The Genius of Cloning in the Academy City

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At first, we didn’t fully grasp the implications of the Scholarship Officer’s enigmatic statement. If we pooled our collective intelligence to interpret it, it might turn out like this.

“Did the Chairman really die? Is this not the true Laihan? Or does that mean we must find and eliminate the real one?”

“Is it different from the Chairman’s death and the massive organization known as Laplacian? But the last time, the Scholarship Officer said we only needed to capture Laihan!”

Unfortunately, our Violets struggled to capture the subtle nuances of language. Language and math were our weak points.

A fierce debate ensued over the ambiguous statement. As the Violet marathon meeting showed signs of beginning, Seijis approached me calmly, finally breaking my daze.

“Violet?”

“Oh, yeah!”

As expected, literature was convoluted. I could ace other subjects, but math and literature remained riddles. It would be wise to ask directly.

Both our interpretations hit the mark.

“The Chairman is indeed dead. That was Laihan a moment ago. He was weaker than expected.”

Seijis continued, his eyes filled with deep insight.

“The problem lies in the meaning of his last statement.”

“Was he talking about will?”

We confirmed that our target for blowing up the mansion and ending the hunt was indeed Laihan. It seemed the Scholarship Officer’s concerns weren’t simply about the authenticity of the target.

“…Laihan always emphasized ‘mimicry.’ He mass-produced shapeshifters with instilled basic memories and behavioral patterns for everyday tasks. It was a sloppy system compared to your network, but on the surface, it could fulfill the Chairman’s role.”

“Only the appearance? It wasn’t a complete clone, I guess.”

“There’s a significant difference in cognitive ability and autonomy. The shapeshifters lack independent will and are practically just biological recorders without understanding or creativity. High-level research or strategic decisions are certainly beyond them, but they still had outward symbolic value with just their appearance and basic memories.”

“But Laihan has been eliminated. Without a leader, wouldn’t dangerous research or plans naturally come to a halt?”

The Scholarship Officer replied with a cold analytical tone.

“We must consider the complexity of the situation. There may be a temporary delay, but if clear directives and a course are established, a business with sufficient human and material resources will continue. Given his final demeanor… we cannot rule out the possibility that there were systematic preparations for his absence.”

Hmm, that was a logical explanation. Even in our Violet research, we’ve made leaps forward with the innovative direction of V-Animal creation since Bernike joined. Despite his role being mainly advisory and strategic.

“Moreover, Laplacian is a colossal enterprise. Even if it can’t reach the Chairman’s capabilities, considerable talent is still in place… I think I may have oversimplified it based on past experiences.”

“Past experiences?”

“…The crux of the matter is this. Additional strikes against Laplacian might be necessary. We must consider the possibility of them aligning with the Foundation.”

In the end, it meant that the task at hand had become more complex than anticipated. By taking out the head of Laplacian, we risked those severed limbs escaping on their own.

We had to fool them completely before they became an even bigger problem.

“Got it. So, in conclusion, we just need to smash them even harder, right?”

The Scholarship Officer nodded slowly, a concerned expression on his face. It seemed there were more complex strategic considerations at play, but that wasn’t important for now.

Thus, we resumed our destruction operation.

“Move! Move!”

The Violets positioned across the city sprang into action simultaneously. Above us, countless flyers fluttered down from the sky, like cherry blossoms in the wind.

[The vile nature of Laplacian!]

[Condemning the secret laboratory’s human experiments!]

A fleet of powered hang gliders adorned the sky, showering the city with propaganda. As the anonymous network’s Violets revealed the truth, the flyers rained down like a summer deluge.

**

If emotions could take form, the meeting room on the 35th floor of the temporary command center for Laplacian would have suffocated under dense fog of despair.

Through the specialized reinforced glass of the high-rise building, the vibrant daily life of the city unfolded, but now, what usually brought a sense of superiority and refreshment felt precarious, as if hanging on the edge of a cliff.

“Our market capitalization has halved. Do you see this? The stocks are plummeting like someone leaping off a cliff! At this rate, we might find ourselves jumping too!”

“Three research labs have turned to ashes, and the HQ looks like a massive bug-eaten beehive. The attackers are destroying and pillaging all our assets! What can… what can we even do?!”

