Reborn as the Darling of the Delta

Page 122

I was just secretly embezzling public funds to buy some toys for my eldest son. Surely Demulan didn't find out, did he? Damn it, it's just a little money, why did he have to come all this way to find me? Besides, wasn't it Robert's money that I spent?

As for the possibility that Demulan came to him asking about Xiao Hao's whereabouts, Rometheus naturally wouldn't consider that possibility since he had previously instructed Claire. After all, Claire should be at Tide Prison by now, so there's even less chance she would reveal Xiao Hao's whereabouts.

After thinking it over and finding that he seemed to have no flaws, Rometheus confidently replied:

"Hehe, you're asking me? Do you think I have any questions? Oh dear, this is blatant distrust of me. Go ahead and ask, ask whatever you want. I, Luo, am upright and have nothing to fear."

Hearing Rometheus's confident demeanor, Demulan couldn't help but begin to doubt whether the information Said had given him was accurate. If he had been deceived, given Rometheus's personality, he would probably laugh himself to death.

"Ahem, don't give me any excuses. I'm asking you now, how did you find [Zero]? I remember you told me directly on the phone last time that you found your family's [Zero]. Now I need those details."

"This... well, if we found it, we found it. Why am I going to explain all the details to you? Oh dear, Demulan, you're just being unreasonable. Do you think I can conjure up [Zero] out of thin air?"

When Rometheus heard Demulan's question, he was completely baffled. What was Demulan up to? Why was he asking how he found Xiao Hao? Normally, people wouldn't ask about this.

"Then tell me first, who found [Zero]?"

Demulan wasn't in a hurry. She decided to slowly inquire about some details to see if Rometheus would slip up, so that she could easily control him.

"Finding [Zero]... that must be my Blue Eagle Squad. Do you think I could just find it by wandering around aimlessly?"

Rometheus was surprised that Demulan would actually delve into the matter with him, and for a moment he felt a little flustered.

Rometheus: Wait a minute, why am I panicking? I'm Rometheus, the one with the highest IQ! I can't let this guy Demulan intimidate me. Get your brains working and come up with some airtight excuses!

"Hmm, it's your Blue Eagle Squad, right? Since it was your Blue Eagle Squad that discovered it, can you find me that video clip of [Zero]?"

A woman's sixth sense told Demulan that there must be a connection between Xiao Hao and this "Zero". Considering what Said had told her, the timing of "Zero's" appearance was too coincidental. Xiao Hao had stayed with Rometheus for a while, and then Rometheus told her that her eldest son had been found. Something must have happened during that time that Rometheus had kept from her.

"Huh? What do you need that video for? I... I saw that I had already found my eldest son, so I just deleted all those videos. By the way, you're acting a bit strange today. Why are you asking these questions?"

Rometheus hadn't expected Demulan to be so persistent. This was getting a bit troublesome. Could it be that there really was some detail he hadn't noticed? But aside from hiding Xiao Hao's existence from Demulan, he didn't seem to have done anything wrong, did he?

Rometheus: No way, no way, could it be that Ella and her best friend talked about things they shouldn't have?

But now Rometheus can't just bring Ella over to question her directly. This is really troublesome. This Demulan actually wants the video recording from back then. Where am I supposed to find the video recording for her?

But you can't just tell Demulan the truth, because that would be too unbelievable. What kind of good person would just conjure someone up out of thin air in a room?

Zhang Hao: Hey, didn't I just put on a magic show for you? Besides, I think you accepted it pretty quickly. I was worried I'd have to explain it to you a lot (thinks of a way to fool you).

Chapter 298 Rometheus's Confession

Demulan keenly noticed the hint of panic in Rometheus's words, realizing that Rometheus was indeed hiding a great deal from him.

"Rometheus, you sound a little flustered. You know this is just a normal check-up, why are you reacting like this? Or is it that you're hiding something from me...?"

Cold sweat began to trickle down Rometheus's forehead. Damn it, how could this Demulan put so much pressure on him? What a joke! He was someone who didn't even care about those board members!

