Warning! A hidden dragon has emerged!

Xia Jiang continued his report:

"Through facial recognition and fingerprint comparison, it was determined that all three deceased were members of the Martial Alliance in Long Province. The leader was Ren Beizhou, the vice president of the Martial Alliance's Long Province branch, with a cultivation level of a ninth-grade Grandmaster. The other two were his disciples."

His gaze unconsciously drifted towards Qin Quan.

Unable to sense even a trace of a martial artist's aura, Qin Quan appeared just like an ordinary person, without any fluctuations of true energy.

Yet, this ordinary person easily killed a ninth-rank grandmaster.

Xia Jiang was filled with doubt: Why would such a powerful person stoop to work for a third-rate company and be willing to be Lin Wanrou's bodyguard?

He couldn't understand it, and he couldn't figure it out.

At the same time, Qin Quan also subtly observed Xia Jiang, thinking to himself:

"A ninth-grade grandmaster in his thirties, he does have some talent."

With just one glance, he saw through Xia Jiang's cultivation level.

In his eyes, a ninth-rank Grandmaster was nothing special, but in the mortal world, they were the pinnacle of existence.

"Now that the identity has been confirmed and there is surveillance footage as evidence, let's treat it as a crime of stealing state secrets and report it directly for further action."

"Yes, sir!"

Hua Lao made the final decision, directly defining the nature of the matter.

Qin Quan's murder was classified as protecting state secrets, and he not only did not pursue the facts of the murder, but also received a merit award.

This is a good thing!

Then, Elder Hua turned to look at Lin Wanrou.

His calm gaze fell on that beautiful face, and he said in a kind tone:

"Xiao Lin, your research results are evident to all, but in the past three years, the investment in the energy stone project has accounted for one-third of the total funding of the Dragon Science Academy."

"While those spiritual fruits and vegetables can strengthen the body, they cannot enhance national power, especially in the application of weaponry, where they are practically useless, so..."

"So, you want to stop my project."

Lin Wanrou spoke first, inevitably feeling somewhat disappointed and unwilling.

She respected Hua Lao and understood the importance of prioritizing national strength, but this project had consumed all her energy and was like her own child; she simply couldn't bear to part with it.

"Yes."

Hua Lao made no attempt to hide anything and nodded emphatically.

"This is a unified decision made by the senior management of Longke Institute."

"Professor Hua, if the project is halted, would it be considered a violation of regulations if I paid for the rest of the research myself?"

Lin Wanrou clenched her fists, a hint of anticipation hidden in her eyes.

She has begun converting the energy from the energy stone into gene potions.

The preliminary experimental data are very promising, and as long as it passes clinical trials, it can be immediately applied to humans.

If successful, even ordinary soldiers can break their genetic lock and become superhumans.

At that time, everyone in the Dragon Kingdom will be like a dragon, martial artists will be everywhere, and people with superpowers will be as numerous as dogs.

With such national strength, why should we worry about not prospering?

It's not impossible that it could be applied to weapons in the future.

However, the senior management of Longke Institute failed to see this.

In their view, this was an unrealistic fantasy.

Old Hua frowned, his face showing difficulty.

"According to regulations, once a project is halted, all data is immediately archived, and even the chief engineer has no right to view it. Moreover..."

He paused, his eyes filled with worry.

"The project was only halted yesterday, so why is someone impersonating the Longke Academy of Sciences to steal research results today?"

"There's a mole within our ranks!"

"If you go private, they will act with impunity, and you will be completely caught in the storm."

This is by no means an exaggeration. The top leadership of Longke Academy is not monolithic. Countless spy organizations are watching their every move like flies.

They wished they could turn everyone at Longke Academy against their own side.

What appears to be a sealed-off project is actually the best protection for Lin Wanrou.

"Please rest assured, Mr. Hua, I will protect President Lin."

Qin Quan spoke at the opportune moment, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable confidence.

"No matter how many of them come, I will make sure they never leave."

"you?"

