Mike squinted at the bottle the man was studying, then coughed lightly. "Sir..."

"Yes?" The man, noticing Mike's hesitation, looked at him, puzzled.

"Ahem," Mike cleared his throat. "Lily said it's a failed creation."

"I know." The man twirled the bottle, the translucent liquid sloshing inside. It seemed as mercurial as the man himself, whose moods shifted unpredictably. "Then..." Mike trailed off.

The man chuckled, a raucous sound like iron scraping against stone. "Are you asking why I insist on using this failed creation?"

Mike raised an eyebrow.

"It's because I don't believe in Lily at all." His gaze sharpened, piercing. Even Mike felt a chill, despite his years of experience.

This man is cunning, like an unfathomable old fox. After dealing with him so long, I've discovered he's unyielding and cares about no one. Nothing matters to him. He'll sacrifice and destroy anything and anyone to get what he wants. Men like him are terrifying; there's nothing I can use against him. He simply doesn't care.

"If you don't believe her, why use her? Aren't you afraid she..." Mike paused, licked his dry lips, and said solemnly, "...aren't you afraid she'll sabotage us, disrupt our plan?"

"Afraid?!" The man's voice rose in mocking laughter. "I'm afraid of nothing! I don't trust people easily, and I have my reasons for using her. Our experiment will succeed or fail. If it succeeds, the world will be mine. But if it fails..." He paused, spreading his arms wide, looking upward. "Then the world perishes with me!"

His shout, amplified and throaty, stung Mike's ears. He let out a shrill laugh, then slowly looked at Mike. "Tell me. What should I be afraid of?"

Mike was speechless.

He's a lunatic! The thought, familiar yet newly forceful, flashed through Mike's mind. For a moment, he wanted to strangle the man, stop the vile experiment. But the impulse was fleeting. He calmed himself, loosening his clenched fists as he thought of his son's face, his childishly firm voice. No, I can't.

"Mike, I don't trust anyone—not Rhea, not Lily..." The man cocked his head, studying Mike. "Or you! Do you think I don't know what you're thinking? You work for me, you've done much, but I know you resent me. You think about killing me constantly, don't you?" He laughed, as if telling a joke.