[Zero]: Is it possible that you yourself have discovered something about Demulan? And at this point, child, do you still want to argue? Do you think you're the White Mask?

"Hehe, what are you talking about, Demulan? Are you doubting me? Just wait, I'll send you those videos in a little while."

Rometheus forced a couple of forced laughs, wondering if there was enough time. He decided to take Zero and his Blue Eagle squad to film another video for Demulan later to see if they could fool him.

"A little while? Rometheus, do you think I, Demulan, am a fool like Robert? Does finding a video really take that long? Go find it for me now, and I want to see the file you sent me on my computer in 30 seconds."

Seeing Rometheus start his "Tai Chi" mode, Demulan smiled disdainfully. It seemed certain that Rometheus had met Xiao Hao, and if nothing unexpected happened, he would probably pat his chest and assure Xiao Hao that he wouldn't reveal his information.

At this very moment, Detective Desmoulins has come online.

Demulan: Heh, it seems there's only one truth now. You wretched Rometheus, you'd better confess your crimes! You can't escape now.

"Sigh, you win. Tell me what you really want to ask me. I'm sure you don't really want to know how I found my eldest son."

Seeing this, Rometheus decided to just give up. Who told Demulan about Xiao Hao's situation with him? It shouldn't be Claire, right? If it were Claire, Demulan wouldn't have waited so long to ask him.

Rometheus: Could it be that my Ella really let it slip? No, no, I need to check her computer properly later. Good heavens, I knew all those promises she made to keep quiet were just lies.

Ella: I'm innocent! Besides, Mary and I don't usually talk about Xiao Hao and [Zero], okay? This is blatant distrust of me. And besides, do you think you can see the chat history between girls? Get lost! No wonder your [Zero] doesn't like you.

Seeing that Rometheus seemed to have resigned himself to his fate, Demulan also revealed a victor's smile. Really, he thought he would have to spend some time arguing with this old fox for a long time, but he didn't expect that he only had to put up a little pressure on him and Rometheus would confess so easily. He still had many tricks up his sleeve.

Demoulin: I used to sit in an office for a long time, and I haven't even had a chance to show off my previously proud skills in using platitudes. I was even thinking of using this Rometheus to give it a good test. How boring.

"Hmph, tell me honestly everything from when you first found Xiao Hao to what happened between you. You kept saying you would help me find him, but you didn't even tell me when you found him. You just let him go. Judging from the way you are now, you still want to help him hide his whereabouts!"

Hearing the dissatisfaction in Demulan's words, Rometheus wiped the sweat from his forehead and silently apologized to Zhang Hao in his heart. "I'm sorry, Xiao Hao. It's my fault for being useless. I can't keep protecting your secret anymore. But it doesn't matter. Anyway, you're in GTI. Even if that old woman Demulan finds out where you are, she can't do anything to you."

After giving himself a little psychological counseling, Rometheus began to recount, avoiding the main points, how he saw Xiao Hao on the plane and how he "invited" him to his Tower of Babel. Finally, he emphasized to Demulan that Zhang Hao was now a member of GTI, and he shouldn't do anything stupid in a moment of irrationality.

"I don't need you to remind me. I'm not as stupid as you. But Xiao Hao is actually in GTI, which is indeed difficult to deal with. It seems I can only wait for an opportunity to see if I can kidnap him while he's out doing a mission."

Rometheus: Girl, do you know that if what you just said were in China where Xiao Hao is, you'd be fed peanuts?

"No, no, my Kami won't graduate and come to my place for a few more months. It seems I should wait a few more months before making a move. But it doesn't matter. Anyway, I know about Xiao Hao's current situation, so he can't escape either."

Rometheus was quite shocked as he listened to Demulan's rambling on the other end of the phone. Good heavens, if Xiao Hao really gets kidnapped by Demulan, will that madwoman Zoya come looking for him with a kitchen knife?

