The Beautiful, Strong, and Tragic Female Lead is Mine [Transmigration Into a Novel] - Chapter 99

The short-haired girl’s first instinct was to chase after him, but perhaps because Dr. Meng left so resolutely, she lost the courage to continue pestering her. After running forward two steps, she slowly came to a stop.

She stood there, watching as his back disappeared into the boundless night, a complicated emotion welling up in her eyes.

A soldier at the warehouse entrance saw this and came over, asking curiously, “Guan Qin, what are you chasing after Dr. Meng for so late at night?”

The short-haired girl, named Guan Qin, opened her mouth to say something, but seeing the unfamiliar faces of Xie Zhitian and the others, she swallowed her words and just said vaguely, “Oh, it’s just the same disagreement as before, it’s nothing major.”

With that, she turned to leave, but a female voice from behind called out to her.

“Wait a minute.”

Xie Zhitian walked up from behind her. “Miss Guan, is that right? We’d like to understand the specifics of the disagreement you mentioned.”

Guan Qin turned her face to look at her, her expression momentarily unnatural. “I have something to do…”

“We are modified humans who have come from another district to help. We unintentionally overheard the first part of your conversation with Dr. Meng.”

Xie Zhitian ignored her excuse, her tone calm. “You said that if she doesn’t take action, you’ll have to question her real purpose for being here. The modified human soldiers in the base are risking their lives to come and support, and if there are safety concerns, I believe we have a right to know.”

Her words were logical and well-reasoned, leaving Guan Qin speechless, a look of struggle appearing on her fair face.

“Guan Qin, just tell them. It’s not like it’s something you can’t talk about.”

At this moment, the soldier on duty next to them chimed in. “They are all new soldiers who just arrived today. If you don’t explain what they just stumbled upon, how can they work with peace of mind?”

Guan Qin’s expression faltered, then she sighed. “Fine, I’ll tell you all.”

A cold wind blew by, and she shivered, shrinking her neck. “This isn’t the place to talk. Let’s all go to my place; it’s too cold out here.”

Guan Qin’s home was located on the west side of the rest area, only a few hundred meters from where Xie Zhitian and the others were staying.

The house had a small footprint, about half the size of their house. However, Guan Qin lived alone, so it didn’t feel crowded. The room was neatly organized, with no extra clutter.

There weren’t enough chairs at home, so Guan Qin placed an unused thick mattress on the living room floor to serve as a seat. She also boiled a pot of hot water for everyone and dragged the electric heater over.

Since she had agreed to talk, Guan Qin didn’t waste any words. “Ask whatever you want.”

Xie Zhitian smiled, also getting straight to the point. “What kind of person is Dr. Meng?”

“The woman you just saw is named Meng Qiang, or Dr. Meng.”

Guan Qin held the hot water cup to warm her hands and began to talk. “She is a genius in the field of artificial intelligence. She made a name for herself in academia at a young age. Before the apocalypse, many of our country’s practical robots were designed by her, bringing great convenience to people’s lives.”

Luo Yang recalled something. “So it’s Professor Meng Qiang. I’ve heard her name before, but I didn’t know what she looked like, so I couldn’t match the person to the name.”

Guan Qin said, “Dr. Meng is a very low-key person, devoted to academic research and not fond of being in the public eye. Many media outlets wanted to interview her, but the number of interviews she accepted was very few; she basically turned them all down. She has always been a loner and doesn’t like to socialize with others. Besides her robots, she’s not interested in anything else. She’s a bit of an otherworldly person.”

She paused. “Dr. Meng had a famous interview moment that went a little viral online. Basically, a sharp-tongued male reporter asked her, ‘You’ve always been focused on scientific research and have never been in a relationship. Don’t you feel like your life is incomplete?’ Guess what she said?”

Xia Fufeng’s curiosity was piqued, and she guessed, “She said, ‘What’s it to you?'”

“That would also make sense, but no.” Tang Zhuoran, who was next to her, laughed. She looked at Guan Qin. “I have a bit of an impression of that interview. At the time, Dr. Meng said, ‘I’m not interested in humans; the truth is my only lover,’ right?”

“Yes, that’s it.”

When mentioning that interview, a look of admiration appeared in Guan Qin’s eyes. “Back then, it was not like now. How many girls could withstand the pressure and throw themselves into their careers with all their heart? However, this is also somewhat related to Dr. Meng’s family background. Her father and mother are both excellent scientists, and she was immersed in science from a young age and became very interested in it.”

“How cool. She’s a very impressive person,” Xia Fufeng said with emotion, accidentally saying what was on her mind. “But I don’t have such great ambitions as her. I’d like to have a relationship after work.”

Her tone was extremely serious, like she was giving a report, which amused everyone in the room. Xie Zhitian deliberately pressed on, “A relationship? Who do you want to be with?”

“I…oh, don’t ask.”

Xia Fufeng realized her mistake and was so flustered that her neck turned red. She buried her face in the soft fur of the little fox and accused in a muffled voice, “We’re talking about serious matters; don’t change the subject!”

She secretly glanced at the person next to her and saw that the other person was just smiling at her, not seeming to have noticed her little secret, which made her secretly sigh in relief.

This little commotion, however, lightened the atmosphere, making it less serious than it was at the beginning.

