Chapter 98 - 97 The Secret of the Research Lab (Part 1)

Words : 1286 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

Chapter 98: Chapter 97 The Secret of the Research Lab (Part 1) On the road, halfway through the journey, Ling Chen suddenly reduced the speed of the car, cruising slowly along the roadside. "What’s the matter?" "Someone’s following us," Ling Chen said. Since leaving the company, he had been keeping an eye on the vehicles behind him. As expected, there indeed was someone secretly following them. The followers were extremely cautious, continuously switching between several vehicles to tail them, but such tricks were not enough to elude Ling Chen’s watchful eyes. Nanrong Wanqing glanced at the rear of the car. With the traffic too heavy, she couldn’t tell which vehicle Ling Chen was referring to. "Is it that assassin?" "No, those people are probably after me." Nobody knew that Nanrong Wanqing was in his car, so it was impossible for the opposition to be targeting her. It was very likely that the mysterious organization was preparing to retaliate against him. "Can we shake them off?" A slight smirk appeared on Ling Chen’s mouth, "Piece of cake. Hold tight to the handrail; I want to speed up." As he finished speaking, his foot gently pressed on the gas pedal, and the muscle car immediately shot forward. Approaching the intersection ahead, Ling Chen, who was originally driving straight, suddenly turned the steering wheel sharply. Coordinating the use of the gas pedal and the brake, the rear tires of the car instantly emitted clouds of white smoke. Screech! Accompanied by a piercing sound, the muscle car’s body suddenly swerved, cutting through the gap between two vehicles next to it and turning into the left side of the road. After driving about two kilometers, Ling Chen glanced at the rearview mirror, his face brimming with a smile. Still want to tail me? Go back and practice a few more years. Two hours later, Ling Chen and Nanrong Wanqing finally arrived at a factory in the suburbs. Normally, the journey wouldn’t take that much time, but to avoid being detected, Ling Chen took a detour from the main road and hurried to their destination via side roads. The factory in front of them occupied several thousand square meters, consisting of a main building, two workshops, and three warehouses. The name ’Mingzheng Technology Co., Ltd.’ hung prominently on the factory. Several container trucks were driving out one after another. "Let’s go through the back door." Hearing Nanrong Wanqing’s cue, Ling Chen turned the car toward the rear of the factory. By this time, the back iron gate was already open, and a woman wearing glasses and white professional attire was standing at the gate, seemingly waiting for their arrival. After parking the car, Ling Chen got out and then carried Nanrong Wanqing down, placing her gently onto the wheelchair. "Chairman." Looking at the approaching lady with glasses, Nanrong Wanqing nodded and introduced, "Ling Chen, this is Qin Lan, the head of the research department." "Mr. Ling, hello." "Hello." Ling Chen extended his hand and shook hands, taking the opportunity to scrutinize Qin Lan. In her early thirties, with neck-length short hair, delicate features, and almost 1.7 meters tall. Paired with a pair of silver-rimmed glasses, she had a serious and no-nonsense demeanor, giving off the impression of being stern, smart, and competent. "Please follow me." Qin Lan led the way, with Ling Chen pushing the wheelchair close behind, his eyes occasionally darting around, observing the surroundings. "Chairman, is this factory also a property of Hongyu Group?" "Officially, it’s invested by a foreign company, but in reality, it’s secretly controlled by Hongyu Group. The main business of this factory is processing chips for mobile phones and computers, serving as a cover for the existence of the research department," Nanrong Wanqing said, as the trio arrived at the main building of the factory. However, Qin Lan did not enter through the main entrance but rather a side door. Along the spacious and well-lit corridor, after walking more than ten meters, a thick iron door appeared in front of them. Qin Lan took out an identification card and swiped it on the device. With a ’beep’, the iron door slowly opened to both sides. Ling Chen only then realized that the iron door was an entrance to an elevator. Upon entering the elevator, he looked around. There were no buttons to be seen in the elevator, resembling a sturdy iron cage. However, he noticed that four surveillance cameras were installed at the top of the elevator, capable of monitoring the situation inside from all angles. "The elevator can only be controlled unilaterally from the security room. Unless the identity is verified, the elevator will not activate," Qin Lan explained. After hearing Qin Lan’s explanation, Ling Chen nodded inwardly. The security measures here were very thorough, which showed how much Nanrong Wanqing valued this research department. The elevator descended slowly for about ten seconds, and Ling Chen felt a jolt as the iron doors in front of him opened again. Suddenly, a transparent glass panel appeared in his view. Outside the elevator exit was a room constructed of transparent glass. Without testing, Ling Chen knew that it was all made of bulletproof glass. Outside the glass room, there were a total of ten uniformed security personnel equipped with tasers and batons, each wearing a wireless earpiece, fully geared. Coming out of the glass room, there was another door ahead. Not only did it require an identification card, but it also needed fingerprint and voice checks. Only after passing all three would the door open. After entering the door, Ling Chen finally saw the research department that was under strict protection. Following Qin Lan’s brief introduction earlier, Ling Chen had already gained a preliminary understanding of this research department. This research department was located twenty meters underground, with a total area of over 4,000 square meters, divided into five sections. There were as many as fifty staff members working here, all living and dining underground. Inside the research department, transparent glass panels separated the laboratories. Ling Chen took a brief look and counted roughly seven or eight labs, each fully equipped, with one or two research personnel working in each lab. Before coming here, Ling Chen had made many speculations. He thought that Nanrong Wanqing’s laboratory was likely focused on biological research, as such research would be the most valuable and likely to attract others’ prying eyes. But upon arriving, he discovered that he was quite mistaken; this research department had nothing to do with biological research at all. Stopping in front of one of the laboratory’s glass panels, he saw several high-precision machines inside, with robotic arms continuously rotating and sparks flying, seemingly producing something. Next to it, a research staff member held a tablet, both recording the data and improving the manufacturing process. After watching for a while, Ling Chen still couldn’t figure out what they were doing. "Chairman, what exactly is being researched here?" Nanrong Wanqing did not speak, but she gave Qin Lan a slight nod. Understanding the cue, Qin Lan spoke, "Mr. Ling, please follow me; I’ll take you to see the finished product." Leaving the laboratory, Qin Lan led Ling Chen to the outside of an entirely enclosed room. There were two security guards on duty at the entrance, but the keen-eyed Ling Chen noticed that they weren’t equipped with tasers, but rather, Chinese-made 54-style pistols. These guns were common in the black market and could be purchased with some connections. Nanrong Wanqing actually arranged for two armed guards to secure this place, indicating that the items inside were extremely important. With this thought, he was even more eager to see the research achievements behind the door.

Chapter 98 - 97 The Secret of the Research Lab (Part 1)

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