The Favored Heiress
Chapter 627: Qi Zai, Long Time No See

Chapter 627: Chapter 627: Qi Zai, Long Time No See

As the voice faded, four people walked onto the stage.

They each wore different artificial limbs, some with amputated arms, others with amputated legs.

In this demonstration segment, following Liu Zinan’s commands, they manipulated their neural prosthetics with great flexibility.

However, just as Liu Zinan instructed the person with the artificial arm to pick up a water glass, something unexpected happened.

The moment the person lifted the glass from the table, the bionic fingers crushed it to pieces.

Liu Zinan’s face changed dramatically, and just as he was about to issue a new command, one of the individuals with an artificial leg started spinning in place.

Issues began to arise with the artificial limbs worn by all four individuals.

"What are you doing?" Liu Zinan roared, while the four patients wearing the artificial limbs shouted in panic, "President Liu, we can’t stop!"

After a brief silence at the scene, a noisy uproar of discussion immediately ensued.

The presentation seemed to have turned into a farce.

"Don’t move erratically, clear your minds, everyone stand still for me," Liu Zinan tried to step forward to grab a patient, but before he even touched the other person, he was stunned by a punch thrown by the synthetic arm.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

All of these neural prosthetics were new products taken out of the storeroom this morning.

They had performed many experiments before the presentation, and it was impossible for there to be a neural signal malfunction.

The audience below had already begun to stand up, pointing and commenting on the patients who were unable to control their artificial limbs.

Facing this sudden turn of events, the spokesperson for Qianmu Group was thrown into complete disarray.

He quickly summoned the security staff at the event, forcibly removing the four individuals from the stage.

The presentation was forced to pause, and Liu Zinan, drenched in sweat, ran towards the backstage.

At the same time, a representative from Xiao’s Technology Holdings sitting in the front row took out their phone to make a call.

Unfortunately, during the introduction phase of the presentation today, Liu Zinan had plainly stated that the neural conduction chip was developed by Xiao’s Technology.

Those present were the elite in the AI intelligence field, and uncontrollable neural prosthetics fundamentally indicated a problem with the chip conduction.

"What is Qianmu Group doing? Daring to hold a press conference without human trials, using such an unstable neural conduction system on patients?"

"I said it, mastering neural conduction isn’t that easy. Xiao’s Technology is too eager for quick success."

"What a waste of time, I thought I was going to see something eye-opening, but it turned out to be a huge disappointment."

...

Five minutes later, Li Qiao slowly exited the conference hall.

The owner of Qianmu Group had not appeared till now, and spokesperson Liu Zinan was gone without returning.

Leaving a full audience whispering to each other, waiting for an explanation.

Li Qiao walked to the corridor, leaned nonchalantly against the windowsill with one hand in his pocket, and as he recalled the scene just now, a smile deepened at the corners of his mouth.

Before long, someone from the conference hall came out, holding a phone, looking at the ground, and spoke in a monotone voice, "The problem might be with the chip."

Whatever the other party said, she removed the phone from her ear, looked at it blankly, then casually stuffed it into her pocket.

Leaning against the windowsill, Li Qiao looked down at his fingertips, speaking lightly, "All these years, have you been at British Imperial?"

That person paused mid-step, turned towards the voice, and eyes suddenly blazing with intensity.

But it was fleeting, as if nothing had happened.

She didn’t speak, her eyes flickering, seemingly in hesitation.

Li Qiao continued to focus on his fingertips, not looking up, and continued in a declarative tone, "The anti-surveillance software for the third one, it was given by you, wasn’t it?"

The other party still did not respond.

Li Qiao didn’t need her to say anything either, glancing from the corner of her eye, "Go back and tell Xiao Yehui that the tampering with the chip’s conduction system was my doing. Stealing the fruits of other people’s labor, let’s do less of that in the future."

After speaking, she smiled faintly and turned to leave.

"There’s no need for me to convey it; he can hear it."

Li Qiao stopped abruptly, turning her head with narrowed eyes.

The woman opposite her couldn’t conceal her enchanting elegance, even in a black women’s suit.

She was Yin Mo, the representative in charge of attending the presentation on behalf of Xiao’s Technology.

Seeing the suspicion on Li Qiao’s face, Yin Mo immediately reached to lift the lapel of her suit, revealing a small listening device hidden there.

Li Qiao thought of the words she had just spoken, her heart suddenly sinking.

Yin Mo curved her lips, as if making a decision of no return, she slowly walked up to Li Qiao, reaching out and pinching her cheek, "Qi Zai, long time no see."

Li Qiao stared intently at her suit lapel, some things became self-explanatory.

Xiao Yehui... had planted a listening device on her, there was only one possibility; he was surveilling Yin Mo, he didn’t trust her.

Li Qiao pursed her lips, slowly lifting her eyelids to meet Yin Mo’s gaze.

After many years, they still looked like their memories of each other, but their positions were now entirely different.

Yin Mo looked down at herself, then, in front of Li Qiao, took off the listening device, threw it on the ground, and crushed it fiercely.

When Li Qiao mentioned the anti-listening software she provided to Shen Qingye, Yin Mo knew that some things could no longer be hidden.

If that was the case, why not have a heart-to-heart with Qi Zai?

Yin Mo stepped forward, embracing Li Qiao and murmuring softly, "Don’t be afraid, he can’t hear us now."

Li Qiao felt warmth in her eyes, looking at the crushed listening device on the ground, she cleared her throat, "Do you need help?"

"No need." Yin Mo patted her shoulder, distancing herself with a smile, whispering, "This is my own choice."

Li Qiao stayed silent, looking back at her with surging emotions in her eyes.

Yin Mo’s eyes were bright, filled with tenderness and brilliance, "Remember, I will always be your second sister."

With that, she released Li Qiao, took two steps back, and turned into the conference hall.

Li Qiao stood in place, watching her retreating figure, with so many words stuck in her throat that she couldn’t express.

She could see that Yin Mo dared not say too much to her, only that last sentence revealed her true feelings.

In the square of the conference center, the autumn sun seemed warm, but the cold breeze that came with it made one shiver.

Li Qiao sat on the steps at the entrance of the square, resting her cheek on her hand, watching the busy street, unaware of what she was thinking.

The Qianmu Group’s presentation had become the biggest joke of the AI technology field this year.

But at this moment, Li Qiao had no interest in the spectacle, her mind was occupied with one thing, whether Yin Mo’s actions were genuine, or just an act.

It wasn’t that she was cynical, but Yin Mo had grown up with Xiao Yehui, mastering the art of manipulation.

If she had smashed the listening device, why the hurry to leave?

Was it because she had something unspeakable, or was it part of a meticulously calculated plan against her?

Ahead, steady and familiar footsteps slowly drew near.

Li Qiao, chin propped on her hand, watched the black figure approaching from across the square, her gaze seemingly calm yet unfocused.

Shang Yu still had that cape draped over his shoulders, walking slowly amidst palatial buildings, full of noble air, acting imperiously.