Chapter 53: Chapter 47: Which Hand Did You Use to Smash It

At that moment

The male lab worker could only bite the bullet and insist it was all Yu Lan’s fault.

Otherwise, the fate awaiting him would be worse than just miserable—it would be horrific.

The male lab worker’s face flushed red as he swallowed his shame and answered Shen Zueran’s sharp questioning.

"S-Sorry, Dean Shen. It was my negligence. I... I wasn’t thinking."

Shen Zueran stared at the male lab worker, his dark eyes cold and severe.

The man began to crumble under the intense gaze. Beads of sweat dripped down his forehead, and just as he was about to break and confess the truth...

Louisa hurried over.

"Alright, alright, Zhuoran," she said. "Now isn’t the time to be assigning blame."

"The problem is that Yu Lan just smashed the Li Family’s Human-shaped Recovery Potion."

"The Li Family invested a hundred billion and spent countless hours, immense effort, and all sorts of rare ingredients to create that potion. Now it’s gone. The Li Family will never let this slide."

"And I’m afraid Yu Lan alone..."

Louisa was trying to redirect Shen Zueran’s attention. As the Director of the Science Research Institute, he would be the first to bear the brunt of the Li Family’s anger if they decided to pursue this.

They needed to do something else—anything—to mitigate the Li Family’s rage.

Not keep interrogating someone over something that was already done.

’If he keeps digging, what if he exposes me?’

Louisa’s gentle reminder, feigning concern for Shen Zueran, trailed off under his cold, severe gaze.

Shen Zueran’s dark eyes were heavy with anger. He let out a cold scoff and ordered in a low voice,

"Investigate it."

"Start from the very beginning, from the moment the potion was successfully developed. Investigate every single detail."

"Find out why the Human-shaped Recovery Potion, which should have been secured in Lab Three, ended up here."

"As for the Li Family’s accusations," Shen Zueran took a step forward, looking down at Louisa. He tilted his lean, sharp jaw, a hint of the arrogance befitting a man of his stature in his eyes.

"I will handle them myself."

With that, Shen Zueran strode toward the main gate of the Science Research Institute. The Li Family was a top-tier interstellar chaebol, arms dealers who controlled countless munitions and possessed the most advanced laser weaponry.

The Li family estate itself was a fortress, heavily guarded and surrounded by private soldiers and death-sworn loyalists.

For him, the Director of the Science Research Institute, to try and storm the place to rescue Yu Lan was a fool’s errand.

But if he coordinated with Su Xingye and Huo Zhanting, the chances of success would increase dramatically.

Just as the tall, imposing man reached the main gate of the Science Research Institute, he turned his head, revealing a sharp, superior profile. His voice was cold and left no room for argument.

"By the way, Princess Louisa, we are not that close."

"At the Science Research Institute, I would ask that you address me as Dean Shen."

Without another word, the man strode away without a shred of mercy.

He left Louisa standing there alone, her face burning with embarrassment under the subtle, probing gazes of all the male lab workers. Her hands, hanging at her sides, clenched into tight fists, and she gritted her teeth.

’Shen Zueran!’

’So what if you’re in love with Yu Lan?’

’The Human-shaped Recovery Potion the Li Family has coveted for so long has been destroyed. That’s a fact.’

’The Li Family is notoriously vengeful. They will never let her get away with this.’

*

As for Yu Lan,

On the order of an absolutely furious Li Yufei, she was seized.

She watched the silhouette of the Science Research Institute shrink in the distance.

’I’m finished,’ she thought.

Her hands were roughly bound behind her back, and her mouth was sealed with tape, rendering her speechless.

The beautiful female was in a truly wretched state.

Li Yufei led her through layer after layer of security, finally stopping before a large, tightly sealed door.

Yu Lan looked up at the door, which emanated a dark, chilling aura. A flicker of confusion crossed her amber eyes.

For some reason,

She didn’t feel any sense of fear or terror from this place.

Clearly, the men beside her felt differently. The two male guards holding her were so tense and alert that their muscles were coiled tight.

It was as if some terrifying demon dwelled within.

Standing at the door, Li Yufei turned to glare at Yu Lan and snorted.

"Today, I’m going to let you see just how much damage that potion you ’accidentally’ broke has caused."

"Yu Lan, you will pay the price for what you’ve done."

Li Yufei’s voice was shrill. She grabbed Yu Lan’s arm, her nails digging deep into her flesh.

At that very moment,

Inside the room sealed by the reinforced steel door,

Stood a massive iron cage.

A mysterious and incredibly dangerous Black Panther lay quietly on the floor, eyes half-closed, its tail twitching lazily behind it.

Each seemingly careless flick of its tail against the bars produced a loud CLANG, leaving deep, successive gouges in the metal. It was a chilling testament to the panther’s terrifying and violent strength.

The panther seemed to sense the commotion outside. Its eyes snapped open, a cold light flashing in their deep blue depths.

The beast rose to its feet, every muscle tensed in alert. It lowered its forelimbs, its spine arching like a rolling mountain range. It licked its sharp fangs and parted its jaws slightly—the perfect picture of a predator ready to strike. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Its powerful, aggressive intent was completely unconcealed.

It was clear that if anyone entered with ill intent, it would lunge in an instant and rip out their throat.

The next second,

Reflected in the panther’s deep blue eyes,

The ornate, reinforced steel door was pushed open from the outside.

Li Yufei walked in, holding Yu Lan in a tight grip.

When she saw the Black Panther locked in the iron cage, Li Yufei’s eyes reddened.

She walked closer, then violently threw Yu Lan to the ground.

She grabbed Yu Lan’s head from behind, leaning close to the beautiful female’s ear. Her voice dripped with cold sarcasm.

"Yu Lan, open your eyes and take a good long look."

"This is what you’ve done."

"Our Li Family invested a hundred billion to develop the one and only Human-shaped Recovery Potion for my brother, Li Yucheng—the future heir of the Li Family—and you smashed it."

"Now he can only live in his beast form forever."

"How are you going to compensate us for that!"

Growing more agitated, Li Yufei’s voice rose to a shrill peak.

She abruptly pulled out a dagger and demanded fiercely,

"Which hand did you use to break it?"

"Tell me!"