Because he was too old and had been bedridden recently, the man's voice was unusually hoarse, as if it had been forcefully squeezed out from a crack. Duan Hengye had always believed that aging was an inevitable process. No matter how advanced technology was, no one could escape from the laws of nature.
Natural aging was also a gentle and elegant process, but the man in front of him probably had nothing to do with these two words.
He had lived a life of luxury, but in the process, he had also picked up a lot of bad habits. Duan Hengye thought that if this was when he was young, Duan Hengye would definitely be an upgraded version of Duan Hengxing.
It might have been difficult to see him from a distance, but now that he was a little closer, he could see that the old man's skin was very poor. The layer of flesh was floating on top of his bones, like the bark of an old tree that had just survived the cold winter. Even though he had seen this man many times before, he already had this person's appearance in his memory. However, after seeing the Duke in an even worse condition with his own eyes, Duan Hengye couldn't help but be shocked by the other party's appearance.
However, Duan Hengye remained calm on the surface, not revealing his previous emotions.
The man lying on the hospital bed raised his eyelids again, then looked at Duan Hengye with a tired expression. After looking up and down for a while, he slowly said, "The first time I saw you, you were still a child … At that time, you were affected by an accident and lost your memory. You really looked like a person in a daze."
Many people in the Interstellar knew that Duan Hengye lost his memory after the accident. After Empress's family adopted him, the first thing they did was to take Duan Hengye for an in-depth physical examination. When the story was told, most people were in awe of the aristocratic family's care for the scientist's orphan.
However, only a small number of people knew that the reason they took Duan Hengye for a physical examination was to prove whether or not he really lost his memory.
Just as the man had said, after a series of tests, they quickly discovered that Duan Hengye had indeed lost his past memories. However, he had not lost his understanding of mecha and other knowledge.
Duan Hengye didn't say anything. The person on the bed continued, "Who would have thought that in the blink of an eye, you're already the director of the Institute of Machine Learning …"
Because he was standing very close to the man, the mist-like drug that surrounded him had also infected the Duan Hengye. Duan Hengye did not know what it was. He only knew that it was extremely bitter. After standing there for a while, Duan Hengye felt a little dizzy.
Although the old man had been a typical hedonistic son of a rich family in his youth, his ability to judge people wasn't bad at all. He could see some discomfort on Duan Hengye's face. He suddenly smiled and said, "Actually, I called you here … because I wanted to see you." As the man spoke, he showed a loving expression.
Duan Hengye didn't know what kind of reaction he would give if the person standing here wasn't him but the original 'Duan Hengye' who had been brainwashed. However, when combined with the memories he had of this place, Duan Hengye didn't believe that the person in front of him just wanted to see him.
Although the man in front of him was the head of this huge family in name, his life was clearly coming to an end. Living in a family like this, Duan Hengye believed that even the head of the family would most likely turn himself into bait for the family's benefit. But … why did they call him here?
Duan Hengye's relationship with the royal family and the Empress family was very delicate. He had already stopped the consulting business with the other side for a long time. However, the relationship between the two sides hadn't been completely cut off. For example, they would still provide Duan Hengye with the special temporary antidote from time to time, as if to remind him of his identity.
"Okay …" The man on the hospital bed once again slowly waved at Duan Hengye. Because the movement was slightly large, the mist of medicine around him was scattered by him, and then some of it flew towards Duan Hengye's face. Although Duan Hengye held his breath in time, it was inevitable that some of the powder was inhaled into his lungs.
Because of the drug's effects, Duan Hengye's physical condition wasn't very good. After inhaling the powder into his lungs, he couldn't help but have the urge to cough. Duan Hengye immediately turned his body to the side and coughed hard.
"Sorry, Mr. Duke …" After coughing, Duan Hengye turned around and bowed.
"It's fine." The Duke on the hospital bed smiled and said, "Go eat lunch first, you don't have to stay here with an old man like me."
Although Duan Hengye couldn't wait to leave, after hearing the other side's words, he still pretended to refuse. In the end, he said goodbye and left the ward.
Now the news of the Duke's serious illness had spread throughout the galaxy. Not only Duan Hengye, but other people who were slightly related to the Empress family also rushed to this planet in the past few days.
