Chapter 88

With Di Tianxia's unexpected revelation, everyone present was taken aback, wondering if he was joking.

Only Chen Tianxin, who was equally impacted by Di Tianxia's sudden "exposure," knew that he was not joking at all. But when did he find out this secret? Why did he show no signs before, and even never ask his own daughter?

Chen Tianxin's beautiful eyes flickered, her soft chest rising and falling slightly as she took a deep breath. She looked at Di Tianxia with a mix of disappointment and understanding. The childhood friend who had been so close and intimate, the man who had entangled her emotions and purity in a web of love and hate, now seemed so distant and calculating. No, she sighed softly, she should have known from over a decade ago.

"Hey, Phoenix. You're not joking, right?" The Chinese side had not yet raised any doubts, but Frank Moriarty, who had come with Di Tianxia, stroked his mustache and asked incredulously, "Can little Ellie read the language of the starship?" He waved his hand forcefully, "I know she's very smart, and I like her a lot, but this... well, it's a bit too far-fetched."

"Di kid, are you joking, or are you up to some sinister plot again?" Ji Haoyang smiled, but his smile was cold.

"Mr. Phoenix." Qin Guyang cleared his throat, trying to smooth things over, "Actually, if you can meet the conditions you proposed earlier, we can consider letting you join the 'Starship Legacy' research project." He looked kindly at the silent Xiao Xian, "Your daughter is very cute. But she's only about ten years old. Can she really read the language of aliens? Hahaha, children can be quite imaginative. It's a good thing to have a rich imagination!"

"Wow! Little sister, can you really read alien language?" Lei Jiuxiao also had a playful look, but part of his attention was on Di Tianxia.

The news might seem absurd, but Lei Jiuxiao did not think that someone who had climbed to the core decision-making level of a powerful transcontinental organization like the 'Serpent of Wisdom' in just a few decades was a frivolous person.

Chen Tianxin gently placed her hand on her daughter's slender shoulder, which had become the focus of everyone's attention. She looked at Di Tianxia with a cold gaze and said, "Di Tianxia, I don't care about your silly schemes. Don't involve Xiao Xian. That's my bottom line."

Uh, family dispute? Xiao Moriarty and Brad exchanged glances, shrugged, and subtly moved a bit away from their boss.

The atmosphere became somewhat awkward, but Di Tianxia only looked deeply at Chen Tianxin and shook his head, "Tianxin, you've misunderstood again. This is just a difference in our views on the child's education and growth. I love her as much as you do. But Ellie has talents and opportunities beyond imagination. You shouldn't always confine her with ordinary thoughts."

Then, he turned to his daughter, squatted down in front of her, and asked softly, "Hey, Ellie. Tell everyone, can you read these languages?" His tone was more friendly and gentle, like a friend.

If it were another girl who was nervous and wanted to hide a secret, she might have instinctively lied and denied it.

But Chen Xian did not.

Since her father already had this information, he likely knew about some things related to Li Pu. If she lied in this situation, her father might reveal more things she didn't want others to know, exposing her fragile lie.

The girl's deep purple eyes met her father's, who had the same eye color. In a moment, it seemed they understood each other.

Her daughter was shocked, hurt, and angry, and there was a hint of pleading, fearing that he might harm her childhood best friend. Even Di Tianxia showed a slight bitter smile when he saw this look.

Her father already knew a lot, he wasn't bluffing, but this sudden attack was too much! Chen Xian puffed her cheeks. In the end, she said softly, a bit unhappily, "Yes, I can read it."

Seeing that the atmosphere was not like a joke, Ji Haoyang and the others exchanged glances. Ji Haoyang raised his silver eyebrows and asked Chen Xian gently, "Xiao Xian, are you serious? Where did you learn it?"

"On the day the starship crashed, I saw the hull disintegrate in the sky. I happened to live in the area closest to where the debris fell." The girl said calmly, "After that, I had some unusual experiences..."

"Hey, Ellie, didn't you meet a surviving alien?" The great scientist Frank Moriarty, who understood the implications faster than the Chinese, had his eyes shining with excitement and asked impatiently.

"...Something like that." Chen Xian answered ambiguously.

"Something like that? What exactly happened? This is driving me crazy!" Lei Jiuxiao slapped his thigh. It was as if he was listening to a story and the storyteller suddenly stopped at the most exciting part.

"That... I received a wave of thought. It might have been an accidental effect when a cosmic being on the starship died. I've always been very sensitive, so I probably became clairvoyant at that moment." Since she couldn't reveal the truth, Chen Xian decided to make up a story.

Ji Haoyang stroked his beard and exchanged a glance with Qin Guyang. They were both old foxes who could tell the truth from lies to some extent. The girl's admission was likely true, but the part about the thought wave was clearly a lie to hide the truth.

The girl clearly didn't want to elaborate, and her background was quite delicate, so no one wanted to press her. In any case, it was easy to verify that she had lived in the disaster area.