The CFO wiped the cold sweat from his brow with trembling hands as he set his tablet down. The Director of Research echoed his anxiety with an equally trembling voice. The answer was already known to everyone.

There was none.

*True to their notorious reputation, the attackers were swift and powerful. Less than an hour after the intensified conflict began following the Chairman’s death, Laplacian was ruthlessly dismantled.

In fact, whether “conflict” was an appropriate term was debatable. Just as one wouldn’t call the act of a grinder pulverizing an object a “battle”…

On the large monitor display in the meeting room, a scene of the Chairman being mercilessly cut down by an unidentified black man replayed like a nightmare on repeat. In that horrific scene of the century’s biotech founder turning to ash and dust, everyone read the name ‘Ariel Group’ in sheer terror.

“Surely they won’t come this far?” one director asked in a quivering voice, as if trying to reassure himself.

“They won’t! Surely they won’t! This is the 35th floor. The security is tight, and the air defense system is operational! They won’t take down the building like Magnavis did, whether from the skies or on the ground!”

The head of security shouted fervently in denial. The entire building was on high alert, like a warzone. Heavily armed guards were spread like a spider’s web from the first floor to the rooftop, and on every level, cutting-edge automatic defense systems bared their fangs.

Yet, they could not feel assured of their safety. Though the media and the Foundation had sealed their lips, rumors were circulating among those in high positions.

The lively terrorists who had recently emerged from Circle Cliff ruthlessly slaughtered the Foundation’s patent decapitation squad as easily as cutting paper and added another head to their blood-stained trophy case.

Had Chairman Laihan’s secret research come to fruition, we might have been able to face them on equal terms and even annihilate them, but now, that was a thing of the past.

“When will the Foundation’s rescue team arrive? This is the third notification that helicopters have taken off…”

A heavy sound of footsteps cut through the uneasy silence. The door to the meeting room swung open, and a chill swept through.

“You needn’t worry.”

“Chairman?!”

Laihan walked in confidently with a victor’s smile. His tailored suit appeared spotless, as if freshly pressed without a single speck of dust.

“You… You definitely died…”

“Died? Ha! That was my stand-in. I have never experienced death. We will now counterattack. Those terrorists…”

Like a machine, precise directives poured out.

“Urgently allocate funds as directed.”

“Initiating emergency protocol B-7. Transfer all research data to backup servers, and are the previous instructions being properly executed? How many core researchers have been moved to safe zones? What’s the process for evacuation?”

There was a subtle dissonance in the Chairman’s tone. Gone was his usual sharpness, replaced by something somewhat dull and mechanical.

But the directors, caught up in extreme tension, failed to notice those small cracks.

“We will also proceed with indirect investments and asset distributions through the continental branches…”

Just then, the director’s sharp eyes caught a peculiar presence.

Suddenly, they spotted a little mouse darting around on the meeting table with gunshot-like eyes, looking for firearms.

“What is that? Who brought a pet?”

Its white fur was patterned with gray, resembling a little soldier’s camouflage. At first glance, it seemed like an ordinary lab rat commonly seen in Laplacian laboratories, but its clever gaze suggested something else.

The mouse seemed to greet us, squeaking adorably.

“Chirp?”

“Security! An experimental animal has escaped. Remove it!”

The meeting was interrupted. Bodyguards scrambled to capture the mouse.

It was futile. The mouse leapt across the table like a circus performer.

“Chirp! Chirp chirp!”

The mouse was agile. This spotted little troublemaker evaded the clumsy attempts at capture with the grace of a dancer, despite the enhanced clumsiness of the bodyguards’ three persistent attacks.

They sensed an ominous feeling too late.

“Uh… outside…”

The voice of the Secretary General turned to ice. Everyone gazed outside.

Figures clad in black wingsuits dove toward the building like a horde of bats risen from hell.

Cutting through the beams of light pouring from the building, they weaved through the blasts of soaring missiles.

The numbers had dwindled, but why weren’t they dwindling enough? They’re coming. They’re coming!

Laihan’s expression twisted like a rotten tomato.

“Oh my God—”

—Bang!

