Through Cell's tear-filled eyes, Whitley and the group finally walked into Dr. Gero's laboratory, hidden in the heart of the mountain.
"Now's my chance, gotta run!"
Cell muttered to himself, carefully and silently sliding out from the crevice between the rocks.
He tried his best not to make a single sound. After getting out, he didn't dare to fly directly but carefully lightened his steps and immediately turned to run.
Only after running for a couple of miles did Cell let out a heavy sigh of relief.
"Finally! I, Cell, have finally escaped! Whitley, Son Goku, and No. 17 and No. 18! You bastards! The humiliation I, Cell, have suffered today, I will repay a hundredfold the next time we meet!"
After a round of venting, Cell tried to calm his emotions, preparing to fly away from this troublesome place, when...
With a swoosh, a figure suddenly appeared in front of him.
Whitley looked at the frozen Cell with a grin, raised an eyebrow, and greeted him with a light chuckle, "Yo! How are you?"
Cell: "!!!"
Cell immediately got into an attack stance. After seeing Whitley's face clearly, he subconsciously cried out, "You... you're Whitley?!"
Whitley clicked his tongue and reprimanded Cell unceremoniously, "How rude. Remember to address me respectfully as... Boss!"
The moment Whitley and the others entered Dr. Gero's laboratory, a mixed smell of machine oil, nutrient fluid, and some kind of burnt circuit rushed at them.
Goku subconsciously pinched his nose and carefully observed the scene inside the lab.
Vegeta silently crossed his arms and took several steps back towards the entrance.
The sight before them also made No. 17 and No. 18 frown slightly.
The laboratory looked as if it had just been hit by a small explosion; the entire interior was a complete mess!
In the corner of the lab, the huge incubation tank was completely shattered.
Glass fragments from the tank and residue emitting a faint energy reaction were splattered everywhere!
The walls and various equipment were covered in stains, making the whole space look dirty and chaotic.
"This..."
No. 17 looked around, a hint of confusion on his face. "This place was fine when we left. It was a bit messy, but definitely not like this... It's been less than a day, right?"
He turned to look at No. 18.
No. 18 also gazed at the chaotic scene, her beautiful brows furrowed, clearly also puzzled by this sudden turn of events.
Whitley kicked a piece of broken glass at his feet. The fragment bounced on the ground, making a crisp clattering sound.
He pointed at the incubation tank, which could be judged as completely scrapped just from its appearance, and said with a tone of understanding, "It seems... after you guys left, a certain 'little thing' got out of here. And it made quite a commotion."
His gaze swept across the laboratory. Apart from a few empty, wide-open hibernation pods and some destroyed experimental instruments, this place was practically barren.
There was no sign of any compressed energy or the capsules that would hold them.
No. 18 sighed and looked at Whitley with a helpless expression, spreading her hands. "It seems... what you're looking for isn't here. It was probably used by Dr. Gero in this destroyed incubation tank to feed whatever 'thing' was inside. We didn't notice this when we woke up. What are you going to do now?"
She looked at Whitley, who was deep in thought and temporarily ignoring her, and tried to offer a suggestion. "Should we search the vicinity carefully? Or try to track that thing that escaped?"
Whitley came back to his senses and shook his head. He took in the entire lab with a single glance.
At the same time, he quietly released his divine ki, which spread out like invisible ripples, meticulously sensing everything around him, confirming that there were no other hidden compartments or spaces in this lab.
"There's no need."
Whitley turned around and was the first to walk towards the cave exit. "I already have an idea where that batch of compressed energy went. Let's leave first."
He stopped at the cave entrance, turned back to look at the three androids who had followed him, and a boss-like smile, as if looking at new employees, appeared on his face. "As for you three, you will follow my lead until this matter is completely resolved. Afterward, I will arrange a job for you at the Capsule Corp campus."
"?"
A giant question mark instantly appeared above No. 18's head!
She took a few quick steps and blocked Whitley's path, her beautiful blue eyes filled with disbelief and resistance. "What do you mean by that?! We don't need you to make any arrangements for us! We decide our own future! You just need to give me the money you promised! We will arrange our own lives!"
Whitley found her bristling appearance rather amusing.
He reached out and, as if soothing a small animal, gently placed his hand on No. 18's golden head and ruffled her hair, completely ignoring the ugly look that had appeared on her face.
