Chapter 12: Animal Cloning Research
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Xiaoman missed her mother so much!
It had been over a year since her mother left. When she was being abused by her father and stepmother, her mother never appeared.
Now, the research center her mother worked at was accusing her of illegal activities, yet still, she did not show up. Didn’t her mother care enough to defend herself?
Zhou Lin looked at the little girl, whose eyes were brimming with tears. He instructed Lin Nan, “Take the signed documents to the forensic department and have Jiang Qi search the computers and related files.”
“Yes!” Lin Nan took the documents and, as she left, gently patted Xiaoman’s shoulder.
Cheng Lu scoffed, “I only joined a year ago. I’m not a cloning research scientist and didn’t lead any of this. Why are you arresting me?”
“Every citizen has the duty to cooperate with police investigations. Gu Ye, take him away!” Zhou Lin said coldly, waving his hand.
He knelt down, noticing Xiaoman’s spirits were low, and placed his hands on her shoulders. “Xiaoman, don’t worry before the facts are clear.”
Looking at her father’s just and resolute face, as if a dark cloud was lifted, Xiaoman’s heart suddenly brightened.
“Daddy, Xiaoman understands now. I shouldn’t be trapped by these troubles. I believe in Mom, and I believe you will find the evidence to prove her innocence.”
“Good girl! I’m still busy here. Why don’t you wait for me in the conference room?”
Zhou Lin patted her head. Xiaoman’s face mirrored his own determination.
She had her own idea. “Daddy, I want to go with the uncles and aunts at the Stray Animal Center to bring the little animals back. Maybe I can help!”
Thinking of her ability to understand animals, Zhou Lin nodded, “Alright! I’ll come to the Stray Animal Center to pick you up when I’m done.”
He called Lu Zhao, the head of the Stray Animal Center. “Xiaoman will go with you first.”
Lu Zhao nodded, “Understood, Captain Zhou. I won’t let anyone bully Xiaoman ever again.”
Xiaoman and Zhou Lin waved goodbye. “Daddy, bye!”
After Xiaoman got into Lu Zhao’s car and returned to the Stray Animal Shelter, all the visitors who came to adopt animals that day had already left. The hall was filled with various kinds of animals.
The shelter was very busy; as soon as Lu Zhao arrived, he was surrounded by staff.
Xiaoman was considerate. “Uncle Lu, you go ahead. Xiaoman won’t run around.”
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“All right. If you need anything, come find Uncle Lu,” Lu Zhao assured her.
Once Lu Zhao was led away by the staff, Xiaoman began observing the animals.
There were cats, dogs, white mice, squirrels, rabbits, foxes, sheep, pigs, monkeys, pigeons, and more. In this new place, some screamed, some were anxious, some frightened, some quiet, some chirped nonstop, while others silently watched their surroundings.
“Were we saved? Will we never be injected or have blood drawn again?”
“Look at this place—so shabby compared to our old lab environment! But are we really free from cloning now? Do we no longer have to fear dying in the lab someday?”
“Don’t get your hopes up. The two-legged beasts here still wear refined glasses and pure white lab coats. Maybe they’ll still dissect us…”
“What can we do? Can we escape?”
The agitated animals slammed their cages loudly.
Hearing this, Xiaoman quickly picked up a small injured Bichon Frise. “Friends, look who this is.”
Some animals recognized the dog but stayed silent. The monkey was lively and bold, jumping inside its cage: “Huanhuan—really you?”
Huanhuan’s leg had healed. The little white fluff nestled in Xiaoman’s arms. “Brother Monkey, it’s me! This is the animal shelter, our home. No matter where the animals come from, they can live here. When we’re sick or hurt, the vets take care of us. When we’re tired, we can sleep peacefully without worrying about being caught and experimented on again.”
All the animals cheered, “Wonderful!”
Huanhuan glanced at Xiaoman. “She’s the one who saved me—Xiaoman. She can understand us!”
Xiaoman greeted all the little animals. “Hello! From now on, I’ll be your good friend. If you need anything, just tell me!”
The monkey raised an arm and shouted, “Thank you, Xiaoman! We’ve been reborn!”
Xiaoman quickly waved her hand, “I only helped because I heard Huanhuan. It was nothing. Actually, I want to ask you about someone—her name is Wang Wen. She’s my mother and a researcher at the Kelly Research Center…”
The monkey was the first to raise its hand. “I know her! She was my researcher, but she hasn’t appeared in over a year. We monkeys are primates, highly intelligent, close to humans. She was gentle with me during her research, focusing on neuroscience, behavior, and drug development.”
Xiaoman was excited. “So my mother wasn’t involved in cloning research?”
The monkey’s eyes widened. “Of course not. The cloning project started only in the last six months… It was that dog Cheng Lu who came and made many of us dead, crippled, or injured.”
A big black dog immediately retorted, “What did we dogs ever do to you? Cheng Lu is worse than an animal. He deserves to go to hell. I only growled at him once, and he pulled out my teeth!”
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Xiaoman shuddered, looking at the empty mouth of the black dog, imagining how much it must have hurt!
Other animals began to voice their complaints about Cheng Lu’s cruelty.
He cut off monkey tails, gouged out foxes’ eyes, broke pigs’ legs, and forced rabbits to give birth to dozens of offspring at once…
Xiaoman was a good listener. She clenched her small fists. “Don’t worry. I will tell my father. You all rest well here.”
As she was about to leave, the monkey hurriedly said, “Xiaoman, your mother will definitely come back.”
“Thank you, Brother Monkey!” Xiaoman believed him.
The monkey grabbed the bars, “I am the Great Sage Equal to Heaven! Your mom isn’t here, but I’ve got your back!”
A limping pig added, “And I’m Marshal Tianpeng here!”
Seeing their spirits lift, Xiaoman asked, “What about Sha Monk? Who is Sha Monk?”
The monkey laughed arrogantly, “Sha Monk has arrived.”
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