Chapter 21: Zhu Yiqiao: “You’re an Alpha, Aren’t You?” p1
Since its establishment, Q University had consistently topped the university rankings in the Independent State of Yi Meng. And throughout the long century, it had kept pace with the best Ivy League schools in Taiya and the top M University in Silla.
In recent years, Q University had even shown a subtle trend of surpassing them.
Ming Fei loved her alma mater. In her opinion, the excellence of her alma mater was undeniable. Both the scholarly atmosphere and the abundant resources were important reasons for her decision to stay at the university.
The centennial celebration brought a lively atmosphere to the usually quiet and peaceful campus.
Ming Fei entered through the south gate with Ming Zaozao, softly introducing each building and scenic spot they passed. They also took photos at Baihua Bridge, Yulan Lake, and the famous Minsheng Auditorium.
Passing by the School of Mathematics and Physics, Ming Fei encountered two students who had attended her classes before.
The students were initially surprised to see her with a child, but after learning that it was her daughter, they smiled and gave Ming Zaozao a festive headband and a handmade yarn doll, also a gift from the event.
Ming Zaozao politely said, “Thank you, Jiejie. Baby likes it very much.”
She was truly adorable, with a round head, round eyes like black pearls, rosy white skin, and a smile like a New Year painting doll. Before leaving, the students she called “Jiejie” gave her another fruit lollipop shaped like the number 8.
Walking to a lush and leafy Xianxiang tree, Ming Zaozao’s eyes lit up and she looked up to Ming Fei.
“Mommy, it’s Auntie Xing!”
Ming Fei, who had just finished a phone call with Director Qin of the academy, turned around and saw her friend, dressed in a white lab coat, walking towards them with a bright smile.
The distance of a few meters quickly closed.
“Eh? Why aren’t you wearing your academy’s uniform?” Li Xing asked.
Ming Fei put her phone back into her coat pocket and explained, “I was too busy working overtime last night and forgot to bring it back. I’ll change into it when I get to the academy.”
Li Xing picked up Ming Zaozao: “By the way, you know Chief Judge Zhu is coming today, right?”
“Mm.”
“The students in our academy are so excited.” Li Xing smiled. “Speaking of which, this is the second time I’ve seen Chief Judge Zhu in person outside of the public screen.”
“Mm.”
Li Xing pinched Ming Zaozao’s cheek, walking towards the Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Academy while chatting with her friend about the high-ranking Chief Judge’s attendance at the celebration.
Ming Zaozao was happily eating her candy, not paying attention to what the adults were saying. And before coming to school, Ming Fei had told her to keep Zhu Yiqiao’s matters a secret.
Her friend’s reaction was a bit strange, so Li Xing changed the subject and asked, “What’s wrong? Why don’t you have any reaction?”
Ming Fei paused, then resumed walking as usual.
She really didn’t know how to react. After all, this Chief Judge Zhu, who was praised by everyone in the Independent State of Yi Meng, had just… licked and bitten her gland last night. And the conversation in the hovercar a while ago really made her feel a little… strange.
“—How do you coax an angry rabbit?”
“—Bunny is cute, not angry!”
“—Is that so?”
“—Mm-hmm! If the bunny is really angry, you pet it, hug it, and coax it.”
“—Mm.”
Although it sounded like a normal conversation, Zhu Yiqiao had been staring at her intently at the time, as if… asking her if that kind of coaxing would work.
So, when they finally got out of the car, after much deliberation, she decided to tell Chief Judge Zhu, who might not really know about these things.
“Chief Judge Zhu, that’s all from Zaozao’s cartoons, please don’t take it seriously.”
“If the rabbit you’re keeping is angry, please feed it snacks first, and after observing it, then proceed with further comforting.*”
Trial Court, southern suburb.
After the three-hour work meeting, Secretary-General Wei Lingyu uploaded the latest inspection results to the intranet. A new round of inspection and rectification work began, and each department performed its duties, busy until the designated off-work hours, when the lights in the entire building finally dimmed.
