Chapter 19: Can’t Escape from Own Crime!
Chapter 19: Can’t Escape from Own Crime!
Translator: Limostn Editor: Tennesh
"Damn!"
"This title is somewhat scary, ah."
"Did something big happen?"
Everyone opened the thread curiously and was immediately stunned.
In the thread, it was described in detail how things began with a gene producer consulting Professor Tao about the third mutation and getting himself angrily rebuked, yet when he assigned the gene for sale as a means of proving his innocence, it ended up getting stolen by Professor Tao as his own result, who then released it, etc. Finally, the gene that was recently put on sale was even highlighted as a declaration of war—
"Professor Tao, one million. Can you still afford it?"
This thread had lit up!
Totally lit up!
Even the learning forum did not dare to delete it anymore.
Because there were too many replies, because of the gene worth one million, because of this surprising title, this thread was unimaginably hot.
"There’s actually such a matter?"
"Damn. Professor Tao overdid it."
"Although the content is correct, I don’t know why I still feel like beating this fellow up. This thread’s title was too much of a clickbait, right?"
"Feel like beating someone +1."
Countless people started discussing spiritedly.
However, Professor Tao was able to quickly retort.
Although he was greedy, he was not stupid. He was able to find the weak point in a short while, "Someone was able to produce a mutated reagent by fluke and wanted to become popular by discrediting me. Setting the price at one million to create a marketing effect, this is a total publicity stunt! I hereby beseech everyone not to purchase his gene reagent and let him profit from this."
Countless people liked the post immediately.
After all, Professor Tao’s reputation at the learning forum was not something a random username can discredit.
"Who dares to open a new account to discredit the professor?"
"Yeah, this is obviously fame seeking."
"With his understanding of the lumberbear gene, does Professor Tao still need to steal the results of others? What a joke."
"Supporting the professor."
However, just as this piece of news was getting hot, another thread appeared—Unexpected appearance of another mutated lumberbear gene at the business district, still selling at the staggering price of one million yuan!
Those praising Professor Tao abruptly laid down their flags and stilled their drums.
Fluke?
Could two times in a row be a fluke?
After all, in Professor Tao’s guide, it was written that the probability was 1 in 100 million.
In response, Professor Tao reacted immediately.
He directly posted the four gene reagents he had and highlighted the research results. "1 in 100 million was the initial result of my research. Changes will definitely occur as the research progresses. What can posting two gene reagents at the business district prove? I still have four of them here!"
"Perhaps some friends out there managed to produce some mutated genes due to my research paper. But this doesn’t mean that you can smear me."
Professor Tao finished his writings righteously.
The public opinion was swayed once again.
"Is it over?"
Professor Tao was already drenched in sweat.
This matter should end with this.
With these words, no matter how many gene reagents his opponent posted, it would not be able to change the results. However, with this fiasco, he had still left too many weak points and regrets behind.
This way, it could be considered as the whole thing turning out to be the best out of the worst, right?
Professor Tao smiled bitterly.
The matter had not calmed down for long before the learning forum started bustling again. Even Professor Tao’s communication tool was buzzing without stop. As he subconsciously glanced at it, his face paled.
Something bad had happened!
He didn’t know why, but some people who had participated in the discussion in Chen Feng’s original thread started popping out. "This matter is actually very simple. As long as the learning forum publicize the deleted thread, wouldn’t things be clear?"
"Yeah, how simple."
"I answered questions there before. It was really deleted by the learning forum!"
"+1! Professor Tao had clearly answered that it was impossible back then!"
"On what basis did the forum delete the thread?"
"The learning forum can defend a gene producer’s rights. However, this doesn’t mean that they can act as an accomplice to the tiger[1]! They must make public the deleted thread to prove their innocence."
"Back then, it was deleted due to Professor Tao’s report. Now that Professor Tao is the one infringing on the rights of someone else, shouldn’t Professor Tao be deleted to return the other person’s innocence?"
A lot of people started protesting at the learning forum.
Countless lurkers started appearing and expressing their attention on this incident. Also included among these lurkers were a lot of genuine grandmasters! Stealing a research result? This incident had become something extremely serious.
I’m finished!
Professor Tao was sweating like it was raining.
He knew that he would be finished the moment that thread was exposed.
What should he do?
Oh, right. Son!
"Little Jun."
Professor Tao frantically called Tao Lijun over. "You have a certain level of influence at the learning forum due to your identity. This matter must be covered up!"
