Chapter 563: Just This Once, Never Again!
"How could this be?" Zhang Ze bellowed. "You’re asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?"
"Was that a Gene Pill of your own creation that you just gave to Zhu Tao?" Anger flared in Zhang Ze’s eyes, as if he wanted to eat the man alive.
Although Professor Feng held a high position in the Divine Machine Camp, he was, after all, just a researcher who had never experienced the battlefield. The earlier scene had terrified him. So, when Zhang Ze grabbed him by the collar, Professor Feng’s face went pale with fright. Shaking his head, he stammered, "No, it wasn’t me! I didn’t do that!"
"You didn’t?" Zhang Ze roared. "Then you tell me how the hell Zhu Tao died!"
Zhu Tao was a man he had brought to recommend for the Divine Machine Camp. Even if he couldn’t get in, Zhu Tao was still a rare talent. He trained hard and had a solid foundation. He could have had a promising career even if he returned to his original unit. But now, he was dead.
How was he supposed to explain this to his superiors? If this wasn’t handled properly, he would be punished as well. The military’s regulations were extremely strict. He could end up facing a court-martial.
Professor Feng, of course, understood the gravity of the situation. If I don’t find a scapegoat, my life is over. I still have so many experiments to complete, and so many research findings are on the verge of being announced. I don’t want to lose everything. I certainly don’t want to face a court-martial over this.
So, Professor Feng pointed at Lin Mu. "It was him! He’s the one who killed Zhu Tao. What does that have to do with me?! Zhang Ze, why are you hounding me instead of arresting the murderer?"
Shifting the blame to Lin Mu was the perfect solution. After all, everyone had seen Lin Mu make a move. He couldn’t possibly deny it.
"Bullshit!" Hearing Professor Feng’s words, Monkey was so furious his nose was practically crooked. He pointed at the professor and cursed, "You were the one who gave Zhu Tao that thing, causing the gene drug backlash! Do you really think we’re all idiots? Or do you think you can bully Instructor Lin just because he’s new? Let me tell you, determining Zhu Tao’s cause of death is simple. All it takes is a proper analysis."
Jiaolong also spoke up. "There’s a regulation in the military that any newly developed gene-modifying drug must undergo a series of strict tests before use. The Blue Pill you gave Zhu Tao is different from the injections we normally receive. So, is this a new product you’ve cooked up?"
Ma Biao even scoffed, "You think I didn’t see you give Zhu Tao something and make him take it? You wanted to get back at Instructor Lin, didn’t you? You’re delusional. If you want to frame our instructor, you should use a smarter method."
Hearing the words of the Divine Machine Camp members, Professor Feng was stunned. How... how are all these people speaking up for Lin Mu? Hasn’t he only been here for a day? Why are they all siding with him? How many years have I been in the Divine Machine Camp? How much have I contributed? I’ve spent the better part of my life researching gene drugs, sacrificing countless nights of sleep. And now, the people of the Divine Machine Camp are turning against me? Why?
"You... you bunch of ingrates!" Professor Feng roared. "Who helped you get selected for the Divine Machine Camp? Who is responsible for you becoming Super Soldiers? And now you’re siding with an outsider... You’re a disgrace!"
"Professor Feng, you’re wrong," Jiaolong said calmly. "All of us comrades in the Divine Machine Camp did respect you. At least, that was the case before today. But you’ve misunderstood one thing. Before we joined the Divine Machine Camp, we were soldiers!"
Jiaolong’s expression was incredibly solemn, and indeed, every member of the Divine Machine Camp wore a look of utmost seriousness.
"For a soldier, honor is above all else! We would not hesitate to sacrifice our lives for our country. That is our mission!" Jiaolong declared, his words ringing with conviction. "But from the day I joined the army, my instructors never taught me how to lie or how to confuse right and wrong!"
"Well said!"
A sonorous and powerful voice cut through the air as a tall man in his fifties approached. Though his hair was graying, he was full of vigor and exuded a commanding aura. Clearly, this man held a significant position in the military.
"Sir, what brings you here?" Zhang Ze’s expression changed. He hadn’t expected the commander to come in person. However, when he saw the formidable-looking woman following the old man, he understood immediately.
"Sir!" Jiaolong and the entire Divine Machine Camp snapped into a line and saluted the old man. Zhang Ze did the same.
"Mm," the old man nodded slightly and said in a resonant voice, "A soldier’s first duty is to obey orders, and their highest goal is to place the people’s interests above all else. You, the Divine Machine Camp, have not disappointed me!"
The old man suddenly raised his right hand in a standard military salute. "I, Kong Lin, thank you all!"
Kong Lin, the highest-ranking officer of the Southeast Military Region, with the rank of Major General! He was a military heavyweight on the same level as Guan Chengye and Xiang Yunlong.
"Commander Kong, I..." Seeing Kong Lin, Professor Feng’s expression changed, a flicker of fear in his eyes.
"Professor Feng, you too have worked hard," Kong Lin sighed. "But you shouldn’t have... you shouldn’t have betrayed the hopes of over a billion Huaxia people."
"Commander Kong, what... what do you mean by that?" Professor Feng felt a growing sense of dread.
"Alas." Kong Lin sighed again, turning to the formidable-looking woman behind him. "Give it to me."
The woman’s expression faltered. "Grandfather..."
"This is the military. You will address me as ’Sir’!" Kong Lin’s face darkened.
"Yes, Sir!" Although she felt wronged, Kong Ying still replied loudly before handing a file to Kong Lin and turning to leave.
Kong Lin shook his head and offered the file to Professor Feng. "Care to take a look?"
The moment he saw the file, Professor Feng’s face drained of all color. Inside, it meticulously detailed how he had embezzled research funds for his personal use. It even uncovered how, years ago, he had used underhanded means to secure benefits for his own biotech company. Every detail was laid out, crystal clear. The amount of money he had misappropriated was astronomical and utterly shocking.
THUMP.
The file dropped to the ground. Professor Feng’s eyes were ashen, devoid of life. He knew he was finished.
"Professor Feng, you have greatly disappointed me," Kong Lin sighed and waved his hand. "Take him away."
"Sir! Commander Kong, I was wrong, I know I was wrong!" Professor Feng shouted desperately. "Sir, for all the hard work I’ve poured into the Divine Machine Camp, please, let me go just this once! I’m a member of the Feng Family!"
"It is precisely because you are from the Feng Family that I came personally," Kong Lin snorted coldly. "Otherwise, I would have dismantled not just you, but your entire biotech company as well. After all the hard-earned money of the Huaxia people you’ve devoured, I’m going to make you spit it all back out, twice over! Take him away!"
Hearing Kong Lin’s words, Professor Feng didn’t dare utter another syllable. He knew that this time, no one could save him.
After dealing with Professor Feng, Kong Lin walked over to Lin Mu and said with a smile, "Instructor Lin, are you satisfied with this outcome?"
Everyone who heard Kong Lin’s words gasped. Kong Lin... he actually came to back up Instructor Lin?
"Alright. This is the first and last time."
Lin Mu’s reply sent a shiver down everyone’s spines, making their scalps tingle.
’This is the first and last time’? What in the world...?