Guan Qin continued, “Later, when the apocalypse broke out, robot production almost came to a standstill. But during this time, Dr. Meng did not give up on her career. She and her parents are considered high-end talents, serving the Queen and being well-protected by the military. Their research institute retains the country’s most cutting-edge technology and insists on conducting scientific research. They have never had direct contact with the aliens. I even suspect that she has never seen a living alien.”

Luo Yang nodded thoughtfully. “A hothouse flower. But it’s also right to protect such an excellent talent like Dr. Meng.”

She asked Guan Qin, “So what did you mean by what you said when you argued with her just now?”

Guan Qin touched her nose, feeling a little embarrassed. “Oh, please don’t misunderstand. I was a little anxious. Although I have a disagreement with Dr. Meng on some things, my intuition tells me she is still a good person.”

She organized her thoughts and recounted the recent events.

Mining the ore required a lot of manpower and resources, but many experienced miners had already been lost in the apocalypse. Moreover, the mine was located in a (wasteland) with no wall protection, so even with generous offers, not many workers were willing to come. People were well aware of the horror of the aliens and feared earning money they wouldn’t live to spend.

However, the current phase was all about economic recovery and development, so there was a huge demand for labor. As a result, District 53 and District 54 both came up with the idea of using robots to assist workers in mining. Unlike humans, robots could work without food, drink, or rest, and they didn’t have any negative emotions. As long as the hardware was maintained, they could work around the clock. With the participation of robots, the work pressure on workers could be greatly reduced, and the mining speed could be increased.

The two districts belonged to the Queen’s camp and the Commander’s camp, respectively, and each arranged for external aid for technical guidance. The person invited by District 53 was Meng Qiang. Guan Qin was also a scholar in the field of artificial intelligence, considered a junior to Meng Qiang, and was sent as an assistant to help Meng Qiang with her work.

Meng Qiang had high prestige in the field of artificial intelligence, so everyone’s spirits were lifted when they learned she was coming. But what happened next was a little disappointing to everyone.

Meng Qiang was surprisingly conservative in her use of robots. She conducted a strict screening of the existing robots, and any with even minor flaws would be excluded and sent back for correction until they met the standards. As a result, the number of robots participating in mining in District 53 was far fewer than in District 54.

This also meant that the mining progress in District 53 was much slower than in District 54.

Guan Qin counted on her fingers. “It’s only been three days, and the difference in progress is already visible. Over time, the iron ore mined by District 54 will be significantly higher than ours. In this case, the public will inevitably question our abilities.”

She sighed. “You also know that the mine is a piece of cake, and many pairs of eyes are on it. If we fall too far behind, some people from the Commander’s side will definitely say, ‘Since District 53 can’t do it well, hand the mine over to someone capable,’ and stir up public dissatisfaction.”

Xie Zhitian nodded. “That’s true.”

She recalled how Meng Qiang looked just now, her resolute eyes like the cold stars in the night, deep and beautiful, yet unfathomable.

She mused, “What if we have a good talk with Dr. Meng? I think Dr. Meng’s reluctance to let the robots be overly involved is probably based on safety considerations. After all, with the current technology, the robots produced now are not the same as those in the past. If we discuss it together, we might be able to find a compromise.”

Guan Qin said helplessly, “I thought so too at first, but I’ve looked for her several times, and she’s always been inflexible, and very firmly rejected my proposal. The reason is the same as what you’re thinking—it’s not safe.”

Today, after she finished work, she heard from the returning soldiers that their A district was falling further behind the B district, and they sounded a bit discouraged. Guan Qin became anxious and hurried to find Meng Qiang, wanting her to slightly lower the standards for the robots entering the mine.

But Meng Qiang was still her stubborn self, completely unmoved. In her haste, Guan Qin chased after her and said those things. The soldiers in the district were all aware of the disagreement between the two, but they couldn’t do much to help, other than to try and ease the atmosphere.

Tang Zhuoran asked Guan Qin, “Is Dr. Meng very difficult to talk to?”

She was older than the others and knew the most about Meng Qiang. In her impression, although Meng Qiang was aloof and cold by nature, she was a gentle person at heart. The starting point for every robot she designed was to help humans.

Guan Qin said, “It’s not that she’s difficult to talk to, it’s just that her personality is too reclusive. How does that saying go? The thought process of a genius is different from that of an ordinary person, and sometimes it looks like a personality flaw to others. Dr. Meng is the same as before, always alone and not liking people to get close.”

She pointed to the back of the house. “Originally, the base arranged for me and her to live together in the house back there so that work communication would be convenient, but Meng Qiang refused, saying that having people at home would hinder her thinking and insisted on living alone. So, I can only live next door to her. Don’t laugh, but Dr. Meng used to be my idol. I watched every one of her interviews and thought her stubbornness was cool, but only after actually interacting with her did I realize how difficult it is.”

Tang Zhuoran pressed on, “In this base, is there no one who can persuade Dr. Meng? Even if she doesn’t change her plan, she could at least interact more with people and explain her reasoning, so everyone can understand her careful consideration.”

“But I think Dr. Meng doesn’t seem to need anyone’s understanding. Her research is enough for her. As for other things, she just doesn’t care.”

Guan Qin gave a wry smile and casually put the cup aside. The water in the cup had already gone completely cold, without a hint of warmth.

She paused, then added, “However, I did hear a rumor. Dr. Meng had a serious mistake in a previous experiment, which is why she has become so timid and cautious now.”

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