He spoke to No. 18, and also to the wary No. 17 and the silent No. 16, "The power you androids possess is simply too great. If I let you run loose... who knows what kind of trouble you'll cause!"
He pointed at the three of them. "I don't want to wake up one day and read in the newspaper that some city was razed to the ground because you were in a 'bad mood'."
His tone was light, but the meaning in his words was unquestionable. "So, it's decided! You'll start work at Capsule Corp soon, and I will arrange suitable jobs for you. Don't worry, the benefits are excellent!"
He counted on his fingers, beginning to paint a grand picture for the three... oh no, stating the benefits of being an employee under him.
"Ten to four! Absolutely no overtime!"
"Six insurances and one housing fund! Full coverage!"
"At least 10 days of paid vacation every month! And there's an annual company trip!"
"Monthly salary is tentatively 300,000! With bonuses for good performance!"
"The company also provides room and board! You'll get single-person dorms!"
After this long list of "blessed" benefits, Whitley finally spread his hands and made his concluding statement. "Although the conditions... may be a little tough for now, and may not compare to your free and unfettered life, but—"
The smile on his face didn't change, but his eyes narrowed slightly, and an invisible pressure quietly permeated the air around them. "It doesn't seem like... you have the right to refuse~"
After hearing Whitley's unilateral declaration of "recruitment" and the so-called "benefits," No. 18 was completely done!
"This is a blatant violation of our freedom!!"
No. 18's face was pale with anger. "We don't need the job you're offering! We are capable of living on our own! No. 17!!"
She whipped her head to look at her brother, her tone urgent and pleading. "Why are you just watching?! Say something!!"
No. 17 narrowed his eyes, his gaze drifting to the side where Son Goku and Vegeta, who were bored and uninterested in these matters, had started arguing about which patch of moss on the cave wall was wetter.
Whitley had already indicated that the two of them could go back to the Briefs' estate and wait, but they hadn't left yet, saying... since they were already here.
No. 17 wanted to righteously refuse Whitley's conditions just like No. 18.
But he hesitated for a moment, looked at his anxious and expectant sister, and then recalled Whitley's mention of "ten to four," "room and board included," and "300,000 monthly salary"...
Finally, as if he had made up his mind, he swallowed and said to No. 18 in a low, evasive voice, "No. 18... he said... room and board are included."
CRACK—!!!
This sentence was like a sudden bolt of lightning from a clear sky, accurately! striking No. 18's mind!
Her entire body stiffened, her beautiful face filled with immense shock and disbelief!
Wh-what did she just hear?
Just as she was fighting for their rights, trying to win freedom for them as androids...
Her brother, No. 17, had... been the first to "defect"?!
And the reason was simply... "room and board included"?!
"No. 17! You!!!"
No. 18 pointed at No. 17, her finger trembling slightly. She was so angry she could barely speak.
She remembered when No. 17 was driving the convertible, facing the wind, saying something like, "A man's romance is to roam free!"
She thought he was a natural-born lover of freedom and would never accept this kind of supervised work!
But she never expected... she never expected that Whitley's casual "room and board included" would be enough to buy him over?!
Then didn't her passionate argument for their rights in front of Whitley just now make her look like a self-important clown?!
At this moment, No. 18's heart was dealt a huge blow.
Her conviction wavered.
She stared blankly at No. 17, whose face now said, "These conditions seem pretty good," and couldn't utter a single word for a long time.
Whitley also looked at No. 17 with some surprise.
Good grief! Didn't expect No. 17 to be so "pragmatic."
He almost burst out laughing. He suppressed his laughter and said to the stunned No. 18, "See, there are still reasonable people among you androids. This shows that my conditions are very humane."
He then looked at No. 17 and asked in a tone that suggested everything was negotiable, "So... start work tomorrow?"
No. 17 nodded indifferently. "I'm fine with whatever."
Anyway, with room and board and a salary, he wouldn't be losing out!
(So who was actually losing out here?)
Whitley nodded in satisfaction and turned his gaze to the ever-silent No. 16. "And you?"
No. 16's eyes flickered, and he answered calmly, "I can. As long as I am not prevented from observing the activities of living things, it is the same everywhere."
He had no interest in fighting. Having a stable place to stay where he could still be in contact with the outside world seemed not bad.
Finally, Whitley's gaze returned to No. 18, who was still in a state of shock and confusion.
