Chapter 288 - Egg
Chapter 288: Egg
The monitoring system indicated that the poisonous gas in the room was no longer at a dangerous level, but considering how deadly it was, Xia Fei still put on a gas mask as a precaution.
He opened the door. The exhaust fan was operating loudly. A large amount of gas was being released into the universe while fresh air was being pumped into the room.
Xia Fei lifted his arm and glanced at the value on the detector before entering the room.
The red box was lying sideways on the table with a little crack, from where the poisonous gas was released.
The poisonous gas had been fully released, so the box was no longer posing any threat to humans. Xia Fei put the box upright with a thick protective glove then he took a deep breath and opened the lid.
Inside the box was a metal can around the size of a toothpaste. Its delicate mechanical structure was linked to the combination lock. If the right combination was entered, it would not release the poisonous gas. However, if there were more than three failed attempts, or if anyone tried to snap the combination lock just like what Xia Fei had done, the box would release the poisonous gas to destroy the surroundings.
There was nothing else in it.
Xia Fei thought for a moment. He brought the box into the washroom and cleaned it repeatedly with a sanitizer, which he had prepared earlier. He also removed the container of the poisonous gas in the box and cleaned it more than three times. The detector indicated that the box no longer had any poisonous substance. He could even use it to drink the Eight Treasure Congee if he wanted.
It turned out that the deadly poisonous gas was cleansable. The person who designed it was only trying to murder anyone touching the box without permission instead of turning the place where the box was into a barren land.
Xia Fei left the room, and the titanium door immediately closed behind him. He took off the gas mask and gloves and brought the box into his new room.
“What’s inside the box?” Chen Dong asked Xia Fei curiously when he left the room. He had been observing Xia Fei from the control room all along.
“Nothing at all.” Xia Fei shrugged.
Chen Dong was startled. “There’s nothing inside it despite being booby-trapped with such a deadly gas? Was it a prank?”
Xia Fei smiled. “I don’t think so. I doubt anyone would use such a deadly poisonous gas for a prank.”
The red box was quite delicate. It might not have some fancy embroidment, but the details of the corners indicated how attentive the crafter was. Xia Fei was reluctant to think that such a valuable box would only be used to store some poisonous gas.
Xia Fei played around with the box for a good long time before he finally noticed something unusual.
It turned out that the box had a hidden compartment. Its maker had ingeniously used optical illusion to set up a second layer at the bottom of the box, which was impossible to notice with only the naked eyes.
The compartment was one with the box and did not have any switch to reveal it. It was only accessible by destroying the box.
Xia Fei took out a dagger from his spatial ring and prepared to pry open the box.
The box had released a poisonous gas the last time Xia Fei tried to damage it. Chen Dong wanted to stop Xia Fei, yet he too was curious about the box’s content. Thus, he went to the door and activated the ventilation system, instead.
Chen Dong was not too worried about Xia Fei’s safety. Xia Fei already proved that he could run away from any potential danger quicker than him if there was really an accident.
*Crack!*
The dagger pried open the red box easily, but it did not release any poisonous gas this time and only revealed an egg.
The egg looked extremely weird. Its size was like a cocoon, while its shell was full of glittering golden lines like a glowing landscape painting, with a mesmerizing illustration of a scenery.
Xia Fei and Chen Dong curiously magnified the pattern on the egg by a dozen times and displayed it on the screen. They discovered that the pattern was not a landscape painting as they first thought. It was just some natural lines on the egg which resembled a painting.
“Do you know what it is?” Xia Fei asked.
Chen Dong shook his head. Xia Fei proceeded to ask Phantom, who shared the same answer.
Xia Fei picked up the white egg with golden lines and played around with it. The egg was heavier than it seemed. It was smaller than a thumb, yet it weighed around one and a half kilogram. Most interestingly, not only was the egg warm when he held it in his hand, it had a soft pulse akin to the weak but rapid heartbeat of an infant.
“The microcomputer has an ion scanner. Why don’t we use it to see what’s inside it?” Chen Dong proposed.
Xia Fei thought for a moment and said, “Can’t do; the egg obviously has a heartbeat. It will be a great loss to us if what’s inside is a rare and exotic species and the ion rays end up killing it.”
Chen Dong frowned. “Just let it die, then. It’s fine if it’s a mild species, but it’s going to be trouble if it’s a dangerous savage beast.”
“No way.” Xia Fei quickly waved his hand. “We might be able to earn a fortune with it. It’s a waste if it dies.”
Xia Fei placed the egg in his spatial ring, but he suddenly realized the spatial ring did not have any air. What if the little beast suffocated before it was even born? After some time, Xia Fei decided to wrap the egg with a piece of cloth and put it in his chest pocket.
“I’ll ask someone to have a look at it when we reach the capital, and we’ll decide what to do with it,” Xia Fei said.
…
Xia Fei’s disappearance for a few days did not seem so important compared to the sudden appearance of Eden. It was exactly what Xia Fei wanted, since he had never liked getting so much attention.
That being said, his whereabouts was still very important to certain people such as Avril.