With a thunderous crash, the reinforced glass shattered into fragments. As the diamond-like particles flew, two squads worth of combat units swiftly infiltrated the building like shadows.

“Hands up! Get down. Resistance means death!”

Lightning flashed from one end of the sky to the other, as if to signal that Laplacian’s discarded daughter had arrived sooner than expected.

The Ariel Group had launched an assault.

**

Half a day into the conflict, the battle had now entered a lull. Our Violets swept through the offices like a swarm of locusts, gathering all equipment into the inventory.

We collected unidentified samples and experimental tools alike.

This was the Violet-style conscription operation.

“No! Not that paper!”

“We’ll use this from now on! We’ll rewrite it!”

“What kind of experimental equipment is this?”

“Just gather it! We’ll get Bernike to evaluate it later!”

We collected everything in sight. Anything that seemed remotely useful was taken with extra care. We swept up whatever Laplacian might value or treat seriously.

Furthermore, those suspicious beings who either fled or focused oddly on their tasks without fighting us were thoroughly vetted.

“Ugh, urgh!”

“That one! It’s a shapeshifter!”

The shapeshifter wasn’t distinguishable even by the keen noses of the mice. It didn’t just imitate the Chairman. They disguised themselves as ordinary office workers, bodyguards, and even mid-level managers.

Of course, the most conspicuous were the fakes of Laihan. We had taken down several imposters mimicking the Chairman so far.

The problem was that our predictions had come true.

“They were even leading from the field!”

After cutting off Laplacian’s head, like a worm wriggling, the limbs and body had chosen to flee in all directions. Some places were already empty or had documents partially burned. The haul was less than expected. Although there was plenty of junk, it felt like the real core was missing.

“What’s going on? Why is there only these lowly minions left?”

The fake Laihans were pathetic in combat capabilities, but the Scholarship Officer’s concerns had proven valid. The shapeshifters who transformed into the Chairman or other managerial roles led the evacuation like loyal soldiers.

Suddenly, curiosity struck me. Just how far could this thing imitate?

Could these humanoid monsters, parading as humans, even achieve research and development?

The Scholarship Officer had explained the limitations, but we couldn’t afford to let our guard down. It might be hiding abilities that matched our own.

“Hey, are you the real Laihan? Or not?”

I apprehended one rampaging shapeshifter and demanded answers.

Its disgusting green hair swayed, so I roughly grabbed a handful and yanked it out.

“Ugh… Do you really think I’d answer based on that? Yes, I am the Chairman of Laplacian—”

—Swish!

I thrust the severed arm in front of its eyes.

“No, you’re a shapeshifter! A monster! It’s obvious you look like jelly when I cut your arm. You’re a fake!”

The shapeshifter replied with a scholar’s sneer.

“Hah, typical of someone who seeks resolution through violence, how foolish. A monster? Let’s say that’s true. What does it even matter? My essence is not that important. I have inherited the Chairman’s memories and can exercise all the authority of the Chairman as per procedure.”

“Oh really? Should we test that?”

“Almond, connect to Walnut. Let’s bring someone to discern the truth.”

A moment later, Room 4214 trembled as if tuning into a radio frequency and delivered a sharp voice, both Violet and not Violet.

“Hello, Valance.”

“…Is this a masquerade now?”

A nervous voice shot back from across the animal network.

“Do you remember what happened at the Eckhart Neuroscience Department’s third-year seminar?”

“…?”

As torrents of information cascaded, the shapeshifter’s pupils fluctuated like a broken compass.

“Oh, and what were the three main problems regarding synapse construction you were so obsessed with?”

“I… I don’t understand. Are you trying to show off?”

It began to stutter like a malfunctioning machine.

“What are your views on the limitations discussed in the Ether-neural junction theory? What solutions were proposed by Professor Lenos in report 76-0A412 and the Eckhart Institute?”

“Ah, haha… clearly a meaningless conversation…”

The cold voice beyond the Violet made a definitive judgment.

“Hmm, that isn’t Laihan. This fool just called me to test the level of imitation? A waste of time for someone lacking even basic intellect.”

Once Bernike’s cold declaration ended, I swiftly decapitated the shapeshifter.

