30: Chapter 30 This little girl is the illegitimate daughter of the richest man? This is a huge windfall!

The backseat of the Lincoln was as spacious as a small private room; the soundproof glass completely blocked out the clamor of the outside world, leaving only the faint hum of the climate control system.

Chen Yuan leaned back into the leather seat, a blue light screen visible only to him floating before his retinas.

The Red Queen's data stream was still scrolling frantically, stripping bare the entire life of the man named Adrian Vanderbilt.

Halo Group.

The uncrowned king of the European tech industry, monopolizing 80% of the global supply of high-end semiconductor equipment. To put it bluntly, they made photolithography machines.

That magical machine capable of carving a football field onto a single strand of hair was the brightest jewel in the crown of modern industry, and also the most painful weak point for the great Eastern nation at present.

And the little girl before his eyes, holding a cake and eating with cream all over her mouth, was actually the only legitimate (albeit illegitimate) heir to that massive business empire?

Chen Yuan looked at Annie, and his gaze changed.

How could she possibly be just some poor, tragic little loli?

This was clearly a walking, living EUV extreme ultraviolet lithography machine! And it came with the full set of blueprints and core code!

If he could get her into his hands...

Chen Yuan felt his heart rate quicken. Whatever Rothschild channels or arms deals there were, they all paled in comparison to this little girl.

To control her was to control the technological hegemony of the next twenty years.

"Is it good?"

Chen Yuan put away the light screen, a kind smile like a grandmother wolf appearing on his face.

Annie stopped eating.

She did not show an innocent smile like an ordinary child; instead, she quickly put down her fork and elegantly wiped the corners of her mouth with a napkin. The upbringing and poise revealed in that instant were simply aristocratic airs carved into her very bones.

"Thank you for your hospitality, sir."

Annie's voice was childish, but her tone was frighteningly calm. "The cake is delicious. However, I think we should talk about the price."

"The price?" Chen Yuan raised an eyebrow.

"There is no such thing as a free lunch in this world, let alone free cake."

Annie's azure eyes stared straight at Chen Yuan, revealing a heartbreaking maturity. "Those people want to catch me because my father is dying. They want to use me to threaten him into changing his will, or simply kill me to make me disappear completely."

She pointed to the necklace around her neck:

"You saved me because you recognized this, right?"

Chen Yuan was taken aback for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Smart.

Too smart.

As expected of the offspring of a top tycoon; this keen intuition honed in the struggles of a wealthy family was simply that of a born superior.

"That's right."

Chen Yuan did not deny it, nor was there any need to. When talking to smart people, even a child, sincerity is the ultimate trump card.

"I have taken a fancy to your value."

He pulled a gold wrapper from his pocket, tore it open, and revealed something that looked like a lollipop.

That was actually a [High-Energy Nutrient Concentration Bar] exchanged from the system; a single bar could replenish an adult's energy for a day and repair damaged physical functions.

"Eat this. The cake is tasty, but it has no nutritional value."

Chen Yuan handed the "lollipop" over, his tone becoming serious and earnest:

"Annie, whether it's those gangs hunting you or those 'relatives' far away in Europe who want you dead, in their eyes, you are just a bargaining chip to be manipulated at will, or a nuisance that must be eliminated."

Annie took the lollipop but didn't eat it, just gripped it tightly in her hand, her knuckles turning white from the force.

"But in my eyes, it's different."

Chen Yuan leaned forward, his pitch-black eyes flickering with the light of ambition:

"What I see is a future queen."

"Follow me."

"I can not only save your life, but also give you the power for revenge. I will help you fight back and trample everyone who owes you, stole from you, or bullied you under your feet."

"I will let you sit rightfully in the chairman's seat of the Halo Group, and make those who once despised you kneel and call you 'Miss'."

These words were highly inciting.

For a little girl who was fleeing and living in constant uncertainty, this was undoubtedly the only straw to clutch in the darkness.

Annie looked at Chen Yuan.

She could feel the dangerous aura on this man; it was a darkness more terrifying and unfathomable than those gang hitmen.

But at the same time, this darkness also meant powerful strength.

"What do you need me to do?" Annie asked.

"It's simple."

Chen Yuan smiled. "On the day you take the scepter, remember to share half of the 'light' with me."

Technology sharing, resource interoperability.

This deal was a guaranteed win.

Annie was silent for a long time.

She looked down at the lollipop in her hand, then looked at the rapidly retreating street scenes outside the window. It was the chaotic and dirty San Verde she had never seen before.

"Deal."

She raised her head, her gaze firm. "But I have one condition."

"Speak." Chen Yuan was in a great mood.

"Now, immediately, right away."

Annie suddenly jumped down from the leather seat, her little hands gripping Chen Yuan's sleeve tightly, her voice carrying an undisguised anxiety and tremor:

"They didn't just want to catch me, they also caught my mother!"

"To cover my escape, Mom drew those people away... She was taken to the 'Widows Village' outside the city!"

"Widows Village?"

Chen Yuan frowned.

In San Verde, this name represented absolute filth and despair. It was a slum jointly controlled by several major gangs, and also the city's largest fence for stolen goods and... a human supermarket.

It was said that no woman who entered that place ever came out in one piece.

"Please."

Annie's tears finally fell, her layer of strong disguise instantly collapsing in the face of her mother's safety. "As long as you can save Mom, I will give you whatever you want! Even the things inside this necklace!"

Chen Yuan looked at the little girl crying like a pear blossom in the rain, then glanced at the sun gradually slanting west outside the window.

That was the direction of the outskirts.

"Alice."

Chen Yuan pressed the intercom in the car, his voice instantly turning cold:

"Turn around."

"Boss?" Alice's voice was somewhat puzzled. "Are we not going to have dinner?"

"Dinner is postponed."

Chen Yuan reached out to wipe away Annie's tears, a bloodthirsty sneer hooking at the corners of his mouth:

"Let's go deliver some 'warmth' first."

"After all, we just established the Umbrella Guard, we have to find a place... to test our blades."