"Haha, so you communicated with an alien?" Lei Jiuxiao laughed heartily, "I remember reading a science fiction novel that had a similar plot. It's a bit far-fetched, but with the starship falling from the sky for so many years, it's not that surprising. If you can really read the text on the legacy, hey, it's better than what those academicians and scientists have been doing for so long without any results."

"But..." Lei Jiuxiao's laughter stopped, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes, "Duke Phoenix, why did you tell us this?"

Di Tianxia shrugged, "Because I hope that when the 'Legacy' research officially begins, my daughter will be part of it. And... if she has any requests, as long as they're not too excessive, it's best to try to meet them."

"Oh, Di, are you letting Ellie join my team?" Xiao Moriarty winked at Chen Xian, "No problem! Ellie is the smartest child I've ever met. She will be an excellent assistant."

"Mr. Phoenix, your request is not excessive. These are minor details, we can consider them." Qin Guyang thought for a moment and carefully chose his words, "As long as Mr. Frank can show enough sincerity and cooperation, everything else is negotiable!"

He still had doubts about whether Chen Xian could really read the starship's language, but just the addition of Frank Moriarty and his research team was the best external support China could find at the moment—only the American national elite academicians could match them.

As the core developer and supporter of the 'Serpent of Wisdom,' Frank Moriarty and his team represented one-third of the top scientific elites in Europe, Japan, and other technologically advanced countries. Any member of his team was at least a top-level academician.

As for whether the 'Serpent of Wisdom' would steal the secrets of the alien legacy, it was not even worth considering. For years, they had dug up some alien artifacts, and even the large debris had been dragged to the research institute and studied repeatedly, but the academicians were still at a loss, unable to develop any usable technology.

The situation in the United States was similar. Apart from some small trinkets stripped from alien corpses, they had made no progress in cracking the core technology. For example, both the United States and China had fished up many geometric boxes made of unknown metals, possibly alien cargo containers, but despite their best efforts, they couldn't open them.

The alien legacy was valuable, but if it couldn't be used, it was meaningless. So, whether in the United States or China, in this stalemate, anyone who could break the deadlock would be welcome.

As for Qin Guyang's so-called "sufficient sincerity" in cooperation, it meant showing some promised technology first. This was a typical diplomatic negotiation, where each side would play their cards one by one, and the specific benefits would be negotiated later. A typical politician's mindset.

With sufficient interests and intentions on both sides, things became much simpler. For a while, Di Tianxia, Frank Moriarty, and Qin Guyang engaged in a diplomatic exchange, using phrases like "warm and friendly conversation" and "expected win-win cooperation." Ji Haoyang occasionally chimed in, but others had little to say.

Finally, Qin Guyang concluded, "Mr. Phoenix, Mr. Frank, this cooperation will be a significant step forward for human civilization! I'll host a dinner tonight, and I hope you will all join us!"

Chen Xian secretly scoffed: Old fox, talking about a significant step forward for human civilization, what a nice way to put it! Clearly, he was getting Xiao Moriarty to agree to use the technology in his possession to help China solve some major problems, like materials science, advanced engines, and precision electronics. It was a significant chunk of benefits.

Even if the "Legacy" research didn't yield much, just these benefits would be a huge gain for China.

But if Chen Xian had to choose a country, she would definitely choose China with her mother. In her view, it was good for China to gain a lot of benefits, at least making things easier for her in China. According to the terms they discussed, she could not access the "alien legacy" until Xiao Moriarty's first round of technical assistance showed enough "sincerity."

With the main issues settled, the secondary details were minor. Ji Haoyang looked at Chen Tianxin and smiled, "Tianxin, Xiao Xian can start school temporarily. Will you stay to accompany her? Would you like to teach for a while?"

"Sure, that sounds good." Chen Tianxin, who had calmed down, nodded and smiled, "I used to be a doctor. Can I work in the medical office temporarily?"

Ji Haoyang said gently, "Sure. Wang Yue, from now on, you will be responsible for Xiao Xian. Take her around the school and help her get settled."

Ji Wang Yue, who had been standing like a statue, looked at Chen Xian and nodded expressionlessly, "No problem."

With that, the exchange came to an end. After saying goodbye to Ji Haoyang, who clearly disliked him, Di Tianxia arranged for Brad to accompany Xiao Moriarty and Qin Guyang to the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He then walked up to Chen Tianxin and her daughter.

"I know you have something to say to me." Di Tianxia looked at the mother and daughter with a gentle gaze, "Come, let's find a quiet place and resolve this issue."

Chen Tianxin glared at him coldly, took her daughter's hand, and walked with him to a secluded spot. Her first question was direct, "When did you find out?"

"If you want to talk about the first clue, I found out not long after I came to pick you up." Di Tianxia took out a leather wallet from his pocket, opened it, and pulled out a piece of paper that seemed to have been torn from a notebook. The paper was filled with unknown, strange symbols, clearly written in a girl's handwriting.

Symbols from an alien civilization, never seen on Earth before.

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