“Well, in the end, just a substitute, huh.”

That was a relief. This not quite clone and inferior imitation posed no threat to us. It was more of a temporary patch for the handover.

Yet, that handover was executed as if planned perfectly, swiftly and systematically. As if they calculated their final moments in advance, key figures, major equipment, and critical resources had already disappeared like mist.

Flustered, the Scholarship Officer showed an unusual expression of embarrassment as he quietly apologized.

“I was too complacent. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay! We should have acted a bit faster, right?”

We said in unison to comfort Seijis. Well, no one’s perfect, after all.

But there was no time to dwell in regret.

They moved faster and evacuated with much more than they had during the Magnavis incident. Thus, right now, the only thing we needed to focus on was one.

“Where did they hide?”

The next day, we swiftly figured out the destination after Laplacian had split and fled down multiple paths.

**

[Yesterday, merciless terrorists indiscriminately destroyed a world-renowned corporation pioneering the forefront of modern medicine and awakened one research based on unfounded slanders.]

[Among the astronomical human and material losses incurred, my blood relative, founder of Laplacian and principal director of the Foundation, Chairman Laihan Valance, was brutally murdered by these savage scoundrels.]

Countless eyes held their breath as they watched the major announcement from Luminex flashed on the giant screen. In the video was a middle-aged gentleman remarkably resembling Laihan, with neatly groomed green hair.

[Though there were minor differences in views with the Foundation in the past, we remember the innovative advancements brought to humanity by Laplacian. Chairman Laihan developed groundbreaking treatments and vaccines for the deadly corpus infection, contributing immensely to human welfare with rapid recovery agents and countless medical innovations that saved numerous lives of modern hunters.]

Indeed, there’s some truth to that. We also purchased and used Laplacian products.

[The terrorists calling themselves Ariel claim they’re exposing unethical human experiments and corporate immorality. This is a blatant falsehood. So, I ask, if you are so proud of being just, why do you hide behind masks and obscuring devices? Why do you lack the courage to act openly under the transparent light of justice?]

The Foundation’s Secretary General calmly stated in a measured tone, yet the content was as sharp as a razor.

He was painting us as the wicked terrorists.

“Well, we are villains, after all.”

“Is that so?”

Just as I was engaging in some self-reflective thought, a definitive declaration hit me.

[The Foundation has decided that they will no longer tolerate this indiscriminate violence carried out in the name of justice.]

“What? What did you say?”

[I’ll announce a matter unanimously resolved by the Board of Directors right here.]

Intense spotlights shone down.

[The Foundation will immediately commence an all-out extermination operation against the so-called Ariel Group—]

Oh ho, so that’s how it is. Can’t argue with that. We are terrorists, and it’s true that we move secretly.

I decided to agree with their declaration of war.

But being called a terrorist felt oddly uncomfortable.

“We’re freedom fighters! These fools don’t even know the meaning of pseudo-democracy!”

We decided to respond to their grand declaration of extermination in our way.

Let’s get back at them as we should.

“Where is the cargo ship near Cascadia right now?”

“It’s perfectly docked at the target point. All preparations are complete!”

The Foundation’s board consisted of 9 members. These tech-monopolizing, child-kidnapping bureaucrats think they’re judgment gods looking down on us, ready to prosecute us.

“Let’s slice open their bellies!”

“Pull them down quickly!”

It doesn’t matter. If Laplacian comes begging the Foundation for protection, we’ll just smash them both.

First, we need to prepare a counter-argument through anonymous network broadcasts regarding that speech. We have to show them our skills.

It was time to initiate the second operation. The Violet Command Center issued firm orders.

“Air Division, prepare for takeoff!”

**

Hours after Ariel Group’s extermination declaration, the helicopter of Luminex Director 07 flying above the twilight-drenched sea was suddenly engulfed in flames.

The helicopter, scattering a black tail, careened towards the sea like a burning meteor.

Minutes later, countless hang gliders soared over the western skies, distributing leaflets.

[Punish the hypocritical Foundation! Open the archives and free the people!]

[Open Luminex!]

The evening sun painted the coast of Rustroom in crimson. A prelude to the purging about to unfold.

“Eight left!”