Why did you provoke me?

Yu Meng no longer cared about what happened next; she was drawn to the various questions in the mission hall.

"Sister Xia, are these all things we need to research?"

Xia Xuan laughed, "How could that be? This is a personal issue between the mask remover and the film maker. Just take it as a observation. Everyone's career path is different, and you may not encounter the same situation."

Yu Meng nodded, agreeing that the process was not important, only the result mattered.

Dali stayed close to the two women without interrupting. Sometimes she didn't quite understand what they were saying. She just needed to remember it.

The three people entered a room. "This is the laboratory where I usually do research."

Xia Xuan opened the door, and Yu Meng followed him inside. The room didn't have much equipment, but it was full of boxes of various sizes, and there were even living creatures in the inner room.

Xia Xuan watched Yu Meng staring intently at the living creatures. "Those are all very precious. Once the dough is peeled off, it must be used immediately. Otherwise, over time, the contents will be lost, and the effect will be diminished."

As for what it was, Xia Xuan didn't say, and Yu Meng didn't ask either.

After touring the lab, Yu Meng stood in front of a peculiar shellfish. "Sister Xia, what are we going to study?"

"Remember the medicinal stone I gave you last time? For us, as long as we're on the right track, we'll be able to absorb what's inside sooner or later. But for ordinary people, it's incredibly difficult."

Xia Xuan held a piece of medicinal stone in his hand. "This is something I made recently. Take a look."

Yu Meng took it; overall, it was an oval-shaped stone.

"You can try its strength. To be honest, even I can't absorb what's inside," Xia Xuan said with a wry smile.

"I wanted to make it thinner, but then the essence inside would leak out. Sometimes that leakage is a disaster. Countless people will sense it. They'll swarm in, looting and destroying things, and sometimes even our lives aren't guaranteed."

Yu Meng nodded. "This medicinal stone is indeed very hard." She even tapped the table with the stone.

Xia Xuan didn't say anything when she saw it. She had done the same thing before.

Yu Meng looked up. "Sister Xia, this medicinal stone has a wide range of applications. If it's made like this, it really won't be able to be absorbed by ordinary people. So you're researching how to make the outer shell thinner."

"This is something all the film makers are researching, but clearly, progress is not going smoothly." Xia Xuan didn't hide anything; at their level, this was no secret.

Yu Meng fell silent. She felt that this matter was not difficult, but judging from Sister Xia's words, it seemed to be a very difficult problem.

Seeing her younger sister lost in thought, Dali walked over to Xia Xuan and said, "Sister Xia, do you bring your own things here? This is truly an eye-opener for me."

"No way, a small portion is my personal money, a portion is government subsidies, and a portion is funding from some conglomerates." Xia Xuan sighed. "I've been under a lot of pressure because I haven't been achieving results for a long time, which is why I wanted to ask your little sister for help. She's very smart."

Dali smiled brightly, "My little sister is the smartest in my family."

Yu Meng snapped out of her daze. "Sister Xia, you still haven't told me what you want me to research?"

Xia Xuan perked up. "I've been waiting for you to ask. Otherwise, I'd be a little embarrassed to bring it up."

Yu Meng rolled her eyes. "Really?"

Xia Xuan stopped laughing and pulled Yu Meng to the large conch shell. "I noticed you were interested in it earlier. Help me examine it and peel off its outer layer, okay?"

He paused for a moment before saying, "I peeled off a few sheets, but they weren't ideal. My cousin said that using this kind of dough to make the medicinal stone skin would be much better."

Yu Meng looked at her with a complicated expression. "Didn't you ever think about using plant-based dough?"

"Ah, how could that be? I've done experiments; when the two auras are mixed, they're both destroyed in the end."

After Xia Xuan finished speaking, he suddenly looked up, his voice trembling, "You did it, right?" The last two words were spoken very softly, as if afraid of startling someone.

Yu Meng nodded, "I only did it once, and it worked. The conditions were special at the time, and I haven't done it again since. I don't know if it's just a coincidence."

Xia Xuan's voice trembled, "It's okay, I can restore someone to your special condition, and we can do it again."

Xia Xuan clasped his hands together excitedly and spun around a few times before taking a deep breath. "I'll get someone to arrange it right away."

"Sister Xia," Yu Meng paused before speaking, "that thing is with Granny Hua. Can you find it?"

Xia Xuan stopped what he was doing. "What did you say?" Then he laughed again. "I just gave the higher-ups a clue. Whether they can find it or not is their business."

Yu Meng stared intently into Xia Xuan's eyes, and Xia Xuan looked at her seriously. "Little Yu Meng, if this succeeds, it will be a huge undertaking. Neither you nor I can bear the consequences. We are merely providing clues; we cannot be the true beneficiaries."

Xia Xuan calmed down completely. "We need to discuss this carefully. Xiao Meng, what kind of support or backing do you have?"

I don't understand the dream.

Xia Xuan explained, "If it really works out, it'll be a huge pie. But it will also drive many forces crazy. If you don't succeed, the consequences will be dire."

Yu Meng shook her head. "I'm just a little girl from the countryside, how could I have these things?"

Xia Xuan looked at her speechlessly, "Don't trust me so much. When faced with huge profits, anything can change."

He paused, his eyes shining as he looked at Yu Meng, and held out his hand. "Where's the finished product? Let me see it."

Yu Meng spread her hands. "I'll give it to them after it's done."

Xia Xuan's eyes widened immediately. "You gave it to someone? Who did you give it to? Can you get it back now?"

Yu Meng shook her head. "I'm afraid that won't work. I only know that the person's surname is Zhou. I don't know his given name or where he lives."

Xia Xuan slammed his hand on the table. "Xiao Yumeng, don't talk so dramatically!"

Yu Meng looked at her innocently. "Sister Xia, you've lost your elegance."

"At a time like this, what's the point of me being elegant? I simply don't know what to say to you." Xia Xuan completely broke down.

"If that family discovers this secret, you'll be their stepping stone. They'll make a fortune, while you'll not only lose everything, but you might also be silenced." Xia Xuan made a throat-slitting gesture.

Dali didn't understand what they were talking about. But judging from Xia Xuan's expression, it seemed that her little sister had done something extraordinary.

"No way, it's been almost two months and nothing's happened," Yu Meng said softly.

"You think two months is a long time? Some big families can spend up to 10 years setting up a scheme." Xia Xuan said with a hint of disappointment.