NOVEL NEXT Chapter 349
Chapter 1 – Debut
“Modern science is nothing but a castle poorly stacked with wooden blocks by a child.”
Chairman Laihan calmly continued, as if observing the increasingly stiff expressions of his dining partners.
“On the surface, it looks magnificent and grand! However, upon closer inspection, you’ll find essential parts missing, leaving many gaps.”
The luxury restaurant on the 15th floor of the Crystal Spire Building was filled with the sounds of elegant dining and soft music.
As elegant airships passed gracefully outside the window, the shimmering waves of Ether left by the anti-gravity engines danced like the aurora.
“Oh, really…?”
Laihan watched, amused, as his words struck the dull mind of his companion like a hammer smashing a walnut.
‘Fool.’
It was evident that she didn’t understand a single word he was saying. Of course, this was all part of Laihan’s intent.
For the past 40 minutes, he had tolerated the futile chatter of the woman in front of him, which she had so painstakingly crafted for their conversation.
‘They introduced us at a social gathering out of curiosity, but who would have thought I’d step on such a ticking time bomb?’
The actress rambled on about who appeared in what film, the opening of a modern art gallery, and society events, her artificially beautiful crystal-like eyes sparkling.
Behind that vanity-laden gaze, the chairman could easily see her snobbish pretense and interest.
Above all, her artificially perfected appearance from the Laplacian beauty clinic. While commoners might overlook it, the eye of an inventor wouldn’t let such a thing slip by.
Each element was a lump of horror.
Thus, he intentionally brought up topics that such empty-headed women would hate.
This way, there would be no next meeting. Hopefully, she’d just drift away.
‘Even as experimental material, she’s a waste. In a lab, she’d be turned into protein solution…’
Suddenly, an unexpected figure flashed through Laihan’s mind.
‘Instead, it would be much more beneficial to have lunch with that Bernike woman…’
She was an unpleasant woman that churned his stomach. Just thinking about her made his teeth grind. Yet, objectively speaking, he had to admit her sharp intelligence and natural beauty.
‘It would be better to be butchered by that witch than waste valuable time on such a shallow crowd.’
Compared to the fool before him, conversing with Bernike sparked not only murderous impulses but also healthy intellectual inspiration.
“As you know, since the Great War, humanity’s foundational sciences have been haphazardly piled up in a rush. We created everything with Ether and relics we don’t even understand. Dr. Balens, the first Secretary-General of the Foundation, lamented about this very fact. Oh, this produces electricity? Great. It’s a battery! Oh, we can convert mass into energy? Let’s use it for an atomic bomb! Just like that.”
Laihan leaned slightly forward, savoring the woman’s discomfort as if it were a gourmet delicacy.
“Think of the primitive man discovering fire. He didn’t need to understand the combustion principles to roast meat, right? We’re the same. We see only the rough effects without truly understanding the fundamental principles, fitting what we learn into necessary places. With the objects lying around in dungeons, it’s surprisingly easy to piece them together. Because of that—”
“Ah… really… fascinating.”
The woman barely managed to continue speaking, desperately glancing towards the exit like a deer looking for escape, clutching her wine glass as if it were a shield.
It seemed the gorgeous act had come to an end.
Seeing the woman searching for a way to steer the conversation in a more productive direction, Laihan wore a victorious smirk.
‘Good, you must be eager to leave soon? There will be no next meeting. Farewell.’
Confident of his victory, he crossed his arms and leaned back.
Interestingly enough, Laihan’s thoughts were correct.
There would be no next meeting.
– Thump!
A high-caliber bullet flew through the reinforced glass of the luxury restaurant like it was paper.
With the collective intellect’s assistance, the bullet fired by Clone 6623 traveled in a perfect trajectory like a fateful arrow.
The outcome was clear; what had been over Laihan’s neck evaporated moments after the shot.
“…?”
The bustling restaurant fell silent as if time had stopped. The actress, covered in the contents from right before her, froze like a crimson-painted statue.
The exquisitely chosen sponsored dress to entice the handsome CEO had long been stained with blood.
But the truly shocking sight was just beginning.
The form that had been Laihan writhed like a melting candle before collapsing into a pool on the floor.
The woman’s mind ceased completely before this surreal phenomenon. What in the world was happening?
“Ahhhh!”
She chose to scream. The tragic heroine facing disaster was the role she was most confident in.
And thus, the silence was broken.
It was the moment when the wicked Ariel Group disrupted the peaceful operations of the restaurant that day.