Under the guidance of the attendant, Duan Hengye walked through a long and winding corridor and walked to the door of the banquet hall. The overall layout of the Empress family's planet was very retro. Even the wooden door of the banquet hall didn't have an automatic door opening device, which was rare.
After arriving here, the attendant who had been following Duan Hengye immediately stepped forward and opened the door. In an instant, the noise in the banquet hall rushed into Duan Hengye's ears.
Although the head of the family was still lying on the hospital bed, this didn't prevent people from continuing to be at ease in the banquet hall. In recent years, the power of the royal family and the nobles had been declining. Many members of the family's side branches also tried to climb up to new forces.
So after entering, Duan Hengye was not greeted with the awkward silence he expected. Instead, he was surrounded by a few unfamiliar faces that he had seen before.
The smell of medicine that had yet to dissipate, coupled with the chattering in his ears, made Duan Hangye feel like his head was about to explode. But fortunately, he was originally a "cold" person. The words of the people around him went in one ear and out the other. After a while, those people also left Duan Hengye's side.
This was a buffet banquet. Although Duan Hengye was a little hungry, he didn't have much interest in the food in front of him. After a while, he walked to a more secluded place in the banquet hall, then casually took a snack from the table.
After running around for a while, Duan Hengye actually wanted to eat. He gently stroked the edge of the snack with the small silver fork in his hand. After a while, a sweet and greasy taste spread from the tip of his tongue. It wasn't that Duan Hengye didn't like to eat sweets, but this sweetness was a bit too much … Seeing this, he couldn't help but frown slightly. He then put the snack in his hand in the hands of a robot that was responsible for recycling.
This time, there was no schedule for coming to this planet. Even Duan Hengye himself didn't know how long he would stay here. The lingering smell of medicine on his body, coupled with the overly sweet snack, made Duan Hengye's mood even worse.
Even though Duan Hengye was somewhat familiar with this planet, without anyone telling him the next step of the plan, Duan Hengye didn't know where to go. So when he thought that he might have to stay on this planet for a while, Professor Duan once again walked to the table and gently picked up the white porcelain plate with the fruit.
The plate was very delicate, but there wasn't much inside.
The moment Duan Hengye gently picked up the plate, he suddenly heard a voice behind him. "Professor Duan, good afternoon."
Duan Hengye's hand paused. He was very familiar with this voice, but he couldn't remember who it was. Even though he didn't want to talk to anyone at this banquet, after hearing someone call him, Duan Hengye politely turned around.
The navy blue suit with a black bow tie. Duan Hengye didn't expect the person who called him from behind to be Wen Mujia. Speaking of which, he hadn't seen this "former love rival" for a while.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Wen," Duan Hengye also said to the other person.
Wen Mujia was holding a half-empty wine glass in his hand. He smiled and walked over to Duan Hengye. For someone of his status, his family was inextricably linked to the various aristocratic families. Therefore, after the initial surprise, Duan Hengye wasn't surprised to see Wen Mujia here.
Duan Hengye remembered that the last time he saw Wen Mujia, Wen Mujia deliberately set up a small trap to trick him. But now, looking at Wen Mujia's expression and reaction … It was like that incident never happened. When Duan Hengye saw that Wen Mujia was playing dumb, he acted like Wen Mujia and made a simple greeting.
Wen Mujia glanced at the food in Duan Hengye's hand and asked, "Is Professor Duan eating this for lunch today?" Even though Wen Mujia wasn't from this family, he had the temperament of a host. The man tilted his head slightly and smiled at Duan Hengye. Then, he continued to speak in a joking tone, "If you only eat this, people will spread the news."
"…" Duan Hengye really didn't understand why Wen Mujia was talking to him. However, as a person who was afraid of trouble, he chose to shut Wen Mujia up with his actions. Duan Hengye gently picked up a small piece of freshly grilled steak from the small table beside him and said to Wen Mujia, "Thank you for reminding me."
Wen Mujia didn't expect Duan Hengye to be so direct. He couldn't help but raise his eyebrows, but he didn't say anything.