Believe it or not, the more Rometheus thought about it, the more frightened he became. After all, Zoya, that fierce girl, was 100% capable of going crazy. Xiao Hao's appearance and personality were practically perfect for Zoya's aesthetic. After all, who could resist such an incredibly cute Barbie doll?

But if she were lost, and especially if she were kidnapped by Demulan, Zoya would probably think of herself as a poor working-class person. If nothing unexpected happened, she would probably be taken hostage. I wonder if it would be effective to put Ella in front of her then.

Ella: You're overthinking it. Knowing my senior sister as I do, she just happens to have two hostages in her hands.

Rometheus: What if I added a "zero" to her name? She wouldn't necessarily...

Ella: Hehe, doesn't that just make a perfect family of three for her? (shy) (* /ω＼*)

"Demulan, I suggest that these matters between young people should be left to them to handle themselves, don't you think? After all, isn't free love all the time now? Your thinking is just incredibly old-fashioned!"

Chapter 299 Don’t panic

While Rometheus was still trying to dissuade Demulan from doing something foolish, at Dam Zero, everyone was also thinking about a problem.

"Wait a minute, do you think Rometheus might tell Demulan about Xiao Hao's whereabouts?"

After finishing his meal, Wei Long casually remarked this, but after hearing it, Said fell into deep thought.

Said: Hiss~~~ Yeah, if it were me, I definitely wouldn't betray Xiao Hao, but if Rometheus gets interrogated by Demulan, then it's really hard to say.

Rometheus: Hehe, there's nothing wrong with saying it. I've already sold out. I hope Xiao Hao won't blame me. I was forced into this situation!

However, when Said looked at Zhang Hao and Shen Lan, he found that the two of them still looked calm and collected, seemingly unafraid even if Rometheus revealed Xiao Hao's information to Demulan.

"You guys... seem completely unconcerned. Xiao Hao, aren't you afraid that that wicked woman, Demulan, will just kidnap you?"

Said asked curiously. Everyone was aware of what that crazy woman, Demulan, had done in the Asara region. After all, she dared to launch missiles directly at Reis's hometown. To be honest, even Said was somewhat wary of Demulan.

"What are you afraid of? Uncle Said, have you forgotten what kind of organization GTI is? You might be afraid that Demulan will bomb you with missiles, but unless Demulan has been driven insane by that Relink brain-computer interface, we won't dare to make any rash moves against us. Besides, is it an honorable thing to snatch a little boy like me?"

"But Xiao Hao, have you forgotten? Deep Blue didn't put you on their list before. You're still an unregistered person, aren't you?"

Roy, having nothing better to do, jumped out and said something that stung Zhang Hao. He was then hit by Deep Blue's hammer and tumbled to the side, howling in pain.

"What's there to be afraid of? Didn't Uncle Shenlan say before that China is still willing to accept me? Think about it, which country or armed force in the world would dare to target the Chinese people?"

Zhang Hao said calmly, "Besides, even if GTI doesn't recognize me, I still have the protection of China behind me. Moreover, in the present day, who in the world would dare to cross the line in front of China? They would probably die without even knowing how."

Even a company as wealthy as the Hafk Group can only behave itself in front of China; they can only bully relatively underdeveloped regions like Asara.

"Don't worry, Xiao Hao. With my connections alone, I can make sure you enjoy the same treatment as a normal member with just a word. If those people at the top dare to accept bribes from the Hafk Group, I won't hesitate to show those new executives what real connections are."

Deep Blue also said domineeringly, "Just kidding. Looking back on the first half of my life, it has been quite remarkable. You know, many of the current high-ranking executives at GTI don't even have half the experience of Deep Blue. It's just that Deep Blue usually prefers to keep a low profile."

Zoya: Tsk tsk tsk, I don't know who it was when they were young that took me to the GTI headquarters every day to cause trouble for those people. If we said a few more words, we might have ended up fighting. Who was it? It's really hard to guess.

Upon hearing this, Wei Long and Roy exclaimed: "Huh? Is it really just a matter of a single sentence? What about us, who worked so hard to get in through all those selections? Are we clowns?"

