Chapter 287: Lance Young

“Who is Lance Young?”

Leo Grant looked at Nina Jennings, who had just returned from her phone call, and asked.

Nina Jennings froze for a moment, and the overinflated balloon in her hand popped.

The balloon: …Please, lady, spare my entire family! I’m begging you! Wasn’t it enough that you just shattered my third aunt’s-grand-uncle’s-nephew’s-second-cousin’s-third-uncle’s-male-cousin into a million pieces? Was that not enough?! Fine! I’ll just self-destruct! Take my life, just please be nicer to the others!!!

Seeing this, Leo Grant looked away. “If you can’t talk about it, then don’t.”

“We’re all on the same side now. There’s nothing that can’t be said.”

Nina Jennings ran a hand through her hair, a smile playing on her lips. But no matter how you looked at it, the smile was tinged with bitterness.

“Lance Young is a few years older than us. Before we went to Apeiron, he lived in the same place we did. He’s also… the one who killed Ms. Luna all those years ago.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the backyard fell into a dead silence.

Leo Grant’s body went rigid for a moment. Yvonne Lowell’s words echoed in his ears: ‘Among the four of us, one had to go out and fight the person in first place. Only one could survive. The result was obvious. My sister died.’

‘So Lance Young… is that legendary first-place kid?’

“Hiss… Wait, that’s not right. From what I heard from Angus just now, you all thought he was dead? What’s the story there?”

Nolan Crawford stroked his chin, looking puzzled.

Although he didn’t know what the three of them had been through in the past, Nolan’s brain wasn’t just for show. He could piece together the gist of it from their fragmented conversation.

Nina Jennings gave a wry smile and sat down on the grass, her gaze turning distant.

“Yeah. Yvonne was the one who volunteered to fight him. Back then, she drove a steel bar straight through his palm and shoulder. She also slashed his face, disfiguring him. He’d done the same thing to Ms. Luna before, so she just gave him a taste of his own medicine.

Yvonne actually planned to kill him then, but for some reason, she was stopped by the person who usually loved to use death as a final signal. What’s even more ridiculous is that the three of us were put in solitary confinement because of it.

By the time we got out and were planning to take care of him privately, Lance Young had already disappeared. No one knew where he went, and the only way to leave that place was to die. So we just naturally assumed he bled to death.”

“But it’s been so many years. If it’s really that Lance Young guy looking for revenge, what took him so long? Wouldn’t it be more convenient to just join Pluto?”

Nolan “My-Brain’s-Not-Just-For-Show” Crawford’s brain had reached its processing limit and was starting to crash.

Silas Lynch glanced up at him. “Have you forgotten? Before Miss Lowell returned to the Lowell Family, outsiders didn’t even know the name of Pluto’s chairman, let alone what they looked like.”

“Besides, Pluto is full of elites. If he joined, his chances of climbing the ranks and getting close to the core members would be even slimmer, and it would take much longer,” Leo Grant added.

“Yeah, and maybe he couldn’t believe we’d end up doing so well for ourselves, right? Plus, Lance Young was injured by Yvonne. He’s always been fiercely competitive and used to playing dirty.

It was the first time he’d ever been crushed by someone—and a skinny little girl so much younger than him at that. It’s only natural he’d aim all his attacks at Yvonne first, and then us.”

After speaking, Nina Jennings turned to Leo Grant, her meaning unmistakable.

Leo Grant nodded slightly. “Don’t worry, I know what to do. I’ve already made the arrangements.”

“Good.” Nina Jennings took a deep breath, then switched to a more genuine smile and clapped her hands.

“Alright, that’s enough reminiscing! Everybody get moving! Tomorrow is my girl’s 20th birthday! Not only that, it’s her first birthday since coming home, plus a proposal ceremony! We have to make it absolutely perfect for her!”

They were no longer the scrawny, fragile weaklings they used to be, whose bones would snap at the slightest pressure. Nor were they the numb killing machines they had become.

They were now living, breathing people—people of flesh and blood, resurrected by the love and companionship they had for each other and had found in Apeiron and Kingsland.

‘Who cares if it’s the real Lance Young or some random bug—a cockroach, a mantis, a dung beetle. We’ll just squash whatever comes our way. Right now, nothing is more important than my sister’s happiness.’

…

「Lowell Group.」

Yvonne Lowell copied a year’s worth of surveillance footage from the tech department’s office area and research lab, watching it at 16x speed.

After watching it all, she reviewed all the work reports Andy had compiled and submitted but found no issues.

Yvonne Lowell’s brows furrowed slightly. The surveillance footage showed no signs of tampering, and during work hours, there were no strange actions or anything unrelated to his job.

However, she noticed that while Andy seemed cheerful and joked with his colleagues, earning a good reputation in the department, a sinister glint would occasionally flash in his eyes when he thought no one was looking.

‘But he hasn’t done anything detrimental to the Lowell Group. Instead, he’s diligently climbing the ladder. Why?’

‘It seems… I’ll only find some answers once I see that intelligent robot.’

“Try this. See if you like it,” Caleb Lowell said softly, placing a cup of coffee in front of her.

“Thanks, Brother.” Yvonne Lowell picked up the cup and took a sip.

“Gesha from Ethea? This version has a rich, wine-like aroma. I remember it being very hard to find.”

“You know your stuff. If you like it, take some home with you later. So, did you find anything unusual?” Caleb Lowell glanced at her computer screen.

Yvonne Lowell shook her head. “He’s a hard worker, gets along with everyone, but look…”

Yvonne Lowell pulled up a screenshot from the surveillance footage, showing the change in Andy’s eyes.

“One second he’s laughing and joking, the next he’s like a different person.”

Caleb Lowell stared at the eyes on the screen, lost in thought.

Yvonne Lowell tapped her fingers on the desk. “Exactly, and it’s not the first time. He’s so responsible and hardworking, climbing the ladder so diligently. Either he truly loves his job, or…”

“He’s planning something big, something that could affect the entire Lowell Group!” The siblings looked at each other and said in unison.

“It seems to be related to the project’s content, then.”

A ruthless look flashed in Caleb Lowell’s eyes. No matter what, Andy… couldn’t be allowed to stay.

“Mhm, I’ll need to see the robot myself before I can say for sure.”

Caleb Lowell raised an eyebrow. “You’ll look at it? I thought you were sending it for testing?”

“I’ve studied a thing or two in this area. Oh, by the way, have Brother Grant send it directly to Tidalview. I have a basement there.”

Yvonne Lowell said this while wiping the traces from her computer.

Caleb Lowell’s mouth twitched. ‘Just a thing or two? For some reason, he didn’t quite believe that.’