Hua Lao's eyes sharpened, and the aura of someone who had long held a high position suddenly erupted. His gaze was like a knife, aimed directly at Qin Quan.

However, Qin Quan remained unmoved, his expression unchanged, and even met his gaze calmly and spoke.

"No need to test me, I never brag."

Be neither arrogant nor humble, neither hasty nor impatient.

"Young man, you're very good."

"Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Hua."

"Old Hua..."

Just then, Xia Jiang hurried over and bowed to report:

"I have notified Hidden Dragon, Six Doors, and Martial Alliance to cooperate in the investigation and severely punish the leaker."

"Um!"

Old Hua nodded slightly, but his gaze remained fixed on Qin Quan.

After a long while, he finally withdrew his gaze, calmly looked at Lin Wanrou, sighed softly, and said:

"Xiaolin, I can't answer your request immediately. Please give me two days, and I'll try my best to give you a satisfactory answer."

Lin Wanrou immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

As long as there is no outright rejection, there is still room for negotiation.

"Mr. Hua, I'm not in a hurry. I'll wait for your good news."

"good!"

Hua Lao said no more and immediately got up, preparing to lead his men to Lanchuan, the provincial capital.

At the same time, he also instructed Xia Jiang to bring along the bodies of Ren Beizhou and his apprentice.

Lin Wanrou wanted to invite the other party to stay for a casual meal, but Qin Quan stopped her, signaling not to try to keep her.

After seeing off Elder Hua and the others.

Lin Wanrou returned to her office, glaring angrily at Qin Quan.

"Old Hua has finally come all this way to Jincheng, why won't you let me treat him to a meal?"

Qin Quan sat on the sofa, legs crossed, slowly lit a cigarette, exhaled a puff of smoke, and asked with a smile:

"Do you really think Elder Hua came here specifically for you?"

"Otherwise what?"

"Think about it carefully. He said they just held a meeting yesterday to decide to halt the project, and you received the notification last night. Ren Beizhou came to your door this morning. What a coincidence!"

Qin Quan asked again.

"Furthermore, in all your time at the Dragon Science Academy, when have you ever seen a leader go out with a ninth-rank Grandmaster protecting them?"

"You mean...?"

Lin Wanrou was incredibly clever; she understood immediately.

"He wanted to take this opportunity to purge the moles within the Dragon Science Academy and investigate thoroughly with overwhelming force."

"Shh!"

Qin Quan gestured for silence, "It's good that you know it, but be careful that the walls don't have ears."

……

After leaving Qingcheng Group, Hua Lao did not immediately head to Lanchuan, but instead, escorted by Xia Jiang, went straight to the outskirts of Jincheng.

If Qin Quan were here, he would immediately recognize that Hua Lao's destination was actually his rented house.

The beautiful landlady, who was taking a nap, was stunned when she saw the person who came.

"Grandpa Hua, what brings you here?"

"Just passing by, thought I'd drop by and stop by."

"That's so kind of you."

Jiang Yao smiled awkwardly and immediately brewed tea.

"Grandpa Hua, the conditions are simple, please make do with this for now."

"You haven't changed at all, you little rascal."

Old Hua took a sip of tea and casually asked:

"Yaoyao, are you settling in well in Jincheng? That boy hasn't been bullying you, has he?"

"Who says he doesn't bully me? He's practically bullying me to death."

Jiang Yao immediately put on a pitiful look and complained in a tearful voice:

"He owes me six months' rent and still hasn't paid. I'm barely able to survive. Grandpa Hua, you have to help me."

"It's just six months' rent, no big deal. I'll have your grandfather transfer five million to you later."

Old Hua shook his head helplessly, seeing through her little trick at a glance, but too lazy to expose it.

"Thank you, Grandpa Hua!"

Jiang Yao was like a master of face-changing, instantly switching from crying to laughing, her expression changing faster than turning the pages of a book.

Old Hua didn't mind, put down his teacup, and asked calmly:

"Tell me, what's the progress on that matter I asked you to investigate?"