"Oh, before you take Alexis out, can you tell me first all the protocols that you must follow in terms of working here?" Sir Bright said, which interrupted Anatta’s attempt to press more buttons. "There had been accidents of mishandling here, so I want to know if you have sufficient knowledge of the protocols. Please make sure you know them, as it will be embarrassing if you don’t..."

"Geez uncle, of course I memorized them. I’m an ace student after all!" Anatta hotly replied as she crossed her arms. "Do you not even trust me?"

"It’s not that I don’t trust you, per se. I just want to make sure that you know all the things that you need to know." Sir Bright said as she shrugged his shoulder. "We’re inside the Ouroboros after all, so we must ensure that no accidents will happen..."

"Fine, I just have to recite it right?" After saying these words, Anatta shook her head as she stood up. She then gave Sir Bright a glum look, making it clear that she was not that enthused on speaking for long.

"1ST RULE: DON’T DO ANYTHING THAT WILL INJURE OR MAIM THE CLONES. ALL OF THEM WERE CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF EMPEROR LITCH, SO HURTING THEM WILL BE AKIN TO HURTING THE EMPEROR." Anatta said this line with a slightly incredulous expression on her face, although she did her best to hide it. "What this rule says was simple. Don’t do any physical or bodily harm on the clones. Even if these clones were made for special purposes, they are still the representation of Emperor Litch, so respect must be also given to them...."

"You don’t sound too happy saying that rule, Anatta. Do you have any problem with it?"

"Problem? Hmph, of course I have a problem with it..." Anatta replied as her gaze began to sweep around her. "I mean, even with this rule, I can still see that some researchers are not following it. Just yesterday, I saw Gladys from the Pharmaceutical Department bring 3 clones with her towards the drugs testing chamber. 1 hours later, and I saw her leaving the chamber without the 3 clones following her! I waited to see these clones, but in the end, I did not see them! It was as if they’re already you know, gone."

"Anatta, that-"

"Uncle, no matter which was you looked at that, its obvious that Gladys had experimented with those clones! Isn’t that bad?"

"Experimenting on clones is indeed a violation on the 1st Rule Anatta, but do you have any evidence that can prove that Gladys had indeed experimented on the clones?" Instead of agreeing with her, Sir Bright chose to actually ask for evidence, which had evidently incensed Anatta. "Even just a material or photo evidence will do..."

"Really Uncle? You’re asking me for evidence? Can’t you even just believe me?"

"Anatta, the Ouroboros Research Center is an efficient place of learning, and any attempt to delay it shall be treated with scrutiny." Sir Bright said, with the word ’delay’ uttered with a higher stress. "Any accusations will effectively be delaying the progress of research, so that accusation must be worth it and backed by evidence. Because if it’s not, then that accusation will just be a waste of time."

"So Uncle, you’re basically saying that I can’t even lodge a complaint without any evidence? Is that what you’re implying to me?" Anatta, whose face had now clouded in sheer disappointment, said in a whisper as she averted her gaze away from Sir Bright. "But how can I get any evidence when the violation of the rule happened inside Gladys’ lab? With my status now, I don’t even have the right to enter her room, much less demand evidence from her. Uncle, this is just-"

"Anatta, if you want to stay at this place for long, then you should know how to adjust. If you still stay stuck on your principles, then you will never reach the top of this place. Just do your research by your own, and don’t stick your nose on the business of others! Focus on contributing to the Ouroboros Research Center, and stop gossiping about your coworkers!"

"But Uncle, I am telling the tru-"

"No one in in this place cares about the truth. All we want are results, and you will not get that from acting like a hero." Sir Bright’s freezing voice cut off Anatta’s complaint, which forced the young woman to stop talking. "If you care about enforcing the 1st Rule, then you should be a high-ranking Professor first! Once you reach that level, then you can do whatever the f**k that you want on your underlings! Do you understand that?"

"Yes, uncle, but-"

"Anatta, did I ask you for more of your opinion about this place? I’m asking you if you know the protocols, right? Now, get going and say the others." The way that Sir Bright looked as he said these words was enough to make Anatta stop, as she felt a sense of danger coming from her uncle.

Anatta realized that if she disobeys Sir Bright at this point, there is a chance that her day will not end that good.

"2-2ND RULE: ANY RESEARCH IDEAS MUST BE PROPOSED TO THE RESPECTIVE HEADS OF THE DEPARTMENT THAT YOU ARE ASSIGNED IN. ONLY WHEN THE PROPOSAL WAS APPROVED THAT THIS RESEARCH CAN BE PERFORMED." This time, Anatta did not add any sarcastic or scathing comment regarding this rule. She just took a deep breath before she continued to state the next rule.

"3RD RULE: NEVER STEAL THE RESEARCH OR THE EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS OF OTHER RESEARCHERS."

