Chapter 244: Psychological Testing
May 6th, North America, New York, Empire State Building, 10 a.m.
In a somewhat exaggerated luxurious penthouse suite, a group of poised and sensual blonde ladies was facing a massive electronic screen, their expressions visibly displeased.
At that moment, the chief steward of the James family was engaged in a video conversation with someone on the other side of the Atlantic.
Inside, the polite smile of the Engel family heir only served to stoke the unconcealable anger bubbling within Catherine.
“… I regret to inform you that we hired a team with extensive search and rescue experience at the first opportunity, and they are currently making all efforts to locate Dr. Maddy in the waters around him. Mrs. Catherine, I can understand how you feel right now; I am also waiting for news.”
Elwin’s demeanor was appropriate, calm, and elegant, but deep within his icy blue eyes, there was no sign of any emotional fluctuation.
Catherine pursed her lips slightly and sighed, saying, “Dr. Maddy is one of the most significant experts in the field of life sciences. His team took over a decade to assemble, and if he has gone missing, it will severely impact our collaboration!”
Elwin nodded slightly, his tone becoming serious: “I also appreciate Dr. Maddy himself. Since he joined the Eden Fourth Research Lab, the Vanguard project has made significant progress. I had originally suggested he take a vacation in Greece, but he and his team abruptly changed their plans.”
Catherine suddenly shifted her posture and directly interrupted him, “No, it’s not ‘Vanguard,’ it’s ‘Freedom Fighters.’ I must reiterate this, Mr. Elwin!”
“Whoever is in power after this year’s election will face an economic situation that isn’t optimistic for North America in the coming years. The White House believes that the Freedom Fighters project is a crucial card in maintaining North America’s global competitiveness, and I hope you, Mr. Elwin, will take it seriously!”
At this point, Catherine deliberately emphasized the White House’s stance rather than the position of the James family.
Elwin smiled, “Alright, Freedom Fighters… The Fourth Research Lab needs fresh blood like Dr. Maddy, who has a more innovative outlook. His work has allowed us to allocate more personnel to more critical projects.”
The two fell into a brief silence for a few seconds. Catherine took a deep breath, shook her head slightly, feeling somewhat drained: “Alright, I look forward to good news from your end. Although Dr. Maddy is hired by the James family, he has a very close relationship with the federal government, and I hope you can give this importance.”
Even though countless voices in her mind told her that Dr. Maddy, who had infiltrated the Eden base under the directives of North American officials, wouldn’t have died accidentally, she knew that, judging from various intelligence reports, Dr. Maddy’s team had already overcome many challenges related to the Vanguard project’s treatments.
Vanguard was once the core project supported by the Third Reich aimed at the Gotar family, and they had high hopes for it, attempting to create what they deemed the most superior race and super-soldiers. This history was far too sensitive; at that time, the Engel family was besieged by nearly all of the world’s orthodox families for this very reason. And now, North America had become the largest backer of this project, with the so-called Imperial Vanguard, named by the Third Reich, being rebranded as the Freedom Fighters.
“Mrs. Catherine, with Dr. Maddy missing, the research progress will be heavily impacted. It would be best if you could continue to send technicians to take over,” Elwin said.
Elwin nodded, lifted his hand, received a document from the screen, and flipped through it: “Dr. Maddy has managed to keep the experimental subjects in a half-blood invasive state for twenty-four hours, reaching the standard of the upper-tier blood servants.”
Compared to the results from eight thousand years ago, the time had doubled, but the instability issue remained severe, and many bottlenecks were still to come.
Catherine sneered, then slowly stood up, pressing her hands on the table, her imposing chest almost straining against the buttons of her shirt: “Alright, I’m now sending Dr. Maddy and the entire team out to sea. Who will explain the current research progress and technical details to the Federal Security Council?”
Elwin tossed aside the folder in his hand, intertwining his fingers on the table, a relaxed smile, “Isn’t this the most valuable progress in the past half-century? I believe that gentleman at the White House, or the Federal Security Council, would be delighted to receive such good news from the James family and will prepay the next research funding.”