He raised an eyebrow playfully, his tone filled with clear teasing. "So... what about you? Our freedom-loving Miss No. 18? What's your choice? Will you continue to pursue your lonely freedom? Or..."
No. 18 was silent for a long while, a fierce internal battle raging in her heart...
Finally, she took a deep breath, as if she had made a difficult decision!
She took a deep breath, turned her head to stare at Whitley, and said with an exceptionally serious expression, "...I agree too."
"But!"
Her tone immediately shifted as she emphasized, "But! I still need to discuss the salary with you in detail! 300,000 is too low! It's not enough to live on! I spent tens of thousands just buying a few clothes in the small town before!"
Whitley felt a headache coming on. He looked at this money-grubbing woman before him and asked helplessly, "Is there any possibility... big sis, that the shop you went to before was a crooked shop? Normal clothes aren't that expensive."
But No. 18's eyes widened immediately, and she retorted decisively, "Impossible! Absolutely impossible! The quality of the clothes in that store was very good! The design and fabric were top-notch! They were completely worth that price! No. 17 destroying the store was purely an accident! His original intention was just to use his energy wave to help that owner... clean the shop, clear away some dust! Yes, that's what it was!"
Whitley: "..."
Hiss!
Good grief, this woman is already starting to lie through her teeth for a raise?
She's even starting to make up ridiculous reasons on the spot? The thickness of this skin... as expected of an infinite-energy android!
'Ridiculous!'
Whitley glanced at the serious-looking No. 18 and turned his head, too lazy to deal with her.
'If I agree to you just like that, then I, Whitley, am a dog!'
No. 18 saw that Whitley wasn't speaking, just giving her a "you're an idiot" look before continuing to walk out of the cave.
Her eyes darted around, and a plan suddenly came to mind.
She chuckled lightly, took a few quick steps, sidled up to Whitley, stood on her tiptoes, and brought her lips almost to his ear.
In a voice that only the two of them could hear, tinged with a hint of temptation and amusement, she whispered, "Hey... didn't you... like my legs a lot before?"
Her warm breath brushed against Whitley's ear, carrying the wonderful, faint, fresh scent of a young woman.
"If you agree to my request and raise my salary to a number that satisfies me... I might... might consider letting you touch..."
Her sentence was unfinished, but her blue eyes, so close and filled with a sly smile, had already conveyed the ambiguous, suggestive meaning quite clearly.
Whitley: "!!!"
His body stiffened, and he felt a rush of blood almost go straight to his head!
He subconsciously wanted to reach out and push away this vixen before him.
But when his palm touched her soft shoulder, and he felt the warmth through the fabric and the faint fragrance from her body, Whitley's movement, as if by a will of its own, stopped.
A fierce battle began in his mind!
He swore!
He had intended to righteously refuse this kind of request! Was he, Whitley, the kind of person who could be swayed by beauty?!
But... but!
This was Android 18!
A top-tier goddess in the hearts of countless fans, whose popularity had remained high in the Dragon Ball world for years!
Those legs... ahem, that unique temperament and appearance...
"Ahem!"
Whitley felt his throat go a little dry. His eyes darted around, not daring to look at No. 18's teasingly smiling face. He struggled internally as if in a cosmic-level battle. "That... I a... uh, we'll... talk about it later! We'll talk about this matter later!"
In the end, his remaining reason and his love for Bulma barely won out.
He threw out a sentence somewhat flusteredly and, almost as if fleeing, quickened his pace out of the cave.
Behind him, No. 18's bell-like laughter, filled with triumph and amusement, made his old face flush red.
After getting outside the cave, Whitley had Goku and Vegeta leave first, telling them to go back to the Briefs' estate and order some food, and to order a lot!
Whitley planned to celebrate tonight.
Although he hadn't recovered the compressed energy stolen by the androids, he had brought back several quite capable employees.
This was worth celebrating!
On the open ground outside the cave, only Whitley and the three androids were left.
Oh, wait.
Whitley sensed again. There was still... one "little thing" that had already slipped quite a distance away.
Cell had already taken the opportunity to run several miles away while they were in the lab and was still desperately trying to get further away.
No. 18 looked around, then suddenly approached Whitley again, her face filled with amusement and a probing smile as she lowered her voice. "Hey, you're all alone now~ Aren't you afraid... the three of us will team up and take you out here?"
