Chapter 53 - 51 (1/2)
Zero was right to his suspicion that the tea was drugged but he did not expected it to be a psychedelic drug.
'So the first princess was under hallucinations?'
The young man thought as he strode inside the research facility, luckily the badge came in handy as no one obstructed him on his path. But there was something he wanted to confirm as the mission was still on-going.
He knocked the door of the office of the monitoring team as someone opened it for him. It was a member under Jin who greeted him as he went in. He noticed the atmosphere inside the office as the chief of the investigation team was seated comfortably on the couch in crossed legs while Chief Bai Zhou was glaring daggers to Jin.
Zero was finally seen by both of the parties as the chief detective smiled at him as he gestured to the young man to sit. Zero greeted Bai Zhou with a nod as the other raised its brow in bewilderment.
'So he didn't know me on this script.'
Then might be the youth being held captive here was erased to their records as well.
”Sir, I brought the results here,” Zero addressed Jin as the chief detective commanded Pengfei to handle those papers.
”Who is this, Chief Jin?” Bai Zhou asked while looking at the youth with a scrutinizing stare.
Zero sighed as he thought how did the chief of the monitoring team was so different to the one he met, months ago.
”He's an apprentice of mine, his name is Zero,” Jin responded.
Suddenly a system notification caught Zero's attention. He thought that they heard it as they were staring him.
[System notification: Side task: Do not accept the apprenticeship of Xeris. Reward: Mystery box. Time limit: 30 seconds.]
'Xeris?'
The young man did not know anyone named Xeris but he felt that the system was referring to the chief detective.
Realization entered his mind as he stared at the smiling Jin. The vice captain with an antagonistic tone woke him up from reverie.
”Are you deaf? The captain is asking you to be his apprentice, he's taking you under his wing! You should feel honor from it.”
”Eh?”
Zero then glanced at Jin as he was left baffled but the countdown of the system reminded him of the pressing side task.
[19]
[18]
Numbers kept appearing infront of him like counting the time of his death. Zero cursed as he thought how to politely refused this person.
”Sir, I'm appointed by the king to train under General Jianguo so I cannot accept your invitation.”
Hearing that, Bai Zhou suddenly exclaimed, ”So you are that Prince Zero?”
The youth frowned by the addressed of Bai Zhou as he wasn't used to being called prince and usually the people around him just called him young master than that 'pretend' title.
As a blood relative to the royal family, you are considered to be entitled as prince or princess so it wasn't strange to hear that from Bai Zhou.
Zero cleared his throat as he clarified, ”I prefer you call me Young master Zero or Zero.”
The vice captain with shock on his face, asked, ”You are the favored nephew of the King? Why didn't you say so?”
Pengfei gulped as he realized that he kept offending a member of the royal family. Though, he was blaming Zero from hiding his true identity.
If the young man knew what was the vice captain was thinking, he would laughed at his stupidity as truthfully, he was just pretending to be a prince. But it didn't matter anyway to Zero as his top priority was to finish his pending main tasks.
Jin on his smiling face as he spoke, ”Such a pity yet Your highness, you could still keep that badge of mine.”
[Ting! Side task completed. Mystery box obtained.]
Zero ignored the whole sentence of the chief detective as he found it odd at the way Jin emphasized the term 'your highness.'
The young man narrowed his eyes as he thought something but he instantly changed it as he replied, ”I'll give it back once I'm finish using it.”
The chief detective shrugged as Zero focused on the warning sign of the system.
[System Detection: hostility rate 55%]
Zero looked at the smiling Jin as he continued talking to Bai Zhou. The youth decided to listened at their conversation.