“Alright, I’ll think about how to explain this to the White House… The president has ordered the Fifth Fleet to dispatch a secret rescue team, hoping the Engel family can cooperate fully. Mr. Elwin, there shouldn’t be a recurrence of this situation; it’s too sensitive.”
Catherine took several deep breaths, finally managing to stabilize her mood somewhat.
The video call ended, and after a few seconds of silence, Catherine suddenly grabbed the table and slammed it against a tablet.
“Catherine, you really aren’t suited for acting. That young lion knows exactly how we think from beginning to end and has made the right choice.”
A familiar voice rang out from behind, and Catherine turned in surprise to find another person in the room, sitting calmly on a sofa in the corner, gazing at her.
Catherine quickly composed herself and bowed respectfully, “Director… Mr. Edward, when did you arrive?”
The mechanic was facing a young duke hailed as the youngest in the history of the blood tribe, who, after being forced to migrate to the North American continent, had leaped from a mid-tier family to one of the world’s top orthodox blood families.
Edward appeared to be no more than fifty years old, with a robust physique, dressed impeccably in a suit, his flaxen hair neatly groomed, especially those unforgettable amber eyes, shining with an imposing light.
It was precisely because of those wolf-like eyes that Edward earned the title of the Wolf King among the orthodox blood clan.
“Elwin exudes the same charisma as young Otto, decisive and confident in his actions, though the downside is he rarely gives himself any leeway.”
Old Otto, in Edward’s words, referred to the dying old duke of the Engel family.
“But Dr. Maddy is a person appointed by the federal government; how dare he act so boldly? This puts us in a very awkward position!”
As he spoke, Edward took out a cigar, cut the end, lit it, and leaned back with satisfaction.
“But this is the foundation of our cooperation with the White House and the Federal Security Council. How can he not know we would act immediately… Elwin’s independence is too strong; I have to worry about the actual progress of other projects—could he also be withholding information?”
At this, Catherine’s face revealed concerns.
“Elwin, or rather old Otto, is very clever. They know that the Primordial Plan is a matter of life and death for the Engel family, especially after our past coercive incentives to restore many Engel family research projects; he must ensure that we don’t betray the Engel family.”
He holds back much project progress, giving us tiny morsels of hope, which also serves to bind us, maintaining our support and alliance with him. This is all part of old Otto’s plan.
Catherine nodded slightly: “These things have their reasons. I fear you mentioned before that he not only provides these results to us but also… doesn’t he fear the White House…”
Edward raised his hand, making a calming gesture, then laughed as he stood up and walked to the massive floor-to-ceiling window to overlook the bustling Wall Street below.
After taking a couple of puffs of his cigar and admiring the distant scenery for a minute or two, Edward turned back: “In the Primordial Plan, the only project that can deter both the ordinary world and the blood world simultaneously is the Vanguard project.”
“This is, in itself, a mad plan opposing the two worlds. The White House, through us as intermediaries, secretly supports it, and we also hope that North America can provide us with an environment protected by hegemony.”
“However, if this continues, the world will only approach a Third World War, which isn’t in the interest of the blood tribe. The Primordial Plan needs to continue advancing, but it also requires a certain balance.”
“Catherine, we received intelligence a long time ago that among the top partners in the Primordial Plan, besides the North American government, there is also a high-ranking figure from the hidden arrows of Hua Country. For Hua Country, the greatest adversary in the next century isn’t us blood tribe but North America.”
“Before this, Otto made a bet with me that the world to come would be a confrontation between the superpowers of North America and Hua Country, rather than the trembled era of the past… To persuade the hidden arrows’ high-ranking figures in Hua Country and allow the matriarch to grow smoothly there, they must be given equal treatment to North America.”
“In Otto’s view, as long as the two strongest nations in the world both need the Engel family, he would have enough confidence and time to glean the most benefits from the Primordial Plan without worrying about being held accountable.”
“Thus, the Vanguard project is doomed to be merely a tool to balance the superpowers. Both Otto and I will not allow it to be genuinely completed. This is one of the tacit boundaries maintained between our two families… I only know that I can’t tell if Otto has any ulterior motives hidden in the Primordial Plan!”
As he spoke, Edward’s eyes suddenly became sharp, carrying an evident malice.
