Starry Rebirth: The Warden and the Outlaw’s Interstellar Revenge | Chapter 85 | The Reckoning Begins | Novela.app

Just as the man hailed by the federal scientific community as one of the most outstanding mecha energy masters of the century began to harbor doubts about the protégé he had favored, Feng Zhixi, far across the distant galaxies, finally received a long-overdue message. Opening his optical computer interface, Feng Zhixi saw a familiar face. In the holographic projection, the Old Dean of the Lanli Research Institute—a man known to the public as wise and genial—was currently wearing a thunderous expression. He was sternly demanding that this "wild child" return at once, asking if he even wanted his laboratory anymore. *I already emptied it out,* Feng Zhixi thought silently, though he made sure not to let his expression betray him. He certainly couldn't let the Old Dean hear that. On the other end, the Old Dean continued his lecture, though he began taking roundabout detours to fish for information regarding their young Chief’s recent life. Specifically, he wanted to know if Feng Zhixi had encountered any "shady Alphas"—the kind who were handsome, young, and good at deceiving people. While the Old Dean was fretting internally but trying to act subtle with his inquiries, Feng Zhixi’s lips curled into a faint smile. He turned his gaze toward Ji Yeran, looking him up and down with amusement in his eyes. *A shady Alpha?* "???" The "shady Alpha" in question was a picture of confusion. On the other side of the galaxy, as the Old Dean racked his brain for ways to coax his "naive and inexperienced" Omega Chief back home, he heard a single word: "Okay." Feng Zhixi had agreed quite readily, sparing the Old Dean any further mental gymnastics. The Old Dean, who had been bracing himself for a struggle to lure the boy back, was stunned. "????" *Wait, what’s going on? Since when did this brat become so obedient?!* While the Old Dean stood there in shock, he had no idea what Feng Zhixi was actually thinking. It was time to settle some scores. *Right?* Feng Zhixi looked at Ji Yeran, his smile bold and unrestrained, his wine-scented pheromones drifting through the air. *Right.* Ji Yeran nodded as he looked back at Feng Zhixi. His gaze was soft, and the faint scent of green plums mingled with the aroma of strong liquor. According to that light ball, a protector’s soothing presence was vital during a "youngling’s" growth process. *** Capital Star. It was a morning like any other. As the researchers of the Lanli Research Institute stepped through the morning light into the silver-white building, the holographic displays beneath the massive white dome were broadcasting the latest scientific achievements from the Star Net in real-time. Just as the researchers were greeting one another, a bombshell dropped on the giant holographic screen. A notification from the Federal Supreme Patent Database began to spread across the Star Net like wildfire. It was a brand-new research breakthrough: "Mecha Energy Curvature Rotation Application." This new research could revolutionize the way existing mecha core energy operated. Published alongside the result were the full derivation process and hypotheses for future research directions. It seemed that after seeing Hill's previous "work," Benjamin, the other party involved in the earlier dispute, had been fully convinced of his own inferiority and had voluntarily withdrawn. Furthermore, word had it that the intern named Hill intended to release his research results for free. So, what was this? Because the Federal Supreme Patent Database had not disclosed the researcher's name, many researchers were puzzled, suspecting that the anonymous researcher was Hill himself. However, as fate would have it, just as everyone was wondering, the Lanli Research Institute’s internal network loudly announced a shared achievement. The contributor was none other than Hill. In the holographic projection, the blonde, blue-eyed Omega looked profoundly sincere as he declared his intention to release this research for free, so that the entire Federation could progress together! "???" The researchers were utterly bewildered. Had they not seen the entry in the Federal Patent Database, they might have been moved by this Omega’s selflessness. The problem was that the version published in the Federal Patent Database included a full decoding of the derivation process and generously outlined five potential directions for extended research. This meant that anyone who saw those hypotheses could immediately begin deepening the research if they had the right inspiration. Looking at the patent database and then back at Hill on the screen, every researcher who witnessed this fell silent. The senior researchers, in particular, recalled past academic fraud scandals. Their suspicious gazes converged on the blonde Omega. Was this really a coincidence? At that moment, Master Zhou was also silent. The master took the data Hill had published and compared it to the entry in the Federal Patent Database. With his level of expertise, it took only a single glance to see the high degree of overlap—or rather, to see what Hill’s version was missing: original accumulation. From the beginning, the old man had felt something was off, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Now, seeing the two works side-by-side, the realization hit him. The first entry’s complete derivation process and future directions perfectly covered both the preliminary logic and the potential depth of Hill’s work. The version in the Federal Supreme Patent Database was a complete, forward-looking body of research. Hill’s work looked more like a polished, refined, and simplified "upgrade." To use an imperfect analogy: it was as if someone had spent years of effort to derive a brand-new formula and used it to solve countless difficult problems. However, because the full formula was too complex for general use, that person had simplified the variables and set common constants to create a "lite" version for ordinary problems. The research Hill had published looked exactly like that optimized, simplified formula. As this realization dawned on the old man, his face darkened instantly. And at this very moment, Hill, still busy playing his role with practiced sincerity, remained completely oblivious to it all.