After the shower and a change of clothes, Hu Lei felt much better. Shortly afterwards, she heard a knock on the door. She felt her heart beat in antic.i.p.ation at the thought of seeing her father. She had literary been around the world in search of him, so she was understandably excited. She hoped that the lab had not treated him poorly.Outside her door was one of the private military men. He looked ordinary without a distinguishing feature. He was medium height, average-bodied and his face would disappear in a crowd. He nodded at Hu Lei without hostility or friendliness.
Hu Lei did not mind. She knew that these people would not be nice or mean. From Helen Brown"s att.i.tude, it was clear that she kept them on a tight leash. Knowing her circ.u.mstances, she also did not try to ingratiate herself. Her only focus needed to be her father.
She followed the average Joe along the corridors in silence. A few corridors later, a dining s.p.a.ce was revealed. There were about fifteen military men eating in one area. In another area, there was a different group of people, who had to be the people working in the lab. Before she could look for her father, he rose from that corner in excitement and walked to her.
"Ah-Lei, I am so glad that you are alright." Hu Ming spoke with a bright smile.
Hu Lei looked at her father up and down and found that he was in perfect condition. In fact, he seemed to be glowing with excitement. She felt relieved in her heart. At least, he was alright. She smiled slightly at him as the average Joe left.
"Come and sit with me." Hu Ming did not take her to the place he had been sitting. Instead, he led her to an empty table in the dining hall.
Hu Lei sat down and remained silent for a while, contemplating their predicament. Now that she had found him, it was time to think about an exit strategy. It would be difficult for them to escape this place, but she did not feel that she should give up. As long as she was on earth, she would find her way back.
"How are you doing, Dad?" She finally asked.
"I am well," Hu Ming answered with the same glow in his eyes. "This place is great, and I can see a possibility of pushing the limits of genetics beyond of what I thought was possible."
Hu Lei frowned at her father. She knew this fanatical side. He always became like this when he found something interesting.
"How did you end up here? What happened?" She was anxious to get at the bottom of the matter.
"Oh, it is nothing big. It is just like I told you. When I was researching in a certain lab in Amazon, I found a device which could change the future of splicing, but I thought it was not in the best state. I tinkered a little and left the lab with it. Who knew the owners would miss it? They captured me in Argentina, and I a.s.sumed they wanted to get their product back. But after a long talk, they told me about an opportunity for using the best resources in genetic study and here I am." Hu Ming finished his story with a smile.
Hu Lei looked emotionlessly at her father as a certain cold fact sank into her mind. She had heard everything that Hu Ming had said and everything had clicked into place. The thing that always caused her to be confused and suspicious about this mission was finally clear. She felt everything within her become like ice.
"Didn"t you say that you left the device in a motel for the owners to find?" She asked.
"Yes… yes, that is what I meant." Her father answered nervously.
"But if you thought they captured you so that you could return the device, it meant that it was still in your hands when you first met them." She spoke coldly.
Hu Ming fidgeted slightly, but the movement did not escape Hu Lei"s eyes. He had never been a good liar. His tells were always too obvious, and he always got nervous when he told an untruth. She felt herself become colder.
"Did you lead me to Argentina so that I could be taken away? Was everything an elaborate charade so that I could come running without suspicion that you were not in danger?" She asked when he did not speak words to defend himself.
"It is for your own protection, Ah-Lei. If people knew about what I was working on, they would kidnap you in an attempt to force the information from me or the company in charge of the lab. Obviously, the company would choose their research over you. At least, if you were with me, I could have a piece of mind, and you will be safe." He spoke earnestly.
Hu Lei knew her father was not capable of thinking about these types of elaborate theories on human psyche and corporate espionage.
"Is that what they told you?" She asked with some contempt.
She was not looking for an excuse for him. Even if the thoughts had been put in his mind, he should have been able to see the reasoning on the contrary. He was a smart man, even though he did not have a strong understanding of people. He should know that she was fully capable of protecting herself, and it was better than being in this inescapable prison.
"I also wanted you not to be all alone out there. I know your mother has her new family and would not be willing to reconcile. I know you don"t like people, but being all alone can be bad for you. Do you remember when you were rescued from that place when you were nine? You seemed to have lost touch with your human side. Being alone can do that to you." Hu Ming reached his hands across the table but Hu Lei moved hers.
Her aversion to touch was nothing new to Hu Ming, but he felt disgruntled by her avoidance.
Hu Lei did not pay attention to his dissatisfaction. Her mind drifted back to that childhood incident. Since that time she had been held captive for a year, she had never been the same. Perhaps, it was like Hu Ming said. She had lost her human side then.
However, she had never been anything but filial to her father. Even when she had been completely numb in her heart, feeling nothing, she had always been a dedicated to him. She had not hesitated to make enemies, kill, steal and give up her own life to help him pursue his pa.s.sions.
His self-righteous betrayal felt like… nothing. She could not feel anything even as she looked at him still speaking and explaining his actions. It was as if her heart had become a giant block of ice, and her mind had become completely silent, free of worry, care and thoughts.
Still, even without emotional ripples in her heart, she had something to say.
"If you had told me the truth, I would have still come. If you had told me that you wanted to study in Antarctica, I would not have spared any efforts in supporting you. I have never failed you, and I always put you first even when you got me into trouble." She paused.
"But I cannot forgive your manipulation. This is the one thing I can never overlook. You made a fool of me by taking advantage of my trust and care. I shall remain a hostage in this h.e.l.lhole, and you can continue with your research. In the unlikely case that I am able to leave this place, I will live my life free of you. From now on, I will consider my filial duty fulfilled to my death."
With that, she stood up. Hu Ming did not stop her. He felt that once she calmed down, she would realise that she did not mean any of it. Life in Supreme City was too dull for someone like her. She needed to be in the real world, solving the mysteries of life with him.