“Apart from the Angel, Crown, and Holy Grail, which hold absolute significance for us, Otto must have other plans within the Primordial Plan. Otherwise, how could that old fellow have taken on the Primordial Plan back then?”
“I heard that over one hundred and fifty years ago, four dukes—Otto, Tian Zhong, Gort, and the royal family of the East—held a secret salon, and the content of their talks was strictly confidential… I had just recently entered the status of a marquis and wasn’t qualified to participate, so I don’t know what they discussed.”
To get these four old guys to put aside their prejudices and come together, there must be some big secret…
As Edward trailed off, he fell into a state of deep contemplation, not noticing that the cigar in his hand had gone out.
Speaking of which, Catherine fell silent as well; she had no voice in topics of such a ducal level.
Catherine, Elwin’s deployment in Hua Country has reached a critical stage. Someone from the Fujiwara family has been secretly persuaded by him and is preparing to take action against the hidden arrows, initiating the Rio Plan. Focus on this matter.
Edward left, leaving a plethora of bewildering topics for Catherine.
However, one thing Catherine was certain of was that her family’s duke leader had been preoccupied in recent months, apathetic toward family matters, and his enthusiasm for the Primordial Plan was gradually waning.
In light novels, it was even rumored that the family head had repeatedly requested secret meetings with the royal family of the East, but there had been no further developments, leaving her puzzled about what secrets these all concealed.
“That bastard Elwin is really walking a tightrope…”
Turning her thoughts back from the family head to the present reality, just thinking that Elwin dared to directly act against the North American official research team, leaving the Laith family to clean up the mess afterward, made Catherine grit her teeth.
…
Five time zones away, shortly after 3 p.m.
The screen turned black, and Elwin stretched his arms as he stood up, taking a bottle of red wine from the nearby cabinet, pouring two glasses, and bringing them to the sofa.
His great-grandfather, Otto, was sitting in a wheelchair, holding a cane and smiling faintly as he looked at him.
“Otto, you should rest in the estate.”
Elwin handed the wine glass to his great-grandfather and then sat down on the sofa.
That little Edward, like me, thinks there cannot be any progress right now, after all, letting ordinary people possess the powers of the blood tribe would be enough to overturn the entire blood tribe world.
The old man took a gentle sip of the wine, closing his eyes to savor it.
He seemed to have aged significantly, like a candle swaying in the wind, ready to extinguish at any moment.
“Hmm, because of the existence of the Vanguard project, that Kong Ming has to support us; he considers North America the number one strategic competitor.”
Elwin laughed and raised his glass, indicating to his great-grandfather, “Choy Dali’s side has begun the final preparations. Once the blood tribe forces of the hidden arrows and the elite of the Hua Country blood tribe are annihilated, no one can stop the queen’s return.”
The old man stared at the wine glass in his hand, remaining silent for several minutes before raising his head: “Child, I’ve heard that the Primordial being is becoming increasingly stable; perhaps this is our last chance. Have you confirmed who the queen is?”
Elwin thought for a moment and spoke very softly: “Most likely it’s Jiang Yao. However, this time the matriarch, the queen is different from before. Whether it’s Jiang Yan or Jiang Yao, both are incredibly stable. So for safety’s sake, it’s best to bring Jiang Yan back as well.”
The old man lightly nodded, his hands, like dry branches, slowly caressing his cane, his expression very calm: “Elwin, my child, my remaining life, aside from enduring the torment of aging, holds little significance.”
“If time runs out, I can sacrifice myself for the Primordial being to buy you more time… Jiang Yan should not be looked down upon by the Primordial, right?”
After finishing, the old man pressed a button, and the electric wheelchair turned in a circle, quietly retreating.
Elwin tightly gripped the wine glass in his hand, watching his great-grandfather’s back disappear, his expression extremely grave—Otto was right; if the queen could not return, it would be a severe blow to the Primordial being, just as it happened a hundred and eighty years ago.
Back then, the royal family intercepted and killed the queen, leading to the Primordial being’s stability severely deteriorating; the Gotar family then expended massive resources just to barely pull the Primordial being back from the brink of collapse.
