Chapter 152

The nameless little island was vast and empty, its only structure a solitary prison.

“They… want to raise mermaids like livestock?” An older professor burst out laughing when he saw the news. He crossed his hands over his belly and said, “I wondered why Country A was so generous in offering to help the mermaids. So that’s it—they plan to pen them up like animals. No wonder they agreed so readily.”

“Every villain has his match,” someone nearby sneered. “Being treated like blood bags can’t feel good.”

Zhao Shuqing didn’t quite follow what they meant. She stood curiously beside Gu Yao, watching the familiar group of professors chatting. As they listened, the two women gradually pieced together the picture.

It turned out Country A had never intended to honor the agreement from the start.

The deal had been that the mermaids would provide their blood and the method to produce the immortality enzyme, while Country A handled sales and supplied an island. After the agreement was struck, they’d even sent a cruise ship to pick them up. But now, they’d abruptly assigned the mermaids a prison island. Their intentions were obvious.

“Kill the donkey after it’s pulled the millstone,” Gu Yao muttered, clenching her fists until her eyes reddened.

Zhao Shuqing feared her words might be overheard. She tugged at Gu Yao’s arm. None of the experts and scholars present knew about their connection to the mermaids, and Zhao Shuqing wanted to keep a low profile. But Gu Yao’s comment had clearly been heard.

A man wearing gold-rimmed glasses looked up at her. “That’s not the right idiom,” he said. “Neither side is innocent. If you insist on a metaphor, it’s more like a dog-eat-dog situation.”

For some reason, a spark of anger flared in Gu Yao’s chest. She started forward to retort, but Zhao Shuqing pulled her back. Glancing over, she saw her friend frowning intently at her and shaking her head.

Don’t make a scene.

Gu Yao understood the message in Zhao Shuqing’s eyes. She bit her lip and fell silent, though her face remained stormy.

The others seemed to find “dog-eat-dog” an apt description. They jumped into the discussion, their words growing even sharper.

“If you ask me, the mermaids brought this on themselves. It’s a shame they’ll go extinct, but with lifespans like theirs, they can probably hang on for a few more centuries at least.”

“The mermaids don’t even have embryos left. Without human help, extinction is inevitable.”

“It’s hilarious. After scheming for so many years, this is how it ends. Serves them right.”

Someone suddenly asked, “So Country A tricked them onto that prison island. Does that mean they’ll be the only ones who can produce the immortality enzyme? Anyone seeking immortality will have to pay through the nose from now on?”

“Oh, Country A’s struck gold. Aside from arms, oil, and natural gas, this will be their biggest cash cow.”

“The mermaids were doomed to extinction anyway. It’s just their fate.”

Those words struck some nerve in Gu Yao. As the group erupted in laughter, she suddenly shouted, “Does the extinction of an entire race make you all so happy?”

Zhao Shuqing jumped at her outburst, her eyes widening as she stared.

Gu Yao’s face was pale, the corners of her eyes tinged red. She fixed her gaze on the bespectacled man who’d declared the mermaids doomed. “We’re not in the same field, but we should at least share the same principles. Not every mermaid is a heinous criminal. They’re fighting for survival too. What gives you the right to say they deserve to be duped?”

“Gu Yao…” Zhao Shuqing tried to hold her back, but Gu Yao shook off her hand.

Gu Yao pressed on, addressing the group. “You’re all standing on your high horse, mocking the mermaids. Have you ever considered how pitiful they are? Can you just laugh off the extinction of any species like this?”

Zhao Shuqing thought Gu Yao had gone too far. She had no idea what had set her off, but this clearly wasn’t the time to debate the mermaids’ guilt.

The people she’d snapped at recovered from their shock. Some looked away guiltily, while others slammed the table and stood, jabbing a finger at Gu Yao’s nose. “You’ve spent a few days in a mermaid nest, and you’ve forgotten you’re human?”

Gu Yao opened her mouth to reply, but Zhao Shuqing clapped a hand over it and dragged her out.

Those inside realized the argument wasn’t productive. They hurried to calm the angry team members. Once in the corridor, Gu Yao cooled down considerably. She realized how reckless she’d been—berating her seniors without a hint of stage fright.

Zhao Shuqing didn’t buy that Gu Yao had done it for Lin Feng.

“What’s gotten into you?” Zhao Shuqing glanced around the empty corridor and sighed helplessly. “Why do you get so worked up about mermaids? You never used to argue like that.”

Gu Yao knew she’d lost control. The team was full of top experts in the field, and offending them like this wouldn’t end well.

Even after the fight, she didn’t feel any better—in fact, she was more depressed than before.

“Zhao Shuqing…”

Gu Yao lifted her reddened eyes to her friend and whispered, “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Every time I hear news about the mermaids, it makes me uncomfortable. I keep thinking about the time I spent with Xu Tang, that clumsy mermaid who called me Teacher Gu, and the chefs who always made special meals for me.”

“They haven’t done that much evil. Many mermaids were forced ashore.” Gu Yao wiped her eyes and told Zhao Shuqing, “The thought of them all dying like this… it hurts.”