A silver hovercar drove out of the Trial Court’s outer garage, like a drawn sword, quickly entering the hovercar track and leaving the inner suburbs half a minute later.
Some of the hovercars currently on the market used automatic driving systems, while others offered multi-functional options.
Inside the silver hovercar, Lan Lubai, who was in the driver’s seat, lightly touched the upper right corner of the control screen, resetting the destination before turning to look at her two friends in the back seat.
“Why am I driving? I’m not convinced.”
A smile flickered in Min Man’s amber eyes: “I remember before we joined the Ares Elite Squad, you said you admired us completely.”
“And, this is your car. Do you want us to be your drivers?”
Lan Lubai raised her hands: “Alright, alright, I’m convinced, let the capable ones do more. Who made me the only one among the three of us with a level ten kindergarten teacher certificate, a level ten tea art certificate… a level ten gem identification certificate?”
“Right. That’s why you set a new record for the lowest score in cultural studies in the annual military academy tests, year after year.”
Lan Lubai and Min Man, who were bickering, had been rivals since childhood, but after entering the military academy, Lan Lubai was completely subdued by Min Man. Later, they went through life-and-death situations together in the war, and now they were close friends who could trust each other with their lives, although they still bickered occasionally.
But now, in most cases, Min Man would yield to Lan Lubai, who was one year younger than her.
The two in the front seat were still arguing back and forth, while Zhu Yiqiao in the back seat remained silent, her eyes closed as if resting, the coldness around her slightly diminished.
The hovercar turned onto Qishen Avenue. Lan Lubai, victorious once again, had a triumphant glint in her emerald eyes. She was like a spirited large feline, ready to attack her next opponent.
“Yiqiao, did you go back to the villa last night?”
Zhu Yiqiao ignored her.
“Newly married, yet Chief Judge Zhu hasn’t even had a honeymoon, leaving home for more than half a month without returning on the day of registration.”
In private, Lan Lubai was the most lively of the three. Of course, Lan Lubai, who de-stressed by watching cartoons, was also the most dramatic of the three.
She continued to tease, “If I were Teacher Xiao Fei, I would severely criticize my partner. Really—”
“—She is not you.”
Zhu Yiqiao opened her eyes: “And, we are only in a contractual cooperative relationship.”
Lan Lubai laughed, revealing her small canine teeth: “Whose contractual marriage involves preparing everything so thoughtfully for the other party? Min Man, you didn’t see the newly decorated second floor of her villa. The treatment is vastly different from when I went to stay last time.”
“A study, a craft room, a dressing room, and that new fish pond in the backyard. Is this really just the treatment for cohabiting with a contractual partner?”
“Admit it,” Lan Lubai asserted, “You have ulterior motives!”
“—It’s just compensation.”
Zhu Yiqiao was long used to her friend’s antics and didn’t mind her speculations or teasing.
Unlike usual, although she was wearing the Trial Court uniform today, she wasn’t wearing her medal or cap. Her long hair, usually tied up, hung down to her waist, and her usual pistol had been removed.
She said impassively, “The newly decorated villa is an apology for pointing a gun at her the first time I went to Hui Fu Garden. It has nothing to do with what you’re thinking.”
“The sample database of the government’s cultivation center contains almost 80% of the citizens’ genetic samples, but only she was a match for mine. Such a case would definitely attract the attention of the research institute.”
“Staying by my side is the best way to ensure her and Ming Yi’s safety.”
Hearing this, both Lan Lubai and Min Man fell silent.
Although the gene theft case had been concluded, the real mastermind behind the scenes—the research institute—was still unknown. This mysterious research institute obtained designated genetic samples through gene trafficking groups, the SE Group, and the arrested wealthy businessmen and powerful figures, attempting to use human experimentation to eliminate genetic rejection after the virus history and create what they considered to be new, evolved, perfect humans.
Currently, the research institute’s whereabouts were unknown, like mayflies that lived for only a day, making it impossible for any forces to find any useful clues.
After a moment of silence, Lan Lubai asked, “Yiqiao, when did you decide to get married?”