Even now, with technological advancements, the Engel family has many means to maintain the stability of the Primordial being, but such harm to the Primordial being must ultimately be avoided as much as possible.
…
…
By the time Elwin finished his conversation with his great-grandfather, it was already past eleven p.m. in Hua Country on the other side of the world.
The May Day holiday had ended, and the urban dwellers were exhausted yet still somewhat conscious. On the first day back at the Golden River Club, there were very few guests, and it had been empty for two hours already.
The club closed early. All of the Windflower Knights were at that moment sitting in the first-floor hall, either engaging in quiet conversations or deep in thought, waiting for Wan Yue’s directions.
Of course, there was one exception, Huang Gu, who, as a servant, stood out among the knights. However, his seniority was so significant that no one dared to underestimate his status in the Windflower.
To ensure all knights were present, Zhao Peng special ventured to Windflower Manor to swap out knights, bringing back Zheng Shaolin, Xiao Ling, and Xiao Lin, indicating that today’s topic must be very special.
“Shaolin, Sister Wan gathered all the knights; is there something important? I haven’t heard of any trouble right now… By the way, Xiao Lin, can you sense Xiao Yao’s condition? I heard from Sister Xiao Ai that she is pregnant, and it’s a double…”
On a certain sofa, Xiao Ling leaned against Zheng Shaolin, lowering her voice as she pointed at a light golden-haired girl who was engrossed in her phone.
Zheng Shaolin quickly pressed down on Xiao Ling’s hand, making a shushing gesture.
After calming his girlfriend’s curiosity, Zheng Shaolin looked toward a corner of the hall and noticed a figure sitting alone there, back straight, eyes steadfastly ahead.
Turning his gaze to the side, he found Jiang Yan and Jiang Yao whispering to each other.
…
“Sister, did Zhong Jing have some problem again yesterday? He looks so weak.”
Jiang Yao was quickly scrolling on her phone screen, stealing glances at the second floor, then leaned towards Aiyan and whispered.
“Hmm, the day before Miss Su left, I privately asked. Zhong Jing has been taking the Engel family’s medicine, and his body is recovering well, but…”
As he struggled with his anxiety, Xiao Ai snatched the phone from Jiang Yao’s hand, her face turning serious: “As for you, Miss Su, you spoke a lot of harsh words yesterday. I know you are under psychological pressure and are venting your frustration on him. He is, after all, not without pressure himself, so stop it.”
“Moreover, I’ve also mentioned to Jiang Yao, it’s best not to linger on this topic from now on. Discussing such matters in public at this time does no good for anyone… I mean, you shouldn’t go to the Acustis company anymore but rather rest at Windflower Manor. Zheng and Xiao Ling have good relationships with you.”
As she spoke, Jiang Yan even deliberately looked toward Zheng Shaolin and Xiao Ai’s direction.
It’s nothing; he has thick skin and can take it. He’s about to get engaged to He Jianqian, and he will continue his own life; I’ll play my blood tribe games, and it won’t affect each other… The Windflower Manor you spoke of—seeing someone there irritates me!
After finishing, Jiang Yan grabbed an assortment of snacks from the table, munching away—behind her, Jiang Yao’s appetite opened even wider, almost always eating or preparing to eat.
Observing Jiang Yao’s carefree demeanor, Jiang Yan couldn’t help but sigh; she was all too aware that Jiang Yao was far more confused psychologically than Zhong Jing right now, but she still maintained a semblance of calmness on the surface.
Even now, Jiang Yan felt a genuine sense of unease deep inside, not only towards herself but also aimed at Jiang Yao.
The Jiang Yao before her, brimming with an outwardly casual and reckless facade yet inwardly extremely sensitive and fragile, had, in just a year, ventured down one of the most extreme alleys in women’s life.
In the dreams of the past, was little Yao in a wedding dress an indication of impending constraints?
Jiang Yao’s gaze wandered over Jiang Yao, her heart a massive tangle.
By the way, Sister, do you think I should give the child a name now? Xiao Meng said it has to be a girl; what should we call her? Something with three characters would be ideal, or else there’ll be too many names…
Jiang Yan reclaimed her mobile phone and fiddled with it for a while before eventually powering it off.
