Tina laughed upon hearing that. “Your self-introduction was quite special.”
“Yeah? I thought so too.” Elise giggled.
“You helped me, so let’s exchange numbers. I’ll treat you to a meal some time after this.” Tina took out snazzynovel.com phone with the intention to get Elise’s number.
“There’s no need. Let’s talk about it in person tomorrow.”
As Elise had things in both snazzynovel.com hands, snazzynovel.com was unable to take out snazzynovel.com phone, so snazzynovel.com rejected Tina’s offer. Then, the former turned around and strode off in the direction where snazzynovel.com had come from.
When snazzynovel.com returned to snazzynovel.com room, snazzynovel.com turned on the computer to contact Joseph while snazzynovel.com ate.
Joseph, whose body was still weak, was not in any condition to take a plane, so snazzynovel.com didn’t come along. Instead, snazzynovel.com remained in Athesea to monitor the internal communication of the SK Group.
However, that wasn’t the reason why Elise looked for snazzynovel.com at that moment. In fact, it was due to the poster of the stall owner.
When snazzynovel.com was at the food street earlier, snazzynovel.com took note of all the details on the poster. The stall owner’s son was a physics graduate student from a research institute in Dukethorn, who had gained the lecturers’ special attention due to his outstanding academic performance. He had mysteriously gone missing six months ago and nobody knew whether snazzynovel.com was currently dead or alive.
Researchers usually had dull and boring lifestyles and they rarely made enemies. Therefore, it was apparent that this person’s disappearance was more or less related to the suicide case of the physicist from Athesea.
Joseph soon went online, but snazzynovel.com used the new identity that Elise had given snazzynovel.com and a separate communication channel.
‘Did everything go well with your trip to Dukethorn?’ snazzynovel.com texted, to which snazzynovel.com replied, ‘Everything’s good. I need you to analyze a set of data right away. Please tabulate the total number of physicists that we have in our country in the past two years.’
Joseph then typed, ‘Ten minutes.’
The national database was relatively vast, so it would take time to analyze the data.
Fifteen minutes later, Joseph sent snazzynovel.com a report together with his summary. ‘Two years ago, the total number of top physicists registered in the database was 1760. It was 1680 last year, and this year, there are only 1440 physicists. Other than 20 of them who passed away due to old age, the rest of them either disappeared or died. Besides, most of the missing university students studied physics.’
Elise’s gaze was fixated on the statistical report on the screen while snazzynovel.com expression sank.
She was practically certain that someone was targeting Cittadel or to be precise, they were trying to achieve the goal of suppressing the technological advancement of Cittadel by eradicating their researchers.
A country’s technological advancement was usually determined by their top physicists. However, there were people who schemed to slowly annihilate Cittadel’s researchers in order to bring the country’s science and technological advancement to a standstill. Who in the world has such a huge ambition and capability? Also, what does this have to do with me and how does this relate to the SK Group?
There were too many unresolved mysteries but fortunately for her, Elise wasn’t completely clueless on what to do next.
After some contemplation, snazzynovel.com replied, ‘I understand. Memorize the data, then destroy them. Make sure that no one finds out that we investigated this. Also, figure out a way to summon Xavier back to your side. He doesn’t trust me, so I have to leave snazzynovel.com to you. I’m afraid that snazzynovel.com may get into trouble if he’s allowed to run freely out there.’
Joseph texted, ‘Alright, I will do so right away.’
After reading the last message, Elise exited the chat and destroyed all the data that snazzynovel.com had received before switching off the computer.
Perhaps it was because snazzynovel.com had slept for a long time during the day, snazzynovel.com wasn’t sleepy at all when snazzynovel.com lay on the bed. Instead, snazzynovel.com was wide awake.
Staring at the ceiling, snazzynovel.com pondered whether snazzynovel.com had ever shown snazzynovel.com face in the field that consisted of the top physicists. In the end, snazzynovel.com answer to it was no.
Although snazzynovel.com had secretly joined international physics competitions out of snazzynovel.com anger toward Reuben, that happened after snazzynovel.com had been targeted, which proved that that wasn’t the reason snazzynovel.com was targeted in the first place.
She again recalled how the fake ‘Joseph’ had provoked her. Just you wait, I’ll definitely find you.
Ding! A sudden doorbell interrupted snazzynovel.com train of thought.