For the time being, regardless of the taste of the steak, it smelled really good. When the fragrance of the meat wafted over, the medicinal smell that had yet to dissipate around Duan Hangye was also offset a little. But soon, Duan Hengye noticed that the steak was still bloody.
Duan Hengye and Wen Mujia stopped talking, but they didn't want to leave his side.
Fortunately, at this moment, the banquet hall's door was pushed open from the outside again. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the door, and Wen Mujia was no exception. After seeing his action, Duan Hengye couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. He took the opportunity to put the thing in his hand aside.
Because of the person who came in, the banquet hall suddenly became quiet. Duan Hengye's place was a little remote, so after a while, he finally saw the person who suddenly appeared in the banquet hall was Empress of the Yetian Empire … From the moment the woman came in, a wave of greetings sounded in the hall.
At this time, Wen Mujia picked up his wine glass again and looked in the direction of the person who came in. Although this banquet hall belonged to a top noble family, it was not as big as the imperial family's or the military's. Duan Hengye and Wen Mujia's location was very remote, but they were still noticed by Empress at a glance.
Although today's clothes were a little simpler than when they were on the capital planet, Empress's dark green dress was still very conspicuous against the dark formal clothes in the room.
Today's banquet was a private event organized in the name of the Count, but everyone who was invited knew about his health condition. Although they didn't feel anything in their hearts, facing Empress, they still forcibly pretended to be serious and sad. However, Empress herself didn't seem to be affected by her father's illness at all. Before she walked over to Wen Mujia, Empress raised her wine glass high.
"Your Highness Empress." After the woman walked over, Wen Mujia respectfully bowed to her. After recalling for a moment, Duan Hangye also greeted the Empress of the Empire according to his identity.
Just like the last time he saw Wen Mujia, the two didn't get along very well. The relationship between Duan Hengye and Empress might be a little worse … He once threatened this woman at the royal banquet. So when Duan Hengye saw the other party looking at him, he couldn't help but feel a little nervous. But on the surface, Duan Hengye didn't reveal his emotions at all.
As someone born in a traditional noble family and became the Empress of the Empire, the woman's disguise was quite good. The woman in front of him was obviously good at disguising herself. Although her eyes were still sharp, she controlled her expression well.
"Professor Duan …" Empress glanced at her wine glass with a smile, then said slowly, "You came here when you were young. Father has always raised you as his own child. Even when he was sick, he didn't forget to remind us to ask you to come and see him. " Empress's words could be said to be sincere, as if the old Earl really had been thinking about Duan Hengye.
— No, maybe he really did think about me, but his purpose was different from what Empress wanted to express at this time.
Before Duan Hengye could speak, Wen Mujia, who was standing next to him, couldn't help but respond, "The entire Interstellar knows that Professor Duan was adopted by Mr. Earl. It's really touching that Mr. Earl still cares about Professor Duan. "
Hearing this, Duan Hengye couldn't help but laugh silently in his heart.
"Yeah." Empress nodded and said to Wen Mujia, "Father is especially concerned about Professor Duan's health. If it weren't for his reminder, I might have forgotten to give Professor Duan a 'gift'." Although she didn't say it explicitly, Duan Hengye and Empress both knew that the "gift" she mentioned was the temporary antidote.
Wen Mujia didn't know what Duan Hengye and Empress were talking about, but he sensitively felt that there was definitely something between the two of them.
Seeing this, Wen Mujia suddenly said to Duan Hengye and Empress, "Sorry, Your Highness Empress, and Professor Duan, I just came from somewhere else and I'm a little hungry, so I won't disturb you two." After that, Empress nodded at him in satisfaction, then Wen Mujia left the corner without looking back.
Seeing that the other party didn't want to stay for a moment longer, Duan Hengye couldn't help but feel a little funny.
Empress held a glass of wine and watched Wen Mujia's back. After he completely disappeared in front of her, the woman finally turned around. She took a sip of wine and said to Duan Hengye, "Professor Duan, a while ago, you didn't have a good time either, right?"