Chen Dong left to repair his warship. The two agreed to meet at the venue of the Golden Finger Cup tomorrow. Xia Fei also gave Moon Song a call. After all, the three of them were the closest in the training camp.
Moon Song was not too surprised to see Chen Dong. She immediately asked the man about the progress of her request. Chen Dong managed to bluff his way through by claiming that he would soon set out to look for the things Moon Song had asked after a quick rest.
Xia Fei went to Sunset Villa after he was done settling everything. Pang Xing even sent a car to the airport to pick him up. It was actually unnecessary, considering that Xia Fei’s walking speed was quicker than the ride.
“Promise me that you won’t disappear for no reason again. She seriously needs you by her side.”
Pang Xing’s first statement after they met made Xia Fei feel aggrieved. It was not as if everything was under his control when trouble followed him around like his shadow. It was basically his destiny; at least, he knew that he was still a long way away from being able to live a peaceful life.
“I’ll try my best.” It was the only response Xia Fei could come up with after failing to think of anything better to say.
Pang Xing was a little disappointed. It was obviously not something he was hoping to hear. He preferred Xia Fei to stop running around places and stay at home all the time with Avril so he could take care of her and love her properly.
Pang Xing had good intentions, but did he ever wonder if Avril would still like Xia Fei if he became a stay-at-home geek?
“Her father and grandfather aren’t on the friendliest terms with you, so they’ve arranged for you to wait for Avril at the pavilion by the lake. Dinner will be served there, too. Her etiquette class is ending soon, so please wait for her patiently,” Pang Xing said.
…
Avril could no longer sit tight after she heard that Xia Fei was back. Her teacher did not have trouble reading her mind; thus, she was dismissed earlier than scheduled. Avril trotted to the pavilion by the lake and greeted Xia Fei with a strange curtsy.
“What kind of curtsy is that? It looks very unique,” Xia Fei asked.
Avril smiled. “I just learned it today. It’s how the Murphies from the Cobalt Region greet one another.”
Xia Fei nodded. He did not comment any further.
Just like usual, no matter how worried Avril was, she would try her best to look joyful whenever they met.
“How have you been?” Avril could not help but ask.
Xia Fei smiled. “Not too bad; if I didn’t leave all of a sudden, I wouldn’t be able to meet Xiao Yu.”
“Xiao Yu!” Avril exclaimed. She had long heard about Xiao Yu from Xia Fei. It was something that had bothered the man for a long time. Avril was very kind. She would not want anything like it to happen even if Xia Fei did not end up with her.
“Did you really meet Xiao Yu? How is she? Why didn’t she come back with you?”
Xia Fei shook his head. “I did see her, but she’s with someone else. I didn’t have the chance to talk to her, but she seems to be in good shape. She’s grown a little taller, too.”
Xia Fei briefly described his encounter with Xiao Yu. He of course skipped the part about the Blood Matrix. He only told her how he had bumped into her coincidentally but had not gotten the chance to talk to her properly.
Avril twisted her lips and said, “I feel so sorry for Xiao Yu. Xia Fei, you must find her and bring her back.”
Xia Fei was startled, then he nodded sternly. “I will.”
…
Xia Fei went to Thuram’s office after leaving the Sunset Villa. It was already late at night, but Thuram was still waiting in his office.
“Why do you want to meet when it’s already so late? You may be a night owl, but an old man like me needs his rest,” Thuram grumbled. “You still went to Avril when you have something urgent to discuss, so I’m not important to you?”
Xia Fei lit up a cigarette silently.
Thuram withdrew his legs, which he had initially placed on the table, and rose to his feet. “Come with me; it’s been awhile since I last trained with someone. We’ll talk on the way.”
Thuram’s blond secretary immediately went to prepare the training room. He was still at the office at such a late time. It was not an easy job being Thuram’s secretary.
“You did well at Hook’s base. I heard that the Alliance had sent two warships to clean up the rest of Hook’s crew. You’ve done the Alliance a favor,” Thuram said.
Xia Fei replied, “It was just a coincidence. I just hope that there’s no follow-up trouble because of it. I already have enough problems to deal with.”
Thuram patted Xia Fei on the shoulder. “Don’t worry; the military will only send someone over to learn the details from you. You think they’re not aware of what you did? A lot of people have seen the fight between you and Butcher. By the way, why did you want to see me?”
Xia Fei answered, “I once took part in a trial when I joined the Adjudicator Union. A little girl went missing during it, but I saw her again in the Blood Matrix. She was with a bunch of women in long, black robes.”
Thuram was startled. “Why didn’t you say it earlier? It’s very important.”
Xia Fei was confused. “Is it? I tried asking the Adjudicator Union about it back then, but they made me leave, instead. They didn’t look very concerned about her to me.”
Thuram wore a stern look. “That’s back then. You didn’t have the clearance to learn about these confidential matters.”
Xia Fei said helplessly, “I’m only a cadet Adjudicator even now and a mere assistant librarian at the Library.”
Thuram said in a mysterious voice, “Did you forget? You have another identity, too.”
Xia Fei tilted his head and asked, “What identity?”