"As long as the learning forum does not expose that incident, there won't be any problems!"
"At most, those people will only be scolding online. When time goes on, this matter will settle down after being ignored."
Professor Tao was sweating all over.
"Understood."
Tao Lijun nodded slightly.
However, he was inwardly puzzled.
The assassin he had sent had disappeared. And now, when he hired someone else to trace that person, he could no longer be traced. Was the one his father had offended really an ordinary person?
He was somewhat anxious.
"You must hold the ground!"
Professor Tao wiped his sweat. "Since that fellow can get the formula through research, I can do the same. As long as I manage to get the formula through research in a few days time..."
"I can recover my reputation!"
"I have four mutated gene reagents in my hands. I will definitely get some results by comparing them with normal reagents."
Professor Tao started his research immediately.
However, before he even started making any headway, more explosive news exploded on the internet.
Wind Pavilion.
The gene shop’s owner actually came out!
He had no other choice. The two assignments of genes worth one million each and that terrifying service charge had immediately awakened him. Only after going online did he know what had happened.
After flipping through the sales records, he immediately made the correct choice.
To release the transaction records!
The four gene reagents of Professor Tao's were actually all bought from here!
Everyone was stupefied.
"Shit!"
"So it was actually true..."
"66666666[2]. A good move by Professor Tao."
"All four of them were purchased there. Doesn’t that mean Professor Tao did not produce a single one by himself? Everything was produced by someone else?"
"Scary!"
"A magnificent genetics professor, high level gene producer, would actually..."
The whole learning forum exploded.
Nobody expected the very Professor Tao that was honored with all type of praises had actually stolen all the results! He even did such an awful thing!
At this time, the learning forum could no longer hold their ground.
Are you kidding?!
It was still fine if the transaction records were not released. Now that the transaction records had been released, who could continue covering it up?
"Requesting to release the deleted thread."
"We want to see the truth of what happened."
Under the requests of countless people, the learning forum finally released the deleted thread—Is there a possibility for lumberbear gene to have a third mutation?
The moment the thread appeared, countless people went over to read it.
Professor Tao’s righteous answer within shocked everyone. He cursed in rage at a student and angrily rebuked that it was impossible for the third mutation to exist?
The next day, the thread was immediately deleted while he himself released the research results?
After comparing it with the timestamp in the transaction records, the truth was revealed!
Rapidly, the media started releasing this news and shocked the whole academia.
Professor Tao—a wolf in sheep's clothing! Disgrace of the academia! A hypocrite with a repulsive countenance! Humans and gods were angered! A student’s research results were stolen! etc. Everything Professor Tao had done the past few days was exposed. This caused everyone from the learning forum and academic circles to raise up in arms.
The Professor Tao that returned in glory two days ago turned into someone that everyone condemned like a rat crossing the street.
Shortly after, a certain gene university declared their expulsion of Professor Tao. The Gene Production Association had also reached arbitration on Professor Tao’s actions, confiscated all his rewards, and had his name stricken off for life.
Professor Tao was truly finished.
Completely losing his standing!
"Why..."
"Why would things be this way?!"
Professor Tao’s eyes dimmed as he started breaking everything in his house.
He could not accept it!
Why did everyone suddenly stand opposite him? And that gene shop, just silently earn your money. Why did you come out? There was also the learning forum. In the past, he only needed to report an infringement and the forum would delete the thread immediately. Now they would actually throw stones on someone who fell down a well?
Indeed, none of them were good.
Professor Tao cursed in rage.
It had never crossed his mind that the basis for the support he enjoyed from the learning forum was due to him being a person of virtue and prestige. It was due to their acknowledgement of his status. As soon as problems started arising from that basis...
All types of support became a joke.
"Father."
Tao Lijun sighed, wanting to comfort his father.
"There’s also you!"
Professor Tao rebuked angrily, "I thought you were supposed to settle this for me?! Didn’t I tell you to cover it up? I only need a few days to get the formula from my research!"
"You are useless!"
Professor Tao yelled and drove everyone out.
"Sigh."
Tao Lijun sighed and walked out the room. The helplessness on his face became ice-cold the moment he left the house. "Regardless of who you are, this does not end here!"
Footnotes:
1. Act as an accomplice to the tiger – It means aiding an evil person doing evil things.
2. 66666666 – A Chinese online slang. An expression commonly used when praising someone’s gameplay. Something similar to "gg."