Chapter 84: Chapter 69: Publicly Making the Hope Potion

Yu Lan’s barrage of questions left everyone present stunned into silence.

Even the live stream, which usually flooded with millions of comments a second, experienced a rare, seconds-long pause.

The initial rush of emotion subsided, and reason regained its foothold.

[Ah! Uh... I guess Yu Lan has a point. From start to finish, we haven’t seen any test reports from an official agency. How did they just drag her onto the trial stage and start judging her? I thought she was already declared guilty.]

[That’s true. It all started with someone posting some ambiguous rumors on the Star Network, and then all the males discharged from the Mad Hero Institute went berserk. It just looked so much like the effects of using deceptive P-material, so that’s why...]

[I forgot, though—an overdose of Male Induction Agent without a female to soothe them can also make them turn out like this.]

[But Male Induction Agent is only sold on the black market. To buy it in such large quantities and use it so precisely on the males discharged from the Mad Hero Institute, the person behind this must have some powerful connections, right?]

[I think you’re all insane for actually defending Yu Lan. Open your eyes and take a good look! Yu Lan is an ordinary female from Garbage Star who got lucky and entered the Science Research Institute. Who would go out of their way to frame her? In my opinion, she used the deceptive P-material and is just stubbornly refusing to admit it.]

Public opinion on the Star Network finally began to shift with Yu Lan’s string of counter-questions. With members of the Li Family also fanning the flames, the Star Network was now split into three camps.

The hired commenters speaking for Yu Lan.

The rational faction, who preferred to wait and see how things developed before taking a side.

The radical faction, who were convinced Yu Lan had used the deceptive P-material, was just trying to talk her way out of it, and should just hurry up and die.

At this moment,

as Yu Lan’s sharp questioning continued,

even the Chief Justice on the high dais experienced a moment of mental blankness, almost following her line of reasoning before he could stop himself.

A moment later,

his face darkened, and he slammed his gavel down hard on the bench.

"Pure sophistry."

"Yu Lan, you know perfectly well that after use, both deceptive P-material and Male Induction Agent disappear from a male’s blood without a trace."

"It’s completely untraceable in a lab."

"You’re counting on that, which is why you’re so brazen."

"I advise you to confess now. Otherwise, don’t blame this tribunal for being merciless."

"Guards, bring in the memory reader."

The Chief Justice’s authoritative voice rang out.

At his command, people immediately carried a machine in from below.

It was a helmet-shaped device, stark white and cold, glinting ominously in the sunlight.

The moment Yu Lan saw the memory reader, her heart skipped a beat.

Her intuition screamed at her that she absolutely could not use this machine.

And at this moment,

in the tribunal’s viewing gallery, Shen Zueran’s expression instantly darkened.

As the director of the Science Research Institute, no one knew better than him how unstable this thing was.

’It’s a new device, developed just two years ago. It’s not ready for direct use and is still being researched and improved.’

’Once someone puts on that helmet, by the time the memory scan is finished, they’ll either be dead or a drooling idiot.’

The human brain is very fragile.

Let alone for something as invasive as reading memories.

Shen Zueran could not sit still.

His hands at his sides clenched into tight fists. He turned to Huo Zhanting and Su Xingye, his usually calm and restrained dark eyes now blazing with a murderous intensity.

He couldn’t bear to see Yu Lan suffer even the slightest harm.

He didn’t want to wait. He wanted to make a move now.

After hearing Shen Zueran’s explanation of the memory reader’s terrifying effects, Huo Zhanting and Su Xingye’s eyes flashed with the same sharp glint.

’This must be Louisa’s true goal.’

’Once she’s subjected to the memory reader, even if she’s ultimately proven innocent, she’ll end up either dead or an imbecile.’

’Would Belina really hold Louisa accountable for a dead person or a fool?’

’No, she wouldn’t.’

’If anything, Belina might even reward Louisa more handsomely just to appease her.’

At that moment,

from high on the tribunal dais,

the Chief Justice’s authoritative voice rang out.

"Yu Lan, since you’re so determined not to confess, then let your memories do the talking."

"This is the newest model of memory reader developed by the Science Research Institute. Just put it on and let me see your development process for the Hope Potion."

"As long as you can prove you really didn’t use deceptive P-material, you will be innocent."

"Now, put on the memory reader."

The Chief Justice urged in a deep voice.

All eyes in the viewing gallery were fixed on her, burning with anticipation.

Watched by billions of viewers on the live stream.

Louisa’s heart was in her throat, pounding violently in her chest.

’A hard-won opportunity to prove myself has finally arrived.’

’Yu Lan, will you refuse?’

’Put it on. Put on the memory reader and become an idiot.’

’HAHAHAHAHA, an idiot. Let’s see you try to fight me after that.’

’She refused to believe Huo Zhanting and the others would fall for an imbecile. In the end, they would be hers.’

Under the watchful eyes of the entire world, just as Huo Zhanting, Su Xingye, and Shen Zueran were about to make their move,

the beautiful female standing before the memory reader tilted her head up slightly, a faint smile playing on her lips.

"I refuse the memory scan."

"My memories are my own private matter. I will not allow anyone to pry."

BOOM!

Her words landed

like a thunderclap, exploding through the crowd of spectators.

To the audience, giving Yu Lan a chance to prove her innocence with a memory scan was already a generous offer.

Why didn’t she accept?

What right did she have to refuse?

Why would she refuse?

Yu Lan’s refusal, to an audience unaware of the memory reader’s dark secret, only made them more certain she had used the deceptive P-material.

"Excuses! Excuses! Excuses!"

The fury of the live audience was completely ignited.

Countless water bottles, bags, and whatever else they could find were hurled at the tribunal stage.

They wanted to tear this lying, duplicitous female to shreds with their bare hands.

An overwhelming wave of malice washed over her.

Seeing this, Shen Zueran could finally hold back no longer. He took off running toward the stage.

He wanted to cover her ears, shield her eyes, and pull the beautiful female tightly into his arms.

’Don’t listen, don’t look, don’t be afraid.’

’I’m here.’

No one expected Shen Zueran to break past the tribunal’s security, run to Yu Lan’s side, and pull her into a protective embrace, his gaze fixed sharply on the Chief Justice.

"Yu Lan is a member of my Science Research Institute. If she has truly done something wrong, hold me responsible. I will shoulder all the blame."

Such blatant, protective favoritism from the male.

Louisa nearly died of rage at the sight. She had been at the Science Research Institute for so long, conducted so many experiments, and worked so hard to build a good relationship with Shen Zueran, yet she couldn’t compare to Yu Lan, who had only been there for a short time.

"Shen Zueran, get back here!"

Louisa was about to explode.

Yu Lan, for her part, was stunned by Shen Zueran’s sudden embrace.

She raised a hand and patted his back. "Shen Zueran, I’m fine. Don’t worry. I’m not scared."

She was not weak.

On the contrary, the fiercer the attacks from the outside world, the more resolute she became. A nameless fire ignited within her, and a towering rage began to burn.

Yu Lan raised her eyes to look directly at the Chief Justice.

"What if I said I’m willing to conduct a public experiment?"

"Aren’t you all saying I illegally used deceptive P-material?"

"Then this time, you provide the materials. I will create the Hope Potion right here, right now, to prove my innocence."