“You’re under Qin Mang’s wing,” Thuram replied. “Aren’t you thick? You still don’t know the power that Qin Mang’s name holds?”
Xia Fei was speechless. He knew that Qin Mang had power, but it was too ambiguous. He could never understand how powerful Qin Mang was exactly.
“Come, it’s time for you to meet someone,” Thuram said.
…
The secret investigations department a few streets away from the weapons vault…
It was already late at night. The mysterious six-story building was dimly lit by a few streetlamps.
Thuram did not even look at the security guard at the entrance. He strutted inside and the detector started beeping. The screen showed that Thuram was carrying a weapon, yet no one dared to stop him.
The blond secretary whispered to Xia Fei, “The head quartermaster has always been like this. He insists on keeping his weapons even when he’s attending the highest meeting of the Adjudicator Union. Even the president doesn’t dare to say a word. I was told that Mr. Qin Mang was even more impressive. He blatantly kicked the door of the meeting room open and scolded the president in front of a few hundred colleagues.”
Xia Fei twisted his lips. Qin Mang and Thuram were indeed brothers. Even their styles were the same. The old man Qin Mang was no longer as hot-tempered as he used to be, but Thuram was still the same.
Xia Fei met a skinny, old man on the sixth floor. The man had a tattoo of the thorn bird on his face. His skin tone and eyes were a lot different from normal people’s. His skinny fingers were like the claws of an eagle, sturdy and sharp. He seemed to be from an ethnic minority in the Alliance. Otherwise, it was unlikely that a department head would be allowed to have tattoos, especially on the face. It must be a part of the tradition of his tribe.
The door closed. The tattooed old man rubbed his temples and asked with an anxious look, “What’s so important that you have to come and see me today? Don’t you know what time it is?”
Thuram harrumphed and said, “Raksha, it’s something urgent. I’ve brought you some important intel.”
After some brief introductions, Thuram urged Xia Fei. “Tell him everything that you told me.”
Xia Fei explained Xiao Yu’s disappearance and how he had stumbled upon her in the Blood Matrix to Raksha. The man was more shocked the more he listened. He was no longer feeling tired.
“What do you think? Your secret investigations department hasn’t found anything useful even after so many years. I would’ve long killed myself as an apology to the world if I were you.” Thuram scoffed after Xia Fei was done explaining.
Raksha was familiar with Thuram’s hot temper, so he was not too fussy about it. He asked, “Xia Fei, are you telling the truth?”
Xia Fei nodded. “Every single word.”
“Do you still remember those women’s appearance or any distinguishing features of their outfits?” Raksha asked.
Xia Fei was confused. Xiao Yu had been missing for more than two years, and he had not once heard the Adjudicator Union taking it seriously, but it seemed to him now that the department head of the classified investigations department was very concerned about it. It did not make any sense.
Thuram knew what Xia Fei was thinking and said, “The truth is, it’s not the first time a trial candidate got kidnapped. It’s happened a few times over the years, and the victims are all girls younger than sixteen with high-level abilities. There’s been no exception.”
“The Adjudicator Union never found any useful information after years of investigation. They have no idea who’s behind it, so the things you know might be very helpful to the Union.”
Xia Fei was shocked. It turned out that Xiao Yu’s disappearance was not just an isolated case. Many other young girls got kidnapped during the trial, too. Could they be those women in black robes whom he had seen with Xiao Yu a few days ago?
Raksha looked at Thuram doubtfully as if he was wondering about the appropriateness of telling Xia Fei such confidential information. Raksha was very concerned about everything a person said, perhaps because of the nature of his job.
Thuram nodded at Raksha, indicating that Xia Fei was one of them. There was no need to hold back any information.
Raksha said, “Xia Fei, everything we discuss in this room is confidential information. I hope that you won’t mention it to anyone after leaving this building.”
Xia Fei said, “I understand.”
“Very well. Tell me every detail you know. I will ask the best painter to draw their portraits. The Union will send out warrants for them,” Raksha said.
…
Xia Fei did not dare to be negligent since it might help find Xiao Yu. He gave the classified investigations department his full cooperation and described the appearance and outfit of the women he saw.
It was almost dawn when they left. Thuram patted Xia Fei on the shoulder and asked, “Are you going back to the Golden Finger Cup today?”
Xia Fei replied, “That’s right. I’m relying on it to promote my company’s products.”
Thuram laughed. “The energy-shield booster is pretty good. Many people are demanding it from me. Unfortunately, your company’s production rate is too low to support all the demands. You should stop promoting it. I’ll take every piece you have.”
Xia Fei smiled. “Mr. Thuram, the market is huge. I can’t just keep munching a single bone, can I?”
Thuram did not say anything. He knew that Quantum Holdings was doing everything it could to increase production. Once all the factories were set up, the Adjudicator Union would be unable to take in all the supplies.
“Come, breakfast is on me. The Wangs’ around the corner have some nice beancurd,” Thuram said.
Xia Fei shook his head and looked at the gray sky. “Maybe next time; I’m already worn out. I still have to deliver a huge gift to a mister.”