She could oppose the mermaids and thwart their plans, but watching them be exploited and tortured to death still filled her with sorrow.

Zhao Shuqing looked at her with complicated eyes, then stepped forward and patted her shoulder. “We’re just ordinary people now, Gu Yao. We can’t get involved anymore. Forget about them.”

You’ve got a long road ahead.

Gu Yao clutched Zhao Shuqing’s clothes and quietly closed her eyes…

After that argument, Gu Yao took a few days off, claiming she was unwell and staying away from the laboratory.

No one said anything outright, but Zhao Shuqing could sense some attitudes softening. A few people even approached her occasionally, essentially saying that joking about genocide wasn’t appropriate.

Zhao Shuqing wasn’t involved, so she just smiled and promised to pass the messages on to Gu Yao.

“That’s it?” Gu Yao lay in front of her camera with a face mask on, her words muffled. “If they want to apologize, they can tell me themselves. What good does relaying it through you do? I didn’t argue with you.”

“Don’t push your luck,” Zhao Shuqing chided. “The professors extended an olive branch. Don’t play hard to get. Come back to the lab tomorrow—there’s plenty of work piling up. What do you mean by ditching?”

“I didn’t ditch. I’m really hurt.” Gu Yao angled the camera downward and hiked up her pant leg. “I twisted my ankle on the way home that day, that’s why I haven’t been to the lab. Do you think I’d skip work over a spat? I only stay away if I physically can’t go.”

Zhao Shuqing saw the bruise and wondered aloud, “Doesn’t your building have an elevator? How did you twist it that bad?”

“Well, I was so mad that day, I decided to take the stairs for some exercise.” Gu Yao explained, “I went too far up, and when I tried to come down, I missed a step.”

“You’re so careless.” Zhao Shuqing sighed. “Want me to come check on you?”

“No need.”

“Isn’t it inconvenient alone with a twisted ankle?”

Gu Yao scratched her head. “It’s fine. I ran into a kind neighbor who’s been really helpful. No issues.”

A kind neighbor?

While Zhao Shuqing puzzled over that, Gu Yao leaned toward the camera, peering behind her with shining eyes. “Is that Younger Sister? Let Mama see! Has my little girl gotten chubby again? Aww, is she sucking her hand? Let me sniff—is it sweet or stinky~?”

Gu Yao insisted on seeing the baby, so Zhao Shuqing reluctantly turned and picked up Little Fish to show her, forgetting her question.

In the days that followed, the laboratory methodically tested the immortality enzyme’s effects. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, the mermaids began another migration—this time to the newly designated Mermaid Island.

Mermaid Island wasn’t large, but it could house over twenty thousand mermaids. Besides, not all mermaids lived on land; they preferred the water anyway.

Watching the mermaids being herded like ducks from place to place left Zhao Shuqing uneasy. The first migration had been to protect them from harm within their own ranks, but this one felt like banishment.

It didn’t seem like something meticulous Xu Tang would orchestrate.

Had they reached a dead end with no options left?

Whatever.

Zhao Shuqing cradled Older Sister, soothing her while lost in thought. The mermaids’ affairs no longer concerned her. Right now, Older Sister had just finished nursing, so she needed to burp her the way Sister Chen had taught.

Older Sister lay dazed on Zhao Shuqing’s shoulder, soft and fragrant with a milky scent—far stronger than Lin Feng’s, like a child raised in a vat of milk.

After much patting, Older Sister finally burped weakly, dribbling some milk that soaked Zhao Shuqing’s shoulder.

Younger Sister was much better behaved. Lin Feng had already burped her and was gently patting her belly to help her sleep.

Task complete, Zhao Shuqing sidled over and placed Older Sister beside Younger Sister. The two little fish grunted softly and snuggled together in sleep.

Lin Feng touched her little ones fondly before looking up with a smile at Zhao Shuqing.

“Shh.” Zhao Shuqing took Lin Feng’s hand. “Let’s step out and let them nap.”

They had just left the children’s room when they ran into Chen Huijun and Yue Jiuchu ascending the stairs. The two women glanced at Zhao Shuqing, Chen Huijun nodding sternly. Zhao Shuqing got the hint and turned to Lin Feng. “I need to discuss some work with Commissioner Chen. You go rest.”

Lin Feng whispered, “Do you need anything from me?”

“No.” Zhao Shuqing had no idea what Chen Huijun wanted, but it seemed important.

As soon as they entered the study, Zhao Shuqing sensed the heavy atmosphere. Yue Jiuchu managed a nod, but Chen Huijun’s face was thunderous from the start, as if furious.

“What’s going on?” Zhao Shuqing asked Yue Jiuchu. “Something with the experiments?”

That was the only thing that would involve her.

Chen Huijun stayed silent, so Yue Jiuchu spoke for her. “We have bad news. Many countries have detected issues with the immortality enzyme. Some technologically advanced ones have even calculated that the version the mermaids handed over doesn’t match their claims.”

Zhao Shuqing frowned slightly. “What do you mean? Make it simple.”

Yue Jiuchu paused, then said plainly, “The mermaids deceived us all about the immortality enzyme.”