Hearing Ruan Mei's invitation, Sylvia suddenly realized something.
In the original timeline, Ruan Mei had handled all of this behind Herta's back. Because her creations had escaped, she'd sent the Trailblazer to clean up the mess.
But now, the secret was out. The experiment was still ongoing, and no accidents had happened yet. Ruan Mei could simply walk down there herself with no issue.
Was there really a need to drag Sylvia along just to ensure they had enough muscle? Sylvia found it hard to believe that a world-class biologist like Ruan Mei didn't have her own means of self-defense.
Still, Sylvia agreed. Mostly out of curiosity. After all, who could resist finding out just how soft those "cat-cakes" actually were?
Plus, she wanted to see exactly how much power an Emanator of Propagation—cultivated by Ruan Mei herself—actually possessed.
Setting down her small plate, Sylvia followed Ruan Mei as she swiped into the elevator. They descended deep into the restricted zones of the Space Station.
Once they reached the silent, isolated decks, Ruan Mei spoke up.
"Actually... there were a few conditions I left out of my guarantee to Herta."
As they walked through the dim, hushed corridors, Ruan Mei's silhouette seemed draped in shadow, making it impossible for Sylvia to read her expression.
"What conditions?"
Instead of answering directly, Ruan Mei continued in a detached, pensive tone.
"I once attempted to nurture geniuses artificially. I tried to start with Erudition, the path I'm most familiar with. Unfortunately, while the results were sentient and possessed some... interesting traits, they didn't align with my ultimate goal. That experiment was a failure."
She spoke with such airy indifference, ruthlessly consigning those little creatures to the category of "failed products"—even though she knew full well how much those tiny things yearned for and clung to their creator.
"I spent a long time contemplating the essence of life. Regardless of form, what is its simplest, most core nature?"
Tap—tap—
The crisp click of her heels against the floor rang out in a steady, rhythmic cadence. Ruan Mei's voice drifted through the air—gentle, yet underscored by a hidden, chilling apathy.
"When I couldn't find a way forward, I turned my gaze toward those existences. That is why I joined the Simulated Universe project."
"The Aeons?"
"Yes. But the Aeons are too distant for us. Thus, existences that are closer to the Aeons—yet still within reach—became the subjects of my current research."
Ruan Mei smiled, swiping her card to open the elevator to the lower levels.
"I sought to find an Emanator in its most primitive, purest state. The Swarm Disaster update was born from this pursuit. Through previous tests, I obtained the necessary data and attempted to cultivate exactly what I desired."
Stepping into the elevator, Ruan Mei suddenly turned around, flashing Sylvia a brilliant smile.
"I should thank you for yesterday's test. With the data from the Swarm King, I discovered several flaws I hadn't noticed before. Fortunately, the experiment is still in its early stages. Once corrected, I will be one step closer to success."
As Sylvia listened, her brow furrowed. "Wait a second... you mean you're going down there now to add more ingredients to that thing?"
"Precisely. And that is why I wanted you to accompany me."
After that long-winded setup, Ruan Mei finally circled back to the original point. But as Sylvia looked into Ruan Mei's beautiful eyes, she had a feeling she wasn't going to like the conclusion.
"I told Herta that its birth would, at most, destroy this single deck. Aside from the financial cost, there would be no further loss. However, there was one condition I didn't mention—"
Ruan Mei reached out, her thumb gently brushing the corner of Sylvia's mouth before lingering on her cheek.
"That condition is you, Sylvia. I need you to be my assistant."
"..."
Sylvia wondered why Ruan Mei was so confident in telling her the truth. Wasn't she afraid Sylvia would go straight to Herta and snitch?
No... with the experiment at this stage, Ruan Mei probably wouldn't care even if she had to bow her head to Herta, as long as she could keep pushing forward.
"You won't tell. I can see it in you. You have a deep-seated curiosity—you are just as fascinated by Emanators and Aeons as I am."
Ruan Mei spoke as if she knew Sylvia inside and out.
She withdrew her hand and smiled. "I promise this will not affect anyone else on the station, and I will give you any reward you desire. Does that sound fair?"
Sylvia had been ready to argue, but she couldn't help but arch an eyebrow at that. She pointedly looked Ruan Mei up and down.
"Is this how all Geniuses make promises? Throwing around words like 'any' so casually?"
"Why not? If your request were to interfere with the progress of the Simulated Universe, the other three Geniuses wouldn't allow it anyway."
Ruan Mei didn't care how grand the reward was. An impossible request was meaningless, and if it hindered the project, Herta would be the first to object.
To her, "anything" was a term for the clever—those who knew there were always unspoken boundaries.
Sylvia grinned. Ruan Mei was gorgeous, sure, but this personality was truly hard to love. Herta was arrogant, but she didn't pretend to be "nice" while viewing everyone else as disposable lab equipment.
"Then what if the reward I want is you?"
"Oh? And what would you have me do?"
"The most primitive, purest, and entirely non-technical exploration of life's propagation."
Sylvia didn't mince words. Ruan Mei, being a biologist, immediately understood exactly what she meant. Her reaction was exactly what Sylvia had predicted.
There was no flicker of emotion; she simply expressed a clinical confusion toward Sylvia's choice.
"If that is truly what you want, I can agree to it during my time away from research. I could even provide you with a body identical to mine to take with you. I simply find the exchange to be highly inefficient. It has... no value."
Figures.
Despite her appearance as a gentle, refined beauty, Ruan Mei had long ago discarded conventional morality.
To her, even if the price was herself—even if it was a "valueless" act of procreation—it didn't matter as long as it didn't interfere with her research.
She was even worried that Sylvia's request was too worthless to be a fair trade.
A truly terrifying woman.
Seeing Ruan Mei nod so easily, Sylvia lost all interest in the idea. For Sylvia, the fun lay in the reaction—whether it was submission, resistance, or stubborn defiance.
With Ruan Mei, it would be about as exciting as talking to a wall. Sylvia might as well just transform into Ruan Mei herself if she wanted that kind of thrill.
Sylvia shook her head with a laugh. "Just kidding. Sorry, I just haven't decided what I want yet."
"That's fine. You can tell me whenever you've made up your mind. Let's head to the lab first."
Ruan Mei gestured toward the elevator doors as they opened and stepped out first. At that moment, a notification for Ruan Mei's favorability popped up:
--+--
[Target: Ruan Mei]
[Favorability: 61 (Excellent Research Subject)]
[Relationship: Lab Assistant]
["Caught the eye of a mad scientist—and a biologist at that. I have to say, your courage is remarkable."]
["They say lust is a blade over the head, but you're sticking your neck into a meat grinder."]
["Should've just taken the reward. At least you'd get a taste first."]
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.