The royal family didn't know that Duan Hengye had already cloned the antidote. According to the frequency of the antidote being sent to Duan Hengye from time to time, Empress naturally came to the conclusion that Duan Hengye wasn't having a good time recently. Duan Hengye obviously wouldn't tell her what he had. After the woman's voice fell, Duan Hengye didn't directly answer her question. Instead, after a moment of silence, he asked, "Is there anything else?"
Duan Hengye's tone wasn't very gentle, but Empress wasn't angry this time. She shook her head at Duan Hengye and said, "You have a good relationship with Meng Jinhuai, so I won't stop you. But today, I want to remind Professor Duan again, no matter what, don't forget your identity. Otherwise, we won't feel good, and you won't feel good either. Right? "
Duan Hengye went silent, but in Empress's eyes, his silence was a tacit agreement.
The woman continued, "Why don't you think about it again? If you continue to work together, not only will the royal family forgive you, but they will also give you a big gift. "
"A big gift?" Duan Hengye couldn't help but repeat.
"That's right." Empress looked up at him and said, "The real antidote."
So this is what she was waiting for … Duan Hengye had to admit that what Empress said was indeed very tempting.
If she said this not long after Duan Hengye transmigrated to this world, or before Meng Jinhuai invited Lan Jingchi to join the research institute, Duan Hengye might have hesitated for a while. But now, Duan Hengye was very clear that with Lan Jingchi, a pharmaceutical genius, it was only a matter of time before the antidote was obtained.
But as for the royal family, Duan Hengye didn't know if they had a real antidote, or if they would give him something new.
Even though he didn't care about Empress's words at all, Duan Hengye still had a somewhat conflicted expression on his face. After seeing his expression, Empress felt a little more confident.
"Why don't you think about it more carefully?" Empress said.
Duan Hengye nodded slowly, then cast his eyes to the ground in the distance. "Then I won't bother Professor Duan." Empress smiled at Duan Hengye again, raised her cup, and left.
After she left, Duan Hengye's expression immediately returned to his previous incomparably calm state. Duan Hengye walked to the small table closest to him again, then slowly picked up a plate of snacks that once left a good impression on him. In short, if Empress was next to him at this time, she would definitely be surprised by Duan Hengye's current appearance.
There was no schedule for today's visit to the Subordinate Planet, but Duan Hengye guessed it now. In the afternoon, the Empress would probably call him to another place to discuss the details. Duan Hengye, who had decided to continue pretending to restore the cooperation, breathed a sigh of relief, and the big stone in his heart was finally lifted. Even the ordinary snacks in his hand were much more pleasing to the eye at this time.
However, although he guessed that today would definitely not be simple when he came here. But after a few minutes, Duan Hengye realized that this day was probably far more exciting than he thought before.
Suddenly, the heavy wooden door of the hall was pushed open from the outside again. Although the quality of this wooden door was good, the person who pushed the door at this time was too rough. There was a harsh sound in the hall.
Because of this sound, everyone's eyes turned to the door at the same time. But before they could figure out what was going on, almost at the same time, the huge glass windows around the hall also burst with sounds of explosions.
… What's going on?
Duan Hengye immediately put down the things in his hand, then gently touched the protruding weapon on his wrist.
Although he didn't know what was going on, at least Duan Hengye knew that today's "big show" finally officially began.
Duan Hengye quickly retreated to a more inconspicuous position. At this time, there were walls behind him on three sides, and he could only see the hall from the front. In fact, when Duan Hengye walked here just now, he had already observed the terrain. His current position was very conducive to observing the overall situation of the hall, but it was difficult to be discovered by the people on the other side at a glance.
At the same time when Duan Hengye retreated here, dozens of men in black poured in from the door and windows. There were not many guests in the banquet hall today. According to Duan Hengye's observation, the number of men in black at this time was probably more than the guests …
He slowly unbuttoned his cufflinks.
At this time, the air in the hall stagnated, but this quiet state did not last long. After a while, Duan Hengye heard a sharp scream from the other side of the hall. Although he couldn't see the other side for the time being, he definitely recognized the owner of this voice. The owner of this voice was His Highness Empress of the Yetian Empire.
Then, there was a commotion in the crowd. When Duan Hengye saw clearly, Empress had already walked out of the crowd with a gun pointed at him.
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