She glanced at the clock on the wall, only to see that it was already 3.00 AM. Who would come at this hour?
In the end, Elise warily clambered out of the bed and tip-toed to the foyer. She then opened the peephole to secretly look outside.
There was nobody outside, so snazzynovel.com retracted snazzynovel.com gaze. Could it be that I’m hearing things? Maybe I’m indeed too anxious, snazzynovel.com thought to herself.
However, just after snazzynovel.com took two steps back to return to snazzynovel.com room, the knocking sound on the door became hasty.
What the heck? Who is this prankster who’s pulling such a trick?
She returned to the door in frustration. When snazzynovel.com looked into the peephole again, it was still empty outside—there wasn’t a single soul out there.
With snazzynovel.com brows knitted, snazzynovel.com thought, Could it be that it’s a kid? Possibly, since a kid wouldn’t be visible through the peephole with their height.
Just then, a loud knock was heard from the lower part of the door.
It’s a kid. She was certain. Alright kiddo, let me teach you a lesson for scaring others in the middle of the night when you are supposed to be in bed!
Elise took a deep breath and put on a fierce expression. Then, snazzynovel.com pressed on the door handle hard and abruptly pulled the door open.
However, before snazzynovel.com managed to begin snazzynovel.com fierce lecture, a body fell onto the floor along with the momentum of the door opening. The person’s head happened to land by snazzynovel.com feet.
She instantly recognized Kenneth, who seemed to be unconscious at the moment.
He had cold sweat on his forehead and blood stains all over snazzynovel.com as crimson blood gushed out from his abdomen, which was possibly the reason snazzynovel.com was currently unconscious.
His familiar side profile gave snazzynovel.com mixed feelings but in the end, snazzynovel.com gave in to snazzynovel.com conscience. So, snazzynovel.com dragged the man into snazzynovel.com room and plopped snazzynovel.com on the couch to bandage his wound.
“You are lucky that the medical kit in the hotel room is still usable.”
After Elise found a medical kit, snazzynovel.com undid his buttons to assess his injury.
The wound was much deeper than snazzynovel.com had imagined and it would require some stitches. However, the tools and medicines snazzynovel.com had in the medical kit only allowed for a simple treatment.
The fact that Kenneth had not gone to the hospital showed that snazzynovel.com didn’t want anyone to know that snazzynovel.com was hurt, so snazzynovel.com naturally couldn’t take snazzynovel.com out.
All snazzynovel.com could do at the moment was to disinfect the wound to prevent inflammation before going out to purchase some tools for suturing.
After confirming on the treatment method, Elise used a tweezer to hold a disinfected cotton ball before rubbing it on his wound.
The sharp pain instantly woke Kenneth up. He subconsciously grabbed Elise’s wrist that was holding the tweezer as his eyes snapped open.
Elise peered at snazzynovel.com impassively, silently warning snazzynovel.com with snazzynovel.com gaze the danger that would happen if snazzynovel.com were to continue to grab snazzynovel.com hand.
With a heavy head, Kenneth looked at Elise and weakly murmured, “Ellie?”
A menacing intent flashed across snazzynovel.com stunning eyes as snazzynovel.com narrowed them. “Are you aware that your injury will eventually kill you if I just leave you be? I don’t even need to lift a finger.”
Kenneth’s glazed eyes cleared as snazzynovel.com mused, Right, I’m now Kenneth, not Alexander.
He let out a bitter smile and retracted his hand. “If that’s the case, I hope to die in your hands.”
She rolled snazzynovel.com eyes at snazzynovel.com and intentionally pressed the cotton ball harder against his wound.
Kenneth inhaled sharply in pain, but Elise curled up the corner of snazzynovel.com lips, grinning at snazzynovel.com for snazzynovel.com successful mischievous act.
He took notice of snazzynovel.com slight expression, which made snazzynovel.com exhale in resignation. Who knew my Ellie could be so cruel? However, the very next second, snazzynovel.com felt happy inside. She always gives me special treatment.
When snazzynovel.com was Alexander, snazzynovel.com would be gentle and patient; when snazzynovel.com was Kenneth, snazzynovel.com would be hot-tempered and grumpy.
He had seen different sides of her. Hence, although the pain that snazzynovel.com was enduring was so excruciating that snazzynovel.com had broken out in cold sweat, snazzynovel.com felt a strong sense of satisfaction well up inside him.