin'," Qingdai said with a cold smile surfacing on her face, unclear whether she was laughing at Chen Yu's words, at herself, or at the family, "Even if we really had such thoughts, we don't have the right to put them into action. The only thing we can do is to slack off."

"So now that you're being upfront with me, are you saying you don't intend to slack off anymore?" Chen Yu looked at Qingdai, feeling the sense of contradiction emanating from her growing stronger.

"Wrong. It's precisely because I want to slack off that it doesn't really matter if you've seen through me. If it comes to it, I'll just go back to the family and say I've been exposed, and they'll just find another way," Qingdai shrugged indifferently, the dark hue of her eyes reflecting an unconcerned expression, "If possible, I quite like playing this love game with you, so how about you pretend you don't know and continue this charade with me... No, even if you were willing to continue the act with me, that little girl Nanao has always eyed me unfavorably, she'd definitely tattle on me, so forget it."

"Nonsensical." Chen Yu looked at Qingdai, failing to understand what she truly wanted to do.

Just as Chen Yu turned to leave, Qingdai called out to him from behind again, "Professor Chen Yu, the Tashiro family wants your formula and patent for the broad-spectrum anti-cancer drug. Originally, the family intended for Nanao to steal your formula, but since she has failed to achieve her goal, the family sent me to disrupt your relationship with Doctor Jounouchi, then seduce you into marrying into the Tashiro family. Even if you manage to drive me away, the family will still use other means to deal with you! You cannot imagine the depth of an old family's resources. If possible, please do not go against the family."

Upon hearing Qingdai speak, Chen Yu halted for a moment but then boldly walked away. However, he still raised his arm and waved to Qingdai as a gesture of thanks for revealing all this to him.

Behind Chen Yu, Qingdai watched his departing figure and let out a deep sigh.