Era of Magic and Martial Arts

Chapter 584 - 568: We Are All Patients

After leaving President Lu’s office, Li Hanyu did not leave the Bright Group building. Instead, she returned to the 1st floor to pick up Hou Wendong and a few others, and then went to the laboratory on the third basement level.

This time, the receptionist did not stop them.

The elevator doors to the B3 level opened, and the cold light glinted off metal engravings along the corridor—"Memory Upload Project Laboratory."

Fifteen minutes later.

The memory engineer in the white lab coat explained to Li Hanyu:

"With the current technology, not everyone can undergo memory upload. First, there must be physical port support, which means the individual must have undergone brain-machine modification.

Moreover, the intracranial chip must have been implanted for at least a year to ensure stability in neural connections and memory transfer."

Unconvinced, Li Hanyu asked:

"Don’t fool me; the group is clearly developing non-invasive forced upload technology. They’ve already completed three phases of volunteer testing, haven’t they?"

Li Hanyu was well aware that a large portion of those volunteers had been provided by the Second Prison at no cost.

The engineers exchanged furtive glances, silently cursing inwardly.

True, indeed!

But your son isn’t a volunteer.

When volunteers died, their families collected the bodies. If your son died, would you collect his body for us?!!

"Theoretically it’s possible, but it would damage the original brain, like reading a hard drive with a high voltage—it would certainly get fried; it’s a process hard to control,"

Finally, a senior engineer in the lab patiently explained,

"Memory upload takes time. If the progress bar isn’t finished, and the hard drive fries first, we don’t have a way to back up and restore, whether it’s the data or the hard drive!"

In the end, Li Hanyu didn’t dare sign the [surgery waiver]; she had only this one son and couldn’t bear to risk his life.

At least in the eyes of Hou Wendong and several bodyguards, it appeared so.

By the time they returned to the hospital, it was already late at night.

President Lu was true to his word. At the VVip ward entrance, five more security guards were now posted, matching the number of bodyguards sent by the Member of Parliament, one for one.

5v5, the horn for a group battle was ready to sound?

The advantage lies with... me, Li Hanyu!

Seeing the security sent by the Bright Group, Li Hanyu’s expression remained unchanged, though internally, she was filled with mixed emotions.

She knew she was playing with fire, and one flame could turn her to ashes. But with two, there was a slight chance of burning a... safe haven between them.

Of course, there was a greater possibility that both flames would consume her until nothing was left but the ashes of her bones.

Li Hanyu exhaled deeply and soon summoned the hospital director, her weary voice echoing down the corridor:

"I have an empty villa. Have your hospital prepare and arrange a special care room there in the coming days; I want to bring Qian Huan home."

The doctor looked troubled: "This..."

Li Hanyu’s tone was calm but left no room for doubt:

"Either way, he’s just soaking here. What difference does it make if it’s in the hospital or at home?"

These words, though lightly spoken, conveyed an unspoken message that everyone present could hear clearly.

It seemed Li Hanyu had finally resigned to the situation, ready to give up surgery and simply bring her son home for a slow recovery.

Hou Wendong came to a similar conclusion. He watched the medical team leave quickly, then glanced at the five new security members at the door, his brow furrowing slightly.

He waited for Li Hanyu to return to the VVip ward before hastily pulling out his phone to report to the Member of Parliament.

Surprisingly, yet not so unexpectedly, Mr. Wang’s tone on the phone was quite calm, as if he had learned everything from elsewhere beforehand.

Moreover, Mr. Wang’s attitude was commendable. Instead of being upset over Li Hanyu’s independent actions, he instructed to take good care of her and ensure her safety from the Bright Group’s security threats.

Hanging up, Hou Wendong turned his gaze towards the tightly closed VVip ward door with a peculiar expression.

"The subtle change in Mr. Wang’s attitude must be because he knows about the conversation in President Lu’s office, so have I misunderstood?"

Suspicion gleamed in Hou Wendong’s eyes as he pondered to himself,

"Did Mr. Wang hear something suggesting that Madam Li’s stance aligns with his?"

Temporarily unable to unravel the issue, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration for Li Hanyu.

He had been with the Member of Parliament for years and had never seen him be even slightly controlled by a woman, even if just a little.

......

Mr. Wang hung up the phone and said to Du Changle:

"Alright, stop thinking about quitting mid-way. Li Hanyu is, after all, a woman; her heart isn’t harsh enough. She can’t bear to risk her son’s life, so Qian Huan might never wake up."

A trace of melancholy crossed Du Changle’s face, and he sighed heavily.

Mr. Wang continued:

"With my support and Li Hanyu on our side, your appointment at the Second Prison is almost in the bag. Next, all you have to do is tackle President Lu of Bright Group."

Du Changle hesitated slightly:

"I’m just worried... President Lu might have someone else in mind."

Mr. Wang chuckled softly, calmly:

"There are indeed other candidates, but President Lu is a shrewd businessman. If it’s not feasible, he would never step up to challenge me."

Du Changle knew that Mr. Wang has a slight disdain for businessmen deep down.

This was a common disease among most Members of Parliament within the Executive Government. On one hand, they needed the cash in big businessmen’s pockets to push bills and gain voting support.

On the other hand, they somewhat looked down upon them, thinking money must eventually bow to power.

Coincidentally, Du Changle also knew some big businessmen suffering from a similar affliction.

Except their condition was at the opposite extreme; to them, power is merely a dog fattened by money, already collared with a menacing choker.

They bow to power on the surface, but with each bow, they tighten the collar a little more, believing that eventually, the dog choked at the throat will obediently kneel and lick their shoes.

Du Changle wasn’t sure which illness was more dangerous or incurable.

But he understood that he must currently be aligned with Mr. Wang, so he smiled in acknowledgment:

"The Member is right. I’ll go back and prepare for a few days, then carefully study the ’Octagonal Cage’ plan. Once my appointment comes through, I’ll report to the Second Prison immediately."

Mr. Wang was very pleased with Du Changle’s proactive attitude.

Du Changle respectfully exited the office, though a trace of hidden concern lingered in his narrow eyes.

When Mr. Wang took the call, he hadn’t shielded him, so he clearly overheard the content of the phone conversations that evening.

His assessment differed from Mr. Wang’s. He thought Li Hanyu might not truly be on Mr. Wang’s side, or rather, he didn’t believe Li Hanyu was just a soft-hearted woman.

He guessed the Member of Parliament might have sat at a high position too long, his vision a bit blurred, accustomed to looking farther, and thus unable to see the nearby subtle intentions clearly.

Du Changle was different; he hadn’t climbed too high yet, living always in the shadow of the Member of Parliament’s imposing presence.

As a result, his eyes never looked far but always focused closely around the Member, unblinking...