Max Level Return—I'll Protect That Fragile One

"Everyone." Xu Xingguang turned off the slideshow, her gaze icy as it swept over the attendees.

"I don’t know how many of you here have been convinced by Zhang Zhiyi, becoming her henchmen. But I hope you understand that no matter how many benefits Zhang Zhiyi promised you, or how many privileges she offers, in her eyes, you’re nothing but a drooling dog!"

At this point, Xu Xingguang forcefully slapped her right hand on the lectern before her, the table breaking in half with the action, as she remarked casually, "If a dog obeys, I give it a bone to gnaw. If it doesn’t, I gnaw its bone."

"Everyone, don’t you agree?"

Upon hearing this, some hearts below nearly stopped.

Among them, there were indeed people who had cooperated with Zhang Zhiyi. When Zhang Zhiyi reached out to their families, she promised numerous benefits, which made them envious.

But they weren’t aware of the Divine Martial Realm’s attitude towards the Mortal World!

If they’d known early on that the Divine Martial Realm intended to cleanse the entire Mortal World, why would they have cooperated with Zhang Zhiyi?

After concluding her presentation, Xu Xingguang descended from the high platform and said to Mr. Jin, "When mutation appears in only one child, he becomes a monster in the eyes of the whole city. But if all the children in the city mutate, they won’t be monsters—they’ll be victims, patients."

"Mr. Jin, paper cannot contain fire. Those children injected with the Annihilation Sect’s mutation drug will eventually mutate. Instead of hiding the truth from the public, it would be better to reveal the Divine Martial Realm’s conspiracy in advance."

"We are all ordinary people, but we have our beliefs. That belief will support us to continue moving forward. When children are harmed, parents only become braver. Knowing the truth doesn’t necessarily mean despair; it might also mean courageous sacrifice."

Having expressed her thoughts, Xu Xingguang said no more; she had other tasks to attend to.

Accompanied by Song Chi and Ye Mingluo, Xu Xingguang arrived at the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hall, tucked away in a bustling city, hidden behind a somewhat dilapidated, moss-covered courtyard wall.

Inside the wall, towering trees grow abundantly.

The inside and outside of the courtyard seem like two worlds; people outside live a fast-paced life, while those inside lead a slow-paced life.

Just like slowly simmering a bowl of medicine, it cannot be rushed.

No cars are allowed here; doctors in the courtyard commute on electric bicycles regularly. Xu Xingguang and her companions rode bicycles to the entrance of the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hall, only to be stopped by a guard standing watch with a gun.

Xu Xingguang pulled out the pass Mr. Jin had given her, and under the guard’s respectful gaze, she led her apprentice and followers into the hall.

Inside, the hall is divided into the National Medicine Repository, the Research Building, and the Staff Dormitory, with a Pharmaceutical Building located separately in a suburban area far from the city.

It’s three o’clock in the afternoon, the prime working hours for the staff.

As Ying Tu’s apprentice and a doctor who has achieved top-three results at the Hundred Medicines Conference, Ying Ziyao holds a high status in the hall, second only to the director.

Ying Ziyao has an entire floor to himself and several assistants.

The assistants are all men, around the age of forty, wearing gray-green coats, busy in their little studios. Xu Xingguang walked through the wooden corridor, turned a corner, and saw Ying Ziyao’s office.

At the end of the hallway outside his office, there was a piece of floor-to-ceiling glass, with a patch of orchids planted outside. Standing high above, Xu Xingguang gazed at the orchids and suddenly said, "My mom really likes orchids."

Ye Mingluo clicked his tongue and shook his head, "Doctor Ying likes your mom; love the house, love its crow. He’ll definitely like you too."

But Xu Xingguang didn’t think so. Although she was indeed Mo Yinshu’s child, she carried Xu Zeqing’s blood too.

Ying Ziyao wouldn’t have any kindly sentiment towards the daughter of a rival in love.

Xu Xingguang knocked on the door of Ying Ziyao’s office.

"Come in."

Ying Ziyao knew Xu Xingguang would come today.

As soon as Xu Xingguang and her party entered the hall, the lobby guard called him.

Xu Xingguang pushed the door open and entered; at a glance, she saw a middle-aged man in a gray-green coat standing by the medicine rack. He was facing away from her, holding a document in his left hand while checking the quantity of medicines in the small drawers.

At first glance, Xu Xingguang thought she saw a young Xu Zeqing.

No, to be more precise, it was Hong Ruhai.

Ying Ziyao and Hong Ruhai were of the same type of man, both possessing broad but not solid shoulders. Wearing simple coats or shirts was enough to complement their slender figures.

Thinking of Ying Ziyao’s relationship with her mother, Xu Xingguang suddenly had an uneasy premonition.

This Ying Ziyao, whether in appearance or temperament, resembled Hong Ruhai. And Xu Zeqing idolized Hong Ruhai, mimicking him in dress and manner.

In other words, Xu Zeqing was a surrogate version of Ying Ziyao.

This...

Damn!

Was it possible her mom secretly admired Ying Ziyao, but unable to pursue this distant flower, settled for marrying the surrogate version, Xu Zeqing?

With this thought, Xu Xingguang was unsure whether to pity Xu Zeqing or feel sorry for Ying Ziyao.

After closing the drawer, the man finally turned to look at Xu Xingguang.

Goodness, that face belonged to the same genteel scholar-type as Xu Zeqing!

Solid proof!

Her mom truly used Xu Zeqing as a stand-in!

No wonder her mom remained so calm upon discovering Xu Zeqing’s infidelity. It was only a stand-in; when the stand-in became unclean, she no longer wanted it.

"Xu Xingguang?" Ying Ziyao’s expression was cold, looking at Xu Xingguang as if looking at a flower, a blade of grass, or an inconspicuous pebble on the roadside.

Xu Xingguang smiled faintly, her smile carrying a hint of Mo Yinshu’s charm, "Uncle Ying."

Whether it was Xu Xingguang’s smile triggering Ying Ziyao’s memories or her calling him uncle, somehow, his cold brows softened a little.

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