Mai Xiaowen, who managed to get in through hacking the database: "Hey, I didn't expect you guys to only find out now! It's okay, it's okay, Red Wolf and the others will always be with you. Oh, by the way, Roy, I haven't told you yet, Uluru, who gets bullied every day just like you, was also specially recruited!!!"

Seeing that Xiao Hao was safe and sound, Said breathed a sigh of relief. He had almost thought he had made a huge mistake. Fortunately, Xiao Hao's background was quite powerful, so he could rest assured.

"In my opinion, I've met Demulan before, and she was quite friendly to me. I think maybe Demulan will invite me over to have some fun, just like Uncle Rometheus did."

Zhang Hao, with a naive look, began to think that Demulan, this "great person," would be someone like Rometheus.

Rometheus: Hehe, Xiao Hao, you're completely overthinking it. Your Uncle Rometheus is just naturally good-natured. I dare say you'd be hard-pressed to find someone with such an excellent personality in the Hafk Group. Don't let Demulan's kind appearance fool you. I'm telling you, after installing the Relink brain-computer interface, Demulan has completely changed.

Similarly, Deep Blue and Said immediately refuted Zhang Hao's naive idea. You say Rometheus is nice to you, that can be said to be because Xiao Hao knows Zoya, or at least they are acquaintances. But what about Demulan? She's willing to spend a reconnaissance helicopter to get your intelligence. Do you really think she doesn't have any other intentions?

Deep Blue/Said: Whoever wants to mess with Xiao Hao will have to face my shield bash/roll headshot first. Only if you survive will you be qualified to meet Xiao Hao!

Seeing the two suddenly become serious, Zhang Hao gave an awkward smile and said that he wouldn't run around recklessly anymore and would definitely protect himself when he was out...

After reciting "Xiao Hao's Essential Guide to Going Out" to Shen Lan, Shen Lan and Said nodded in satisfaction. This was their precious strategist, how could they let that old woman Demulan snatch him away, and even want Xiao Hao to be her son-in-law?

In response to Demoulan's behavior, the three women from the Secret Service said, "What special skills does your daughter have? Can she compare to us? Is she as pretty as us? Do you know what Xiaohao likes or what his sensitive areas are? If you don't even know these things, you shouldn't presume to compete with us."

"Alright, Xiao Hao, let's go pack our things. We'll take a nap this afternoon and then head back. Thank you for hosting us these past two days, Saeed. Once you've settled things in here, come over for a meal next time."

Upon hearing Shen Lan's words, Zhang Hao, Wei Long, and Roy were all shocked. Shen Lan actually invited Sai Yide to their place as a guest. Did Shen Lan completely acknowledge Sai Yide?

Chapter 300 Come play next time

Inviting Said to their place would be tantamount to revealing the Secret Service's coordinates to him.

Previously, Zhang Hao would always come to the dam to visit Said, but he never took the initiative to invite Said to their place. After all, the location of the Special Operations Department had always been kept secret, although the Hafk Group had already discovered it long ago.

But among Asara’s leaders, Deep Blue actually personally invited Said to their place. How much do they trust Said?

"By the way, we can also bring Nameless, Sophia, and the one with the shield along. We can still accommodate all of them."

Shenlan added that Sophia was rescued by them together, so there was no need to say they weren't familiar with each other. As for Wuming, they were even closer. Shenlan still remembered that night when Weilong and Roy, those two goofballs, went in with their phones and then ran out laughing, saying things like "still abstinent" and "dressed so revealingly," and other popular terms that he, an old man, didn't know.

As for why he thought of inviting Abel, Deep Blue said that he saw his own past self in this guy. Compared to his younger self, this guy with the shield seems a bit too weak.

It's not that Deep Blue is trying to discourage him, but at his age, Deep Blue could have easily taken down Said with one hand. If he had two hands, it wouldn't have taken more than a few minutes. Even Reis would have been kneeling on the ground singing "Conquer" to him. If he weren't older now, Reis wouldn't have been able to escape last time.