"4TH RULE: NEVER LEAK ANY INFORMATION RELATED TO THE OUROBOROS TO ANY UNRELTAED PARTIES. THIS INCLUDES THE LOCATION OF THE SITE, ALL THE EXPERIMENTS RUN INSIDE IT, AND ALSO ITS MEMBERS."

"5th RULE: A USEFUL RESEARCH MUST BE MADE AT LEAST ONCE IN 2 YEARS."

"6TH RULE: ALWAYS FOLLOW YOUR SUPERIORS"

"7TH RULE: DO NO-"

"Okay, I can see that you have done your study well. There’s no need for you to tell me the others." Sir Bright imperiously said as he clicked his fingers. "I think you’re really prepared for working here."

"...I’m happy to know that, Uncle."

"Okay, I have to go to my meeting now. You better start your work too." Sir Bright said as he walked away from Anatta. "Wasting time is not productive, so make the best of your day..."

"Bye Uncle, I wish you a good day."

"I also wish a good day to you, Anatta. You will need it."

"..."

As Sir Bright left, numerous researchers began to flock around him, making him look like a celebrity swarmed by his fans. Anatta only frowned a little upon seeing this, as she knew that her uncle’s job was something that made him a bigshot here.

"..."

It was not only Sir Bright who was the center of these researcher’s attention. Most of them began looking at Anatta too, which is already inevitable given the proximity that she had with him just earlier.

Some of these researchers were giving Anatta jealous looks, while others were giving her warning stares. Others only looked at her with mild interest, while there were some that had malicious intentions as they looked at her.

"..." In face of this unfriendly and weird stares, Anatta only shook her head as she placed her attention back on the glass tank.

She touched its smooth and cold surface with her fingertips, with her taking care to not apply any pressure in it. Her eyes then slightly narrowed as she observed the lean and naked body floating inside the tank, with each twitch and move by the body noted by her observation.

She continued staring and observing at this body for a few more seconds, and it was only when the bell signaling lunch had sounded out that she was broken out of her reverie.

"Seeing a clone of Emperor Litch up close and personal really is weird... And I’m actually supposed to raise it into a functioning, living creature? Sigh, can I really do this?" Anatta muttered to herself as she began stepping away from the tank. "Well, at least my OJT is not becoming a janitor. Poor Ace, I hope he’s coping well with mopping the floor..."

She then went back on pressing the buttons on the tank’s base, this time with an obvious hastiness on her movements.

The ’stern lecture’ that Sir Bright had given to Anatta made her realize that if she wanted to make a change inside the Ouroboros Research Center, then she must first reach a high position. And in order for her to do that, she must accumulate merits quickly, which in this case, can only be obtained through numerous research.

"According to Uncle, I can only be a Professor if I was able to do a ground-breaking and special research. The more impacting the effects of that research is, the better will be my chance to become a professor..." Anatta muttered as she hastened her pressing speed. "However, the time needed to make a research and garner results will take long. Heck, even the preliminary proposal part is already a pain in the ass! If I follow all these procedures, it might take me around 2-3 years to even start my research! Sigh... and that will only happen once I finish my OJT(On the Job Training)...."

Anatta said the words OJT with slight disappointment, as if she was not that enthused on saying it. She also gave the body in the tank a sullen look after saying this word, as if she was blaming it for her current feelings.

"Oi Alexis, my OJT is tied to you, so you better be a good specimen..." Anatta muttered as her pressing speed slowed down. She appeared to be close on finishing typing the combination, which was made more apparent by the relaxed expression on her face. "According to my superiors, I must be able to keep you alive for 1 whole year, and I must be able to also maintain your body. Oh, and there will be plus points if I can improve your state...."

"Hiss..."

Once Anatta, had finished typing in the combination, the glass tank began to let out a hissing sound, which was followed by a series of changes in it.

All the liquids inside the tank were being sucked away by the pipes located under it, while the upper part of the tank began to open up, creating a hole that was large enough for a body to pass through.

Upon seeing this hole, Anatta let out a sigh as she pulled over a body container. She looked at this container and then at the body multiple times, as if she was making sure that they were the right size.

Once she had confirmed that they were indeed as large as each other, Anatta crossed her arms as she waited for the tank to be emptied of liquids.

With the pace that the tank was being emptied now, it will still take Anatta 30 more seconds before she can pull the body out of the tank, which was already a long time for a researcher like her.

Nonetheless, Anatta did her best to reign her impatience.

Her face was as cold as ice as she waited for the tank to be emptied, with only her lingering thoughts as the only things that were entertaining her right now.

"Alexis, only when you survive under my OJT that my superiors will allow me to be a researcher... So please Alexis, don’t be a failed clone. Please don’t be like them! My future is tied to you, ok? Please don’t embarrass me on my first day..."

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com