Chapter 281
Chapter 281
On the other side of the study, Rupert was in a video conference.
Without looking up, he messaged his chief administrator during a meeting break: "Clear next month's second week schedule. Advance European Banking Quarterly Review. Location: Velmora City."
That evening, as Diana reviewed meeting materials, Rupert placed a cup of hot coffee by her hand.
"Next month there's an HBP summit in Velmora City," she said.
"Is that so?" He glanced at his watch. "I happen to have a business review in Helvetara. Perhaps we could have coffee by Lake Verriton."
Her fingertip paused briefly. She continued working.
No words needed—their orbits had aligned once more.
Meanwhile, Oscar, Isabella, and Julian held a security meeting.
Oscar's holographic image was nearly collapsing, behind him a map of Velmora City marked with red dots.
"I need to weld shut every sewer around the venue!"
Isabella toyed with a component model. "Don't panic. 'Noah-02' arrives at Ravenden Port in three days. We can deploy a mobile command center in Western Europe within six hours."
Julian remained composed. "Mr. Russell's itinerary is synchronized. The firewall has completed mobile upgrade, ensuring this mobile armor won't even lose paint."
Deep in the night, Rupert retrieved a diplomatic passport from a locked drawer.
Tucked in the visa pages was Diana's annual itinerary.
Beside the Velmora City entry, he added a line in sharp pen strokes: "Flight LX197, arrives 09:15. Hotel: Beau-Rivage Genève."
Below, his own notation: "Security Team B clears area 08:00. Route A-3 backup."
He closed the passport, slipped it into his suit's inner pocket, against his heart.
His world was vast enough to shake global capital markets, and small enough to hold only one itinerary.
Hotel.
Diana stood at the window, the light screen displaying the HBP summit's complex agenda and attendee backgrounds.
Every name on the list represented an academic faction, each faction backed by tangled interests and national will.
Oscar's team, like chameleons blending into their environment, silently spread a net.
From the hotel's ventilation ducts to every sensor in the summit venue ceiling—all under 'Athena's' monitoring.
Rupert hadn't appeared, but his presence was everywhere.
The breakfast delivered to the hotel was her usual oatmeal and soft-boiled egg, temperature perfect to the degree.
The simultaneous interpretation equipment provided at the summit, when she wore it, transmitted pure audio streams synthesized by 'Athena.'
Inside Dominion Hall of Concord, luminaries from global neuroscience gathered.
When Diana took her seat at the core position marked 'DY,' she felt probing gazes from all directions.
A Valeria professor struck first. "Your 'decompression' theory has obvious gaps in quantum tunneling effects—it cannot explain non-local neurotransmitter release."
"Your question is like asking why cars can't drive on water," Diana responded calmly. "My model is built on classical physics. If you can provide experimental evidence of quantum entanglement in neurotransmitters—"
"Starlight Foundation would be happy to create a separate project for you. The budget will come from your institute's annual funding."
The Valeria professor's face flushed. Suppressed laughter rippled through the venue.
As the meeting reached the critical technology roadmap vote, the heavy wooden doors burst open.
An assistant rushed in with a tablet. The chairman's expression changed dramatically. "Due to sudden international disputes, the Helvetara Federation will implement temporary exit controls on certain delegates."
Emergency news flashed on the large screen—tensions in Eastern Europe, multiple nations implementing sanctions.
The venue erupted into chaos. Communications cut off, exits sealed.
Diana's fingertip tapped a Morse code sequence on her specially crafted watch.
Several miles away, top floor conference room of Helvetara Bank & Trust.
Rupert received Oscar's highest emergency signal and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, dialing. "I need an absolute exemption corridor from Dominion Hall of Concord to Crownvale Air Terminal. Fifteen minutes."
Hesitation on the other end.
"My personal assets in Helvetara Bank & Trust can buy all your non-performing loans for the next ten years." His voice was ice. "Or I transfer everything out now. Your choice."
After two seconds of silence, a decisive response. "Corridor cleared."
Inside the hall, Oscar stood, drenched in cold sweat beside Diana, as all evacuation plans were nullified by the official lockdown.
Then a middle-aged man wearing a Helvetara top-tier private banking badge approached, accompanied by federal agents. "Dr. DY, Mr. Russell has arranged an exit corridor for you."
Under the hall's astonished gaze, Diana's party left through a special passage.
A black armored motorcade ignored all checkpoints, proceeding directly to the airport.
On the private tarmac, Rupert stood at the base of the gangway, Velmora City's cold wind stirring his shirt.
Only when Diana approached did he drape the cashmere coat he'd been holding over her shoulders.
Inside the cabin, Oscar was still reporting on that miraculous evacuation.
Rupert cut him off, voice icy. "This will never happen again."
His gaze was as sharp as a blade. "Update the security protocol's highest principle: she will no longer enter any physical space not under our absolute control. Any matter requiring her participation—bring the target personnel or entire laboratory to her."
Oscar understood the weight of those words.
Rupert pulled up the light screen, reviewing 'Eden Phase III Expansion and Global Mobile Laboratory Deployment Plan.'
Diana gazed out the window.
This was domineering protection, yet it also granted her absolute freedom.
The plane flew smoothly.
After finishing his documents, Rupert discovered Diana had fallen asleep against the seat back.
He turned off the reading light above her, adjusting the ambient lighting to its softest setting.
His world could surge with storms, but her world must remain forever tranquil.
...
When the plane landed in Imperial City, it was already late at night.
In the Russell Group Building's top-floor study, Diana pulled up materials on HBP's neuromorphic computing center in Breswick.
The 'SpiNNaker-2' prototype was key to verifying her theory.
"The Breswick itinerary needs rescheduling," she told Rupert.
"No need." His gaze shifted from the screen. "Next week, the core team and equipment will come to 'Noah-01' for technical exchange. HBP unanimously approved."
Diana paused.
She understood the cost behind that 'unanimous approval.'
Starlight Foundation had used a sky-high funding plan to buy out all future related research results.
"What if I need data from an Antarctic research station?"
"Isabella will take over satellite communications."
"What if I need to operate a deep-sea submersible?"
"Then we'll buy that company and install the control panel in your study."
The conversation stopped abruptly.
The 'firewall' he'd built for her had transformed from virtual code into physical barriers spanning the globe.
Diana closed the materials. "I'm tired."
She turned and left.
Rupert watched her departing direction, the coffee in his hand long since cold.
Protection and imprisonment—often separated by only a thin line.
He knew she had felt that line.
The next day, the three 'logistics officers' held a classified meeting.
Oscar, sporting dark circles, faced the new 'DY Security Protocol V7.0' in near despair. "Moving the CERN collider here—do we need to buy all of Velmora City?"