Chapter 28: Subduing the Red Ribbon Army
Watching the heartwarming scene of a mother and daughter outside the lab, living in harmony and understanding one another, Franklin couldn't help but smile. Before he realized it, two streams of tears slipped down his cheeks.
Come to think of it, it had been eleven years since he last saw his parents. After everything he had been through, witnessing such a peaceful, loving family moment again made him miss them deeply.
He returned to his room alone, stuck a "Do Not Disturb" sign on the door, and collapsed into bed, falling into a deep sleep almost instantly. He hadn't slept in two years — partly out of concern for his own safety, and partly to avoid being trapped in dreams he might not wake from quickly. As Franklin drifted off, that familiar, hazy dream reappeared once more.
He didn't know how much time had passed when he suddenly jolted awake. A full moon hung high outside his window. He wiped away the tears that had unconsciously formed at the corners of his eyes.
After a moment's thought, Franklin decided to leave now. Bulma's main storyline had been set straight, and staying here any longer would only be a waste of time. The sooner he resolved everything, the more time he'd have to focus on the main Dragon Ball narrative.
Heading downstairs, he found the entire Capsule Corporation building silent. Only Dr. Brief, who had been feeding some small animals, looked up and noticed him. Franklin didn't pay it much mind. He was still debating whether to slip away quietly or leave a note behind.
"Krillin, out so late — is something wrong?"
Following the voice, Franklin saw Dr. Brief jogging toward him.
"I just remembered something urgent — I have to leave right now. I was planning to leave without saying goodbye, but since I ran into you, I feel better letting you know. By the way, old man, why are you still up this late?"
Upon hearing Franklin was leaving, Dr. Brief's brow furrowed deeply. "Leave? At this hour? There aren't even any cars available now. Why not wait until tomorrow? I can arrange a private jet for you."
"No need, old man. It's really urgent — I have to go now. As for Bulma and your wife, I'll leave it to you to explain things to them."
With that, Franklin smiled, waved, and was about to turn to leave. But before he could, Dr. Brief grabbed his arm.
"But Krillin, I haven't even thanked you properly for that potion! I'd feel guilty if you left just like this. The effects were remarkable — it cured all my chronic conditions and hidden ailments. I feel more energized now than I have in years!"
Franklin frowned slightly in thought. He hadn't expected the potion's effects to be that strong. On reflection, it made sense — the potion was a green-grade item designed to match the Foundation Establishment stage. For an ordinary human, it was indeed far too potent; half a dose probably would've been enough. He'd have to keep that in mind for next time. As for payment, Franklin decided it could wait until the future.
"That healing elixir is indeed quite powerful. Your body won't fully absorb it in a short time. Even if you go a few days without sleep, you'll be fine. As for payment, let's put it on the tab. I'll be coming back sooner or later anyway — after all, I left the Dragon Balls with Bulma for safekeeping."
Dr. Brief nodded knowingly at that explanation and reluctantly released his grip.
"Thank you. Without your generosity, I'm sure these old bones of mine wouldn't have lasted much longer. And there's one more thing I should tell you — I'm a very curious man.
"I examined your potion and the vial that contained it. Those things don't seem to be products of Blue Star at all. The potion's principle isn't my field, so I can't figure it out. But the glass vial is in my field — and I discovered it's crafted with extraordinary precision, beyond anything Blue Star's technology can achieve. That special transparent vial — I'm convinced even bullets or explosives couldn't damage it. Are you sure you don't want it back?"
Franklin had expected a question about his origins, but it turned out to be something so trivial that he chuckled and shook his head.
"Those two things are useless to me. I don't need them. If you want to study them, go ahead — it's no big deal."
Dr. Brief hadn't expected Franklin to treat the vial so lightly. The request he'd been about to make died on his lips.
"Then thank you. Whatever results come from studying the vial, 40% of the credit will belong to you."
Franklin grinned and replied, "I'll remember that, old man. I'll be waiting for your good news." But in truth, he didn't place much hope on that front. Just as he turned to leave, a thought struck him — one that had piqued his curiosity from the very start. He stopped and turned back to Dr. Brief.
"Old man, before I go, there's something I want to ask. Why did your wife go out to find help? And why was she so certain that I could heal you?"
Dr. Brief was silent for a long while before answering. "I won't hide it from you — my wife has a special ability. She can sense which path events should take to reach a better outcome.
"I think that's why she sought you out — because she felt you had something that could heal me. And she probably also sensed that bringing you and Bulma together would lead to the best outcome."
This "sixth sense" of a woman amazed Franklin, but then again, he himself had reincarnated and awakened a ridiculously overpowered talent. With that in mind, it didn't seem so unbelievable anymore.
"Thank you, old man. It's been a real pleasure meeting you all under such fortuitous circumstances."
As he turned to leave, Franklin casually added, "Oh, and one more thing — I have a feeling, too. I think you should research capsule technology — like, imagine compressing a house or a car into a capsule the size of a fingertip. When you need it, it pops back into a full-sized car. When you don't, it returns to a portable capsule."
Watching Franklin's departing figure, Dr. Brief laughed. "Krillin, you sure have an active imagination. That kind of technology is impossible in theory. But since you mentioned it, I'll give it a try."
"I'll be looking forward to your results."
A year passed in the blink of an eye. Now, in the midst of a sprawling complex of buildings, Franklin — cloaked in black and wearing a white spiral mask — sat behind a massive desk. In front of him stood a short, red-haired man and a tall, muscular Black man.
"Have you found Dr. Gero?"
The red-haired man, Terei, hurried forward and answered eagerly, "Yes, my lord, we found him. But he's deeply engrossed in his research on mechanical body modification and has no interest in world domination. No matter how we try to entice him, he remains unmoved."
Franklin frowned. He hadn't expected the man to be this difficult. "Unmoved, is he? Then give him this. Tell him that if he wants more, he'll have to join the Red Ribbon Army."
He tossed over a test tube — inside was his own blood, enhanced to elevate the level of life itself. The blood contained red blood cells, platelets, and more — all dozens of times smaller than normal — and, more importantly, the spirit energy contained within those cells was something ordinary human cells lacked entirely.
Given Dr. Gero's obsession with creating androids — even going so far as to turn himself into one — this vial of blood would be far too tempting for him to resist.
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