However, after hearing Zhang Hao's story about Abel, Shen Lan also had high hopes for this young man who also possessed a spirit of protection. He did not want the tragedies that happened to him when he was young to happen to this man again, so if he had time, he would not mind teaching this guy a few moves.

However, after all that had been said, the most shocked person was naturally Said, who was still frozen in place.

At this moment, he was staring blankly at the deep blue in front of him, and even with the mask on, it was clear that he was in a state of mental lapse.

Said had never had a good opinion of Deep Blue. After all, every time he invited Xiao Hao to his place, Xiao Hao would obstruct him at every turn. In addition, Said had never been able to beat Xiao Hao in terms of combat power. So every time Xiao Hao lectured him, Said would feel resentful.

Now, upon hearing that Deep Blue had actually invited them to visit their base, a flood of complex emotions surged into Said's mind, causing Said, who was also a single-core processor, to crash on the spot.

But after calming down, Said realized... was this what it felt like to be recognized? Although he didn't want to admit it, the feeling of being recognized by someone stronger than himself... was really good.

After calming his urge to cry, Sayyid nodded.

"Okay, don't worry, we won't be polite if we eat at your place next time. During this time, I will train Wuming and Abel to look like your Weilong and Roy."

Wei Long/Roy: Hey, old Sai, is that how you use adjectives? You should go back to your studies.

After exchanging glances for a few seconds, Shenlan and Said nodded at the same time. Then, Shenlan led Zhang Hao and the others to the hotel to rest and prepare for their retreat.

"Uncle Shenlan, why did you think of inviting Uncle Said to visit us? I thought you two would always be at odds."

On the way back to the hotel, Zhang Hao asked Shen Lan curiously. In their eyes, Shen Lan and Said were like two sworn enemies, and of course, the point of their dispute was themselves.

However, after this incident, Deep Blue actually took the initiative to invite Said, which indicates that the relationship between the two will no longer be as awkward as before.

What surprised Zhang Hao the most was that this time it wasn't Said who took the initiative to show weakness, but Shen Lan. Could it be that something happened between them that he didn't even know about?

"Hmph, it's nothing. I just woke up a little early this morning and saw some things I shouldn't have seen. Plus, that guy Said was keeping a close eye on you. And judging from his straightforward manner, I can only say he's fairly reliable. Roy and Weilong always come here to freeload, so you should treat them this time."

Looking at the somewhat "proud" Deep Blue, Zhang Hao smiled. It seemed that Uncle Deep Blue had completely accepted Uncle Said, but he still looked a bit stubborn.

Meanwhile, Wei Long and Roy behind them were already shaking with excitement. This was big news! The two former rivals had actually put aside their differences and it seemed they might even form a united front in the future.

Deep Blue/Said: Actually, we've always been on the same side when it comes to wanting to properly educate the two of you.

After returning to the hotel, Shenlan decided to go back at 3:30 pm. Seeing that Weilong and Luo Yi started snoring as soon as they got into bed, Shenlan shook his head helplessly.

Afterwards, Shenlan and Zhang Hao returned to their respective rooms, packed their luggage, and began to rest.

. . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . .

Time flew by and it was afternoon when it was time to go back. But when Zhang Hao tried to wake Roy up, he found that Roy wouldn't get up no matter how much he called him.

"Roy's gone, what are you trying to do by not getting up? I didn't even have this much trouble getting Brother Weilong up, and you're just lying here pretending you can't hear me!"

At this moment, Zhang Hao was painfully pulling at Roy, who was sleeping like a log. When he went to Wei Long's place, as soon as he opened the door, Brother Wei Long jumped out of bed and looked at him.

But now, when it came to calling Roy, Zhang Hao tried his best, but every time, Roy would fall down again after only a few seconds and start snoring.

"Oh, Xiao Hao, please stop bothering me, okay? If you can't, you should go back first. I'm really trapped in this bed now. Look, I can't move at all. Maybe I should leave tomorrow and let me sleep a little longer."