It wasn’t until they reached their destination that Zhu Yiqiao gave an unrelated answer.
“Within a year, I will eradicate the research institute.”
The celebratory evening of Q University’s centennial celebration officially began at 6:30 pm.
Thirty minutes before the gala, Ming Fei, who had been busy all day, said goodbye to Li Xing, who was heading to the Philosophy Department, after Ming Zaozao finished dinner. She unlocked a small campus electric car, put Ming Zaozao in her lap, and prepared to take her on a tour of the school’s night view.
“Wow~”
Ming Zaozao looked out the window: “Mommy, it’s a swan!”
“Mm.” Ming Fei said gently, “That’s a bionic robot swan, and the little birds next to it are also bionic robots. They are all experimental models, so they only serve as scenery on campus.”
“Did Mommy make them?”
“I made the swan, and another colleague made the birds.”
Ming Zaozao giggled: “They’re all so amazing! When Baby grows up, Baby wants to be as amazing as Mommy!”
The mother and daughter chatted and muttered all the way. After touring the entire campus along the road, the small electric car stopped next to the auditorium where the celebratory gala was being held. Ming Fei picked up her daughter and found the designated seats for their academy in the crowd.
The decoration of the auditorium was very retro. A blue bionic whale floated at the top, swimming dreamily with the regulated artificial current.
—This was also Ming Fei’s design.
Ming Zaozao looked up for a while before lowering her head to talk to her mother.
During the day at school, Ming Zaozao’s social skills had once again improved by leaps and bounds. It only took her half a day to become familiar with the teachers in Ming Fei’s academy, and now she had become everyone’s favorite, her pockets and bag filled with snacks.
Professor Zhou on the right said, “Xiao Fei, we’ll help you look after Zaozao while you’re on stage performing.”
Before Ming Fei could nod, Associate Professor Wen on the left added, “Yes, don’t worry, we’ll take good care of her.”
Ming Zaozao’s eyes crinkled with a smile: “Mommy is going to perform, Baby will take pictures of Mommy!”
After saying that, Ming Zaozao took out her apple-green camera from her strawberry backpack and hung it around her neck, her expression as serious as a professional photographer. She still remembered what her mother had said to her on her last birthday. After receiving this small camera as a gift, all the photos and videos she took were of her mother.
Ming Fei’s heart warmed: “Okay.”
Associate Professor Wen was about to say something when the students on the left suddenly exclaimed, instantly attracting everyone’s attention. Then, the exclamations grew louder and louder, turning into applause and cheers, even drowning out the loud broadcast.
Ming Fei looked up and saw several figures appearing at the main entrance, with Zhu Yiqiao, whom she had just said goodbye to this morning, standing in the center.
Her heart skipped a beat. Ming Fei looked away and down at Ming Zaozao in her arms.
Ming Zaozao was fiddling with her little camera, her attention not captured by Zhu Yiqiao. Ming Fei helped her adjust it. After sitting up straight and listening to the school leaders’ opening speeches, Zhu Yiqiao, who was sitting in the first row of the audience, went up to the stage.
As soon as she stepped onto the stage, the crowd erupted again, bursting into applause and cheers, several times louder than during the school leaders’ speeches.
Ming Fei looked away, trying to block out Zhu Yiqiao’s voice. She took out her phone, attempting to review the key points of her upcoming performance in this lively atmosphere.
But once Zhu Yiqiao appeared, everything around her seemed to become related to Zhu Yiqiao.
The department’s group chat messages, the live broadcast posts on the campus forum, and even the evening reports of major entertainment media all kept repeating Zhu Yiqiao’s name.
[Chief Judge Zhu! It’s really Chief Judge Zhu herself.]
[After the school celebration, I’ll have no regrets in this life.]
[Help! Chief Judge Zhu is so beautiful, I want to watch the live broadcast of her military exercises again!]
[+1 +1, wuwuwu Chief Judge Zhu! I also saw Executive Lan and Executive Min! The former Victory Column is all here!!!]
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