Chapter 39: The Research Data Secured Smoothly
"Attention, the two ahead are Richard Parker and Mary Parker in disguise."
After Jean expanded her telepathy, she began scanning the entire airport boarding area. Luckily, the airport wasn't crowded, so she quickly located the disguised Richard and Mary Parker.
"Ming, we've retrieved the data as planned, but what about the couple… how do we deal with them?" In truth, Izumi was still a rather inexperienced kunoichi. If the order was to kill, she wouldn't oppose it—such methods were commonplace for shinobi.
But after reviewing their background, Izumi knew they had a poor child back home. Compassion stirred within her. Back then, when the Uchiha were oppressed by Konoha, Ming had appeared like a god descending from the heavens, rescuing the clan. Now, he was leading them to prosperity.
If not for Konoha's persecution, someone with Izumi's gentle temperament would very likely have become a full-time housewife in the future, raising two well-behaved children.
That faint kindness within her heart made Uchiha Izumi hesitate.
On one hand, she didn't want her compassion to interfere with Ming's plans. On the other, she knew she was a shinobi, and shinobi must have resolve.
Perhaps sensing her struggle, Uchiha Ming—who had never actually intended to harm the couple—spoke up:
"We only need to bring back the data. Osborn never gave explicit orders to clean them up. I won't lower myself to kill ordinary people like Richard and Mary Parker. Just two insignificant figures—let them go."
"Izumi, when you're unsure how to decide, trust my judgment. At the very least, I won't make things difficult for you." Ming gently ruffled the kind girl's hair.
"Follow my lead. Block their path when I move…"
"Hello, you two. You dropped your passports," Ming said as he suddenly grabbed Richard Parker's shoulder.
"Our passports are in our bag, not lost. You must be mistaken. We need to catch our flight," Richard replied quickly, clearly on edge.
Feeling the strength pressing on his shoulder, Richard wondered if Osborn's men had discovered them. This young man blocking their way weighed heavily on his mind.
The couple was just about to cry out for help when they raised their heads—only to be met with a pair of crimson Sharingan. Their urge to escape dissolved, and they obediently followed Ming into a secluded corner of the airport—a blind spot for surveillance cameras.
"Hand over the data, forget everything, and disappear for a few years in some far-off place before returning to your child," Ming commanded, his Sharingan weaving hypnosis over them.
"Yes…" Richard and Mary numbly pulled documents from their luggage, one after another. Finally, Mary even produced a USB drive from her chest. Ming froze for a moment, awkwardly unsure whether he should take it.
Thankfully, Izumi quickly stepped in and accepted the still-warm USB, easing the situation.
"Go, far away. I suggest Xia Nation—Osborn's reach won't extend there. Wait a few years until things cool down, then return to see your child."
With that, Ming implanted the suggestion firmly into their minds.
He didn't sympathize with the Parkers, he simply judged that their crimes weren't worthy of death. Strictly speaking, they had broken their contract with Oscorp, and their actions were illegal. If his own subordinates had acted this way, Ming would have rewarded them with a Great Fireball for their trouble.
By the time the couple awoke from hypnosis, the Uchiha were long gone. Looking toward the boarding gate, Richard suddenly changed his mind.
"Mary, why don't we travel to Xia? I heard the scenery there is beautiful, and it's very safe."
Mary agreed with a smile. "Sure, we've been exhausted for so long. It's time we relaxed."
They had completely forgotten their original purpose—research data and fleeing no longer concerned them.
"All right, let's go."
"We'll keep a copy of the data. The core information shouldn't be handed to Oscorp in full. It may come in handy for us later." Ming's suggestion made Izumi nod in agreement. Glancing at Jean, he noticed she had no objections, just stared at him blankly.
Ming shook his head—this girl was hopeless. Who knew why she was smiling like a fool?
What he didn't realize was that his body faintly carried the aura of the Phoenix Force—gentle and subdued—forming a stark contrast to the violent Phoenix aura within Jean.
One was like still, bottomless water. The other, a blazing inferno. Jean found herself increasingly drawn to Ming's presence, whether as a woman or through the Phoenix's resonance.
But Ming was unaware of it. Within him, the Phoenix Force remained only a dormant seed, undetectable even to himself.
On their way back, Izumi quickly noticed someone tailing them.
"Lord Ming, we're being followed."
"Izumi, deal with it. Just hypnotize them and erase their memory."
"Yes, Lord Ming."
"Do all of you have those strange eyes? The ones with tadpole-shaped patterns…" Jean finally spoke, curiosity in her voice.
This was only the second time she'd spoken up since joining them—the first being her greeting at the manor.
"Yes. These aren't strange eyes—they're called Sharingan. It's the symbol of our Uchiha clan. A hereditary bloodline trait, like your mutants, except ours is stable."
"So your descendants can inherit this ability too? Amazing! Unlike us mutants, where there's no guarantee our children will even have powers."
"Charles should have explained this to you. Mutants possess the X-gene, which is genetically unstable. Even ordinary humans may awaken as mutants if they carry the latent gene."
"Mm. I've studied Darwin's theory of evolution and Professor Charles' related works. Of course, the professor rarely publishes them. He worries his views might cause panic in the U.S. government. But I'm confident in my grasp of fundamental biology."
Ming gave Jean a rare look of respect—perhaps she wasn't the airheaded girl he thought she was.
Then again, he admitted she wasn't exactly well-endowed either.
"Well then, this commission is wrapped up smoothly. Give me an account number, I'll send the payment later."
"I don't recall it right now… how about we just add each other's contact instead?" Jean, clearly prepared, handed him her phone. After exchanging contacts, she sighed in relief.
"We can use Viber to stay in touch."
"Viber? Some kind of instant messenger?" Ming was unfamiliar—his past life revolved around WeChat, QQ, even Alipay chat.
"Yes, Viber. As long as you have a number, you can chat instantly, video call, no registration required. Very convenient." Jean carefully explained how it worked before reluctantly saying goodbye.
"Lord Ming, I think this woman—Jean—has ulterior motives toward you. I suggest you delete her contact." Izumi finally broke her silence.
"Don't worry, Izumi. I prefer gentle girls." Ming smiled, patting her head affectionately. With the height difference, it was easy to deliver the gesture.
"Mm…" Izumi lowered her head, cheeks flushed, and murmured softly in reply.