Chapter 734 Mother Is Just a Title
Antonio slowly punched in the numbers, one by one, like he was defusing a bomb.
The password? His mom Carter's birthday mixed with her initials.
With a "click," the lab door creaked open, revealing a pitch-black void, like a monster's mouth ready to gobble him up.
Taking a deep breath, Antonio flicked on his phone's flashlight and stepped in.
The door behind him shut with a slow, ominous thud.
Inside, shelves lined the walls, packed with jars of who-knows-what liquids.
But Antonio wasn't here for that.
He was hunting for something specific.
After a bit of searching, he stumbled upon a wooden box that looked totally out of place in this high-tech lab.
The box had an old, rusty lock, like it was from the '80s or something.
Seeing it, Antonio's heart skipped a beat. Trusting his gut, he used a master key to pop it open.
Inside was some weird device and a bunch of photos.
All the pics were of the same woman—beautiful, elegant, but always looking sad.
Antonio could see a bit of himself in her face.
This was his mom, Carter.
But those unfamiliar features didn't stir much in Antonio. He'd never met Carter, and Harold never talked about her.
"Mother" was just a word to him.
He frowned, flipping through the photos, then set them aside and focused on the device.
It was a tricked-out mini laptop, no brand, not something you'd find at Best Buy.
If Antonio was right, this was the controller for the chip in his body!
His eyes went cold.
Harold probably thought hiding it in an old wooden box was clever. Like the safest place was the most obvious.
In Antonio's eyes, Harold was too cocky, thinking Antonio would remember nothing!
Antonio took a deep breath and hit the power button.
Lines of code lit up the screen, and he felt a slight sensation from the chip in his body.
He'd felt this before!
But back then, he thought it was just his wounds healing, so he brushed it off.
In no time, the computer booted up, showing a 3D image of the chip, with all its operational data.
Even though Antonio was ready, he was still shocked.
The Harrington Group's research team must've busted their butts developing this chip, only for Harold to use it for his own twisted plans!
And he used it on his own son!
Antonio smirked, thinking maybe this chip was made just to control him.
He couldn't quite pin down his feelings.
Disappointment, sadness—emotions that should've been there were missing.
Or maybe, during his days as "Benjamin," he'd felt them, but realized it was all pointless.
He pulled himself together and read the screen prompts again.
Harold was so confident that he didn't set up any extra barriers. Antonio studied it for a bit, then his fingers flew over the keyboard.
Before long, lines of code started scrolling again.
The chip's shutdown program was hidden pretty well, but Antonio's computer skills were up to the task.
But when the final decryption page popped up, Antonio hit a snag.
It was an 18-character password with numbers, letters, and symbols.
No room for mistakes; one wrong move and the chip in his body would blow, taking him with it.
With the machine and Carter's photos side by side, Antonio was sure the password had something to do with her.
But he couldn't just guess.
His eyes, lit by the monitor, were like deep pools, filled with endless thoughts and worries.
He'd underestimated Harold.
To stash such a crucial item here, Harold must've been ready for anything.
Antonio's mind raced, trying to crack the password.
If Harold saw this, he'd probably laugh.
He was super confident in the shutdown password!
Who'd guess he'd use the molecular formula of Carter's ashes as the password?
In the dim, enclosed space, Antonio finally pulled out his phone, snapping pics of all the codes and photos in the box, deciding to mull it over later.
Even though he didn't crack the password, today wasn't a total bust; he found the source of the problem, giving him some hope.
Antonio sighed, stood up, and put everything back in place.
Then he quietly slipped out of the lab.
Just then, his phone buzzed. Sarah sent a period, checking if everything was cool.
Antonio was about to reply when a voice from behind stopped him. "What are you doing? Stop right there!"
Hearing that, Antonio froze and turned to see a night guard coming down the hallway with a flashlight, looking suspicious and reaching for his walkie-talkie.
Antonio quickly masked the sharpness in his eyes and smiled. "Hey there. You don't recognize me?"
The guard, seeing him point to his face like he should be recognized, hesitated.
Upon closer look, he did recognize him!
'Isn't this the guy named Paul who came for an inspection during the day?' the guard thought.
Antonio's smile widened, and he patted the guard's shoulder. "Sorry about this. My wife's earring fell in your company during the day. It's too late to bother Elbert, so I thought I'd come by myself since I have a pass."
At that moment, Antonio's phone rang again.
It was Sarah, worried after not getting his reply.
Antonio answered, sounding casual, "What's up, Rebecca?"
Sarah paused, then yelled, "Did you find it yet?! How long does it take to find my earring! I've been waiting forever! That's a limited edition! Do you know how much it's worth now? If you can't find it, don't bother coming home!"
Her voice was so loud it was crystal clear even through the phone.
The guard was stunned by the outburst.
'This Rebecca seems so gentle, but she sure can yell!' the guard thought.
Antonio's face turned grim, and he looked at the guard helplessly. "See? If it weren't for her making a fuss, why would I be out here so late?"
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