Okay, I’ll check online about it another day…
Watching the earnest yet slightly anxious expression on Jiang Yao’s face, even though she deeply wanted to avoid discussing such topics, Jiang Yan still couldn’t bear it.
Now, as the clock approached midnight, a luxurious private room on the second floor opened, and Wan Yue slowly walked into the enclosed area, scanning the entire golden hall. Behind her, Xiao Ai waved a stack of printed papers.
After surveying the room, Wan Yue made a gesture with her finger, her voice calm and clear: “Today, all Windflower Knights will take a psychological test. Let me see if there are any interesting conclusions.”
Now, everyone rearranged themselves to sit down, maintaining a distance of over three meters. During the answering period, no whispering was allowed, and once submitted, they could leave. Everyone was given a maximum of five minutes to finish; exceeding this time would render the test invalid and revoke all incentives for the next three months.
Alright, Xiao Ai, distribute the test questions.
As she spoke, Wan Yue’s gaze turned towards Meng Huai, her lips curling into a mysterious smile.
Xiao Ai bowed slightly and then brought a stack of printed papers down to the hall; every individual, including the only servant Huang Gu, received a copy.
Hmm, what is this… a psychological test from the Hidden Arrows?
Zheng Shaolin scanned the almost hundred bizarre psychological testing options on the printed paper and immediately felt a sense of déjà vu. He had joined the Hidden Arrows in the late 1980s, undergoing similar tests at the training center, and they occurred nearly once or twice a month, with different topics each time.
Quickly glancing through the test questions, Zheng Shaolin couldn’t help but turn his head, letting out a slight sigh internally.
As for Meng Huai, upon receiving the test questions, he stood dazed, inadvertently locking eyes with Zheng Shaolin, but less than two seconds later, he quickly bowed his head to begin answering.
Wan Yue sat alone on a sofa in the hall, exhaling smoke with fiery intensity.
Fifteen minutes to handle nearly a hundred psychological test questions meant each question had less than ten seconds for reading and thinking time; answers could only be based on first impressions, with almost no time for contemplation.
Wan Yue, I’ve finished!
Thirteen minutes later, Zheng Shaolin was the first to stand and walk in front of Wan Yue, handing over several pages of his answer sheet. Right after him, Meng Huai walked over, and when he submitted his printed paper, he even looked back at Jiang Yan.
Jiang Yan and Meng Huai nearly simultaneously put down their pens and walked side by side, the latter habitually furrowing his brow at Meng Huai.
Ever since parting ways with Meng Huai unhappily a few days ago at the Qinglong Lake Wetland Park, the two existed in a strange state of emotional opposition and avoidance, like strangers passing on the street.
Within the fifteen minutes’ time, everyone submitted their answers, while Huang Gu, due to his distracted state, had not even bothered to reread many questions; he randomly selected answers based on feels.
The test undertaken today must be kept confidential but also shouldn’t be taken too seriously, as if it never happened.
Alright, time to clock out!
Wan Yue didn’t check how everyone had answered on the spot; she casually set their sheets aside and then smiled, pointing at Meng Huai: “Meng Huai, you stay behind with Xiao Ai and help me evaluate these answer sheets.”
Meng Huai looked contemplative and nodded slightly.
Time soon reached a bit past 2 a.m. on May 7th at the Golden River Club.
Wan Yue had already downed several cups of coffee and was lazily leaning against the sofa, watching Xiao Ai and Meng Che as they used a different reference document to finalize the conclusions for each Windflower Knight’s psychological test.
The expressions of Xiao Ai and Xiao Ai were filled with surprise, while Meng Che was visibly calmer, behaving like an emotionless machine, sorting the evaluated answer sheets according to the final conclusions with consistent rhythm and speed.
This was a classic psychological testing project from the training center of the Hidden Arrows; any intended candidate from the Hidden Arrows would meticulously undergo this test.
Answering the questions quickly was easy, but summarizing the final conclusions took considerable time.
It was clear that all questions had been randomly extracted and combined from a large pool, containing complex logic associations and a corresponding scoring mechanism.