Whitley was too lazy to deal with her childish bluff. He simply reached out and flicked her on her smooth forehead, not too hard, not too soft, making a light "thunk" sound.
"Hiss... what was that for!"
No. 18 yelped in pain, clutching her forehead and glaring at him with dissatisfaction.
Whitley ignored her and turned to the three of them. "You three wait here for me, don't wander off. I'll be right back."
No. 17 was a little confused. "Go do what?"
"To catch a new colleague for you," Whitley replied casually.
"A new colleague? Catch?"
No. 17 was even more confused.
Whitley had no intention of explaining. His figure vanished from the spot with a "swoosh"!
No. 18 was shocked, her eyes widening in disbelief. "Th-what was that move? How can he be so fast?!"
She hadn't seen any trace of Whitley's movement.
No. 16 had been observing silently. His built-in detection eyes were fixed on the spot where Whitley had disappeared, his internal processors running at high speed. After a few seconds, he analyzed in his steady voice, "At the moment he left, there were extremely subtle traces of spatial fluctuation. This should not be simple high speed, but a method of... directly traversing space to move."
He paused and came to a conclusion that made both No. 17 and No. 18 a little alarmed. "This means that if he wants to catch us, it might only take a brief moment. We... have no possibility of escape."
No. 17 and No. 18 were silent.
Directly traversing space? How were they supposed to deal with that in the future?
Even if they wanted to slack off and sleep in, their boss could probably just flash to their bedside in the next second?!
No. 17 sighed and looked at No. 18, shrugging helplessly. "No. 16 has a point. It looks like we can't escape anyway. We can't beat him, and we can't run from him. We might as well just be good and go to work. At least... the benefits sound pretty good? He wouldn't really imprison us, would he?"
No. 18 pursed her lips.
Although she was still a little unwilling, it seemed... she couldn't refute it.
Just then—
"Swoosh!"
Whitley's figure appeared out of thin air again.
And in his hand, he was holding a small green figure that was constantly struggling and trembling subconsciously!
"You're overthinking it."
Whitley seemed to have heard their conversation. As he spoke, he casually threw the little green guy in his hand onto the ground. "I won't restrict your personal freedom. During work hours, just do your job. After work or on vacation, you can do whatever you want. As long as you don't cause trouble, everything will be fine."
As he explained their future work benefits to the three androids, he looked down and sized up the "new employee" he had just caught.
This was a small humanoid creature about a meter tall.
It was green all over, with black spots, insect-like joints, and a long tail. A pair of black wings were folded on its back.
At this moment, it was glaring at Whitley with a pair of purple eyes, both shocked and angry.
Its small fists were clenched at its chest, a look of fierce but fearful readiness to fight at any moment.
"Also,"
Whitley pointed at the little green guy on the ground and introduced him to the three androids. "This is your new colleague. His name is Cell. Come on, Cell, say hello to everyone."
"I'm not going to work for you!!!"
Cell exploded like a lit firecracker, jumping up and screaming in a shrill voice, "And I don't want to be colleagues with these defective products!!! I am Dr. Gero's most perfect creation! I am destined to become the most perfect being! I am the future Perfect Being, the great Lord Cell!!!"
"Oh?"
Hearing this, No. 16 strode forward and carefully looked down at the screaming Cell.
After a long moment, he turned to the curious No. 17 and No. 18 and said in his usual calm tone, "The energy reaction within him is very peculiar, and his ki is also very complex. My sensors have analyzed that he is a fusion of the genetic characteristics of several individuals recorded in my database, including Son Goku, Vegeta, King Piccolo, and even faint reactions of other Saiyans."
No. 16's gaze turned back to Whitley, and he asked in a flat tone, "Are you not going to eliminate him now? According to my calculations, if he is allowed to grow smoothly, his power may become extraordinary, and may even exceed a controllable safety range. Keeping him is a high risk for you."
But Whitley just chuckled lightly.
He walked forward and, completely ignoring Cell's snarling and threatening appearance, reached out and gently patted Cell's smooth, hard green head a few times, as if petting a puppy.
"Oh? He'll become very strong?"
Instead of being worried, Whitley's face showed even greater interest and amusement. "That's... great!"
He crouched down, looked into Cell's angry and fearful purple eyes, and said with a grin, "You'll have to work hard and 'grow' well in the future. Strive to become the most outstanding star delivery boy of our 'Prince Logistics' as soon as possible! You have to get stronger quickly, Cell-kun! The company's performance depends on you!"
