Julian Sterling did not refuse, he knew this was the man’s final compromise. It was just... could it actually be done?

Julian Sterling pondered for a moment, told the man to wait for him a bit, and then picked up his phone to text Lucas Hill. When it came to this kind of intrusion technique, both Lucas Hill and Vincent Vaughn were highly capable individuals, but Julian Sterling was not particularly close to Vincent Vaughn.

He summarized the situation, leaving out many detailed aspects, but still informed Lucas Hill about the level of danger involved in this matter.

Very quickly, the other party replied that there was no problem and that he could provide assistance. He could also try asking Vincent Vaughn for his help.

Therefore, Julian Sterling forwarded Lucas Hill’s contact information to Ethan Caldwell: "I think he can assist your technical department."

Speaking up to this point, Julian Sterling could not help but let out a chuckle: "It is quite amusing, really. I initially cooperated with him to prepare for a future where I would no longer be walking alongside you. Yet now, I have revealed every single one of my trump cards right in front of you..."

Before he could even finish his sentence, the man pulled him into a tight, all-encompassing embrace.

"We will not be separated from one another."

"Could you add a condition for me, please?"

"Hmm?"

"Living to enjoy wealth and glory is fine, but whenever life gets miserable or death is near, let us each bear our own burdens. I do not really have the need for that."

"..."

...

HJ Capital was located in the most bustling financial center district, and its general footprint was on par with the surrounding skyscrapers. Although this building was owned by the HJ Capital fund, in reality, only the upper section served as the operational area for HJ Capital, while the floors below were freely leased out.

It was unknown what the lower levels were like, but the workspace of HJ Capital brought about an uncomfortably cold sensation.

Everything here bore the hues of white and silver-gray. The light from the LED fixtures on the ceiling radiated downwards evenly, leaving no hidden corners, creating the feeling of a colossal laboratory disguised under the name of a financial company.

Ethan Caldwell was intercepted at the elevator area exclusively reserved for VIPs. The security team of HJ Capital wore black suits and earpieces, their demeanor unlike that of ordinary security guards but rather resembling professional military personnel.

"Mr. Caldwell, we apologize, but our Chairman has only invited Mr. Sterling."

In truth, Ethan Caldwell had already anticipated this, though his expression was anything but pleasant. Julian Sterling gently squeezed Ethan Caldwell’s hand as a gesture of reassurance: "Be good, go up to the lobby and wait for me".

Then he stepped into the elevator all by himself.

As the chrome-plated elevator doors slid shut, Julian Sterling saw his own reflection on the metallic wall. He adjusted his collar and took a deep breath. This feeling... for some inexplicable reason, Julian Sterling found it deeply familiar.

The highest floor.

The heavy wooden doors opened, revealing a vast office with a panoramic view overlooking the entire city. A man around thirty years of age, wearing a simple white dress shirt with the top two buttons undone, without a tie or a suit jacket, was sitting leisurely at a round table next to the floor-to-ceiling windows.

He was sipping a cup of coffee; his posture was relaxed, yet it exuded the aura of a predator residing within its own territory.

Cedric Harrington raised his head, the corners of his lips curling slightly into a faint smile: "Welcome back, A-01."

Julian Sterling did not approach immediately, he stood at a safe distance, his voice dripping with cold indifference: "I do not use that name, and I am not returning anywhere either."

Cedric Harrington chuckled softly, setting his coffee cup down: "You may change your name, change your entire appearance, but the genetic code inside your body does not know how to lie. Trust me, in this world, there are many individuals who are frantically searching for that name."

He stood up and stepped closer to Julian Sterling. Every step he took carried an invisible pressure. Then Cedric Harrington stopped two paces away from Julian Sterling, his eyes narrowing as if he were observing a precious antique.

"Do you know, in the files of CORE, A-01 was never once recorded as a successful experiment."

Julian Sterling suppressed the discomfort rising in his chest, waiting in silence.

"You are a variable." Cedric Harrington continued, his voice deep and laden with ambiguity: "A successful experiment is when it operates exactly according to the pre-established protocols. As for you... you shattered that protocol right from the very beginning. And you are not the only one who survived stepping out of that glass cage."

Julian Sterling’s heart clenched, the statements made by Catherine Sterling and Cedric Harrington completely aligned. Another child... a tiny hand in the photograph...

"What did Catherine Sterling tell you?" Cedric Harrington suddenly asked, then answered himself in a mocking tone: "That she is your mother? That she saved you? Do not be so naive, A-01."

He leaned in close to Julian Sterling’s ear, whispering: "The woman you hear in your dreams, the one who told you not to look... She is not your mother."

The nerves in Julian Sterling’s brain felt as though they had been violently yanked by someone. He froze, his pupils contracting sharply. Why would Cedric Harrington know what he was dreaming about?

"She was a traitor." Cedric Harrington stepped back, staring straight into his eyes, seemingly relishing the panic welling up from deep within Julian Sterling: "She was a technical staff member who deliberately sabotaged the system to destroy our experiment. And she... was also the very first one to be eliminated right in front of your glass cage."

"Catherine Sterling did not save you. She merely prolonged the time in order to gather more data." Cedric Harrington nonchalantly returned to the table, picking something up: "If the person who found you earlier had been me, perhaps we would have had a much more pleasant conversation. But if it was Gabriel Cole..."

He let out a cold laugh: "You would not have had the chance to sit here and listen to these words."

Cedric Harrington placed an object onto the table. It was a small, primitive piece of wood, carved with the image of a sun with radiating beams of light. It looked exactly like the piece of wood in the photograph, but this was the real thing. The wood grains had darkened over time, yet the carved lines remained remarkably distinct.

"Take it," Cedric Harrington said: "I want to see for myself whether you are truly worthy of me keeping you around or not."

Julian Sterling reached out his hand tremblingly, and the very moment his fingertips brushed against the rough surface of the wooden piece, a jolt of electricity flashed through his brain.

Zap!

The blazing red light of the alarm sirens.

The desperate, ear-piercing screams of the crowd wearing white lab coats.

A bloodstained hand forcefully shoving him into a narrow, dark corner.

A gentle yet broken voice echoed beside his ear: "Run away... Do not look back... You must absolutely survive..."

The piece of wood slipped from Julian Sterling’s hand, hitting the floor with a dull thud. He stumbled back several steps, his breathing fragmented, cold sweat pouring down his temples.

Cedric Harrington was not surprised in the slightest. He stood there, smiling as he looked at Julian Sterling, a smile that chilled one to the absolute bone: "It seems... you are starting to remember."

He approached closer, bending down to pick the wooden piece up, twirling it lightly in his hand before staring straight at Julian Sterling with eyes full of pity: "The problem is, A-01... The more you remember, the closer death will approach you."

"Are you certain that you wish to continue remembering?"