For instance, if question seven was answered with C, then regardless of what was chosen for question ten, it would yield zero points. Furthermore, if question twenty was selected as A, then answering question seventy-three with D would earn an additional score…
Just how intricate the underlying combination logic of these psychological testing questions was remains a mystery, but Meng Che knew this was particularly being used by the higher-ups of the Hidden Arrows to scout the Blood Dragon Brigade’s special quality action groups.
Only those who passed through twelve rounds of psychological testing could be confirmed not to waver or collapse in thought after becoming bloodsuckers. Even though these certified candidates still carried a minuscule probability of error, this was currently the most effective screening tool in the Hidden Arrows’ possession.
Meng Che himself was one of those rare individuals, as described by Han Jie, who achieved full marks during his military school and training period and became the seed for tasks related to the Hidden Arrows’ strategies.
Even this set of test questions was acquired by Meng Che from the special quality task center; he simply passed them directly to Han Jie without reviewing them beforehand.
Meng Che did not expect that mere days later, these materials would once again fall into Wan Yue’s hands and be utilized on the Windflower Knights. It appeared that Wan Yue had made this request to Han Jie while at the royal family’s side.
“Zheng Shaolin, full marks?”
Holding one of the answer sheets and cross-referencing it with the final results, Meng Che was taken aback, the memory of a jovial youth, muscular and resembling a fitness instructor, flooding his mind.
Glimpsing the conclusion reference text beside him, Meng Che suddenly felt conflicted about Zheng Shaolin and sunk into deep thought.
“What? You find Zheng Shaolin’s conclusion to be peculiar?”
At some point, Wan Yue appeared before Meng Che and handed him a few pages: “Hey, this is what I just completed; take a look for me too.”
Meng Che looked up at Wan Yue and nodded gently.
A few more minutes later, Meng Che raised his head and glanced at the beautiful, alluring woman lounging on a recliner by the window, words on the tip of his tongue before hesitating to speak.
Wan Yue was unqualified and ranked at the very bottom in scoring.
It was said that sixty years ago, Wan Jie was also with the Hidden Arrows; however, at that time, the Hidden Arrows had no psychological testing projects or the Blood Dragon Brigade.
But perhaps no one ever anticipated that Wan Jie would become the leader of a wayward blood tribe force closely allied with Xing Yi and the three families, fighting against the Black Blood Tribe to this day.
Staring at the final evaluation result of the answer sheet in his hand, Meng Che suddenly felt a wave of anxiety.
“Wan Jie, I’ve finished here too…”
Xiao Ai rubbed her arms and finally got up from the sofa, looking worn out after three continuous hours of answering questions.
“Let me see…”
Wan Yue cheerfully accepted the report that Xiao Ai handed over, casually flipping through it, the mysterious smile on her lips never once diminishing.
“Interesting, Xiao Ying surprisingly made it past the passing line… Hmm, Xiao Ling was very close… Tsk, tsk, Huang Gu also scored full marks; that quite matches his father’s…”
“Mei Yao’s failed… Jiang Yan’s, nearly full marks, haha, interesting…”
Like looking at a child’s report card, Wan Yue chuckled aloud as she flipped through each answer sheet.
“Sister… what do these questions mean? What exactly do these scores indicate?”
Xiao Ai anxiously stared at Meng Che, who was still diligently answering, her earlier confusions not waning in the slightest.
“Ha, just for fun, seeing how the Hidden Arrows gauge a person’s character. Oh, it’s past three, you can head home now…”
Wan Yue smiled, turning her gaze towards Meng Che, her eyes sparkling with intrigue.
In the private room, only Wan Yue and Meng Che remained. Over an hour later, when Wan Yue pulled out the last cigarette from her pack, Meng Che slowly rose, holding a copy of his answer sheet, his tall and firm frame perceptibly trembling.
“This is impossible…”
Meng Che’s face paled slightly; the answer sheet in his hand was his own.
According to the conclusion reference, Meng Che’s psychological evaluation this time was unqualified, falling once again to the bottom tier.
This meant that, by the standards of the special quality action group, Meng Che would undoubtedly waver in thought or even collapse after the blood invasion; he might not even have the chance to take a second test.
Wan Yue exhaled a puff of smoke, silently watching the young man who had fallen into a stupor, a heavy sigh escaping her lips.