"Waaah!!! I'm not going to work for y—"
Cell was completely enraged by Whitley's words, which were like talking to a child. He opened his mouth and was about to let out an even more ferocious roar!
But before he could finish—
Whitley's right hand suddenly shot up, his palm aimed straight at Cell!
An indescribable purple energy, exuding an aura of ultimate destruction and nothingness, quickly gathered and danced in his palm like a tame but extremely dangerous pet!
The light was not dazzling, but it made everyone who saw it feel a cold shiver from the depths of their souls!
The smile on Whitley's face remained, but his eyes instantly became deep and icy.
He asked, word by word, his voice as soft as a lover's whisper, "What... did... you... say? I didn't seem... to hear you clearly just now~"
All of Cell's anger and defiance were extinguished like a doused flame the moment he saw that purple energy! His rebellious spirit completely dissipated!
His pupils contracted violently from the immense fear of the thing in Whitley's hand, and his body trembled uncontrollably!
Although he didn't know what that thing in Whitley's hand was, his biological instincts and all the genes within him were screaming frantically!
Warning him! That thing! Absolutely! Absolutely must not be touched! It would mean death! His very existence would be completely erased!!!
His throat moved with difficulty, and he let out an extremely dry and trembling sound, shouting with all his might, "I... I am Mr. Whitley's most loyal employee!!! I, Cell!!! Am determined to be the best, fastest, and most punctual star delivery boy of Prince Logistics!!! I will dedicate my life to the company's performance!!!"
"Very good! Full of spirit!"
The iciness on Whitley's face instantly melted, replaced by a bright smile as gentle as a breeze.
He looked at Cell, whose attitude had done a complete 180, with a gratified expression and encouraged him with a smile, "Very good! Our company needs young people with drive like you!"
As if to prove a point, he casually tossed the small ball of destruction energy he had just gathered towards the now-empty laboratory behind him.
There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a slight tremor and a small hum.
The next second, under the horrified gazes of No. 17, No. 18, and Cell...
The huge laboratory hidden in the heart of the mountain, along with the entire outer mountain structure, was silently and completely turned into the most primitive void, as if erased from the world by an eraser, not even a speck of dust left behind!
And after doing all this, as if he had just thrown away something worthless, Whitley clapped his hands and ordered No. 16, "Cell's body should still need some time to grow. No. 16, you will be Cell's guardian for the time being. Keep an eye on him."
Then, without waiting to see if No. 16 was willing, he beckoned to everyone. "Alright, our business here is done, it's time to go back. I've already had Goku and the others go back and order food to welcome you. Everyone, get close to me, grab my clothes or my body, we're getting ready to leave!"
No. 16 silently walked forward.
He reached out his large hand and easily picked up the still-trembling Cell, who had been traumatized by the lab's disappearance, and placed him on his broad shoulder. Then he casually placed his hand on Whitley's right shoulder.
No. 17 came over and placed a hand on Whitley's left shoulder.
No. 18 saw that both of Whitley's shoulders were taken. She had intended to grab his sleeve, but her eyes darted around, and as if a thought had struck her, she suddenly changed her mind.
She walked around to Whitley's back, took a step forward, and with a sudden leap, she jumped onto Whitley's back.
Her arms naturally wrapped around his neck, and her soft body pressed tightly against his back.
She brought her lips close to Whitley's ear and whispered in a teasing and playful tone, "Boss~ is this position... okay?"
Whitley instantly felt the soft warmth on his back and the breath like an orchid by his ear.
His body stiffened slightly, and his ears tingled.
Feeling the very clear sensation on his back, what could he say?
Could he push away this future female secre... female employee who could contribute a great deal of labor value?
"Uh... as long as you're happy."
Whitley tried hard to make his voice sound normal.
After everyone had gotten a firm grip on Whitley in various positions, Whitley cleared his throat, nodded, and reminded them, "Ahem! Hold on tight. We're leaving!"
Swoosh—!
A barely perceptible spatial fluctuation flashed, and everyone's figures vanished from the desolate valley in an instant.
Left behind was only the ever-blowing mountain wind, carrying a slight chill.
And that empty mountain wall, as if nothing had ever existed there, silently telling the story of what had just happened.
...
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