‘SEE YOU MORNING’ 140 Great Expectations

The cafeteria quickly filled with people, most of whom Lin Yuhui did not recognize. He and Saris chose a table and sat facing each other.
Although he had little interest in Saris herself, Lin Yuhui was quite curious about the information she handled. So, eating at an easy pace, he asked,
“I just joined this company and don’t know much yet. How long have you been working here?”
“Oh, about six or seven years,” Saris replied between bites, looking at Hunter. Her tone and gaze suggested she wasn’t very interested in the topic.
“Then, are you happy with your job?”
“It’s alright.”
Finding his attempt at conversation falling flat, Lin Yuhui switched angles.
“Well, I don’t have children yet. Do you think embryonic gene editing is reliable?”
“Heh, it’s been over half a century, generations now,” Saris said, her face brightening with a pleased expression.
“To be honest, Hunter, don’t fool me—have you ever been edited?” She looked serious for a moment, then couldn’t hold back a laugh. In a soft, teasing voice, she added,
“If you’re worried, you could try it yourself. The state government offers genetic optimization subsidies anyway. Having more kids wouldn’t even require you to carry them yourself. Help me meet my year-end quota, but…” She paused mid-sentence, smiling as she looked at Hunter.
“Just what kind of egg donor would you choose?”
“Saris, have you prepared the flower bed seeds for next spring?” someone called out abruptly, the words flashing past.
“Oh, damn it, Vivien,” Saris cursed, looking up and scanning past Hunter toward the figure.
Lin Yuhui turned sharply and saw a slender, petite woman walking by—quick and lively in movement. She wore a red-and-white checkered shirt with loose sleeves, the hem tied at her waist, paired with tight crimson trousers that flared loosely over the hips and thighs but tapered snugly at the calves. The swaying fabric danced with youthful energy and boldness.
As she turned back, she let out a clear, ringing laugh, her eyes bright and lips vivid against her neat, short black hair.
“She’s a good friend of mine. She handles lab equipment procurement. See? Young, and a bit mischievous.”
Lin Yuhui could detect a faint note of acidity in Saris’s tone—a middle-aged woman’s mix of envy and admiration for youth, cherishing its beauty while lamenting its loss.
“With such vitality and charm, she must have many suitors,” Lin Yuhui ventured, avoiding direct questions about Saris’s personal life.
“Heh, what, have you taken a liking to her too?” Saris teased.
“No, no—I can’t have every woman I meet.”
“Why not?” Saris murmured, her mood dimming as she slowly chewed her food.
In the brief silence, Lin Yuhui tried to shift his focus away from Hunter’s body and onto Saris’s thoughts. It seemed she wanted a child—preferably with genes from this body—and showed no interest in other men. She believed Hunter’s genes were optimized.
Interestingly, Lin Yuhui had suspected the same. Under the guise of routine equipment testing, he had already sent Hunter’s genetic material for analysis mixed with other samples. He was awaiting the results with curiosity.
Now, it seemed that although societal progress had freed individuals from mandatory labor, social structures still formed naturally. When money no longer served as a barrier, technological privilege became the new class divide—and the body he now inhabited was its product. In the past, women sought wealthy marriages for luxury; now, the desire had shifted to something more instinctual: higher-quality genetic inheritance.
After lunch, Lin Yuhui usually took a nap, but Hunter’s body showed no post-meal fatigue. He couldn’t imagine what the real Hunter had done with all this energy before—probably channeling it into all sorts of questionable pursuits.
Back in his office, he “recharged” by using a head-mounted holographic device to flood his brain with simultaneous visual and auditory information, rapidly absorbing details about the company’s operations, technology, and business strategies.
Trust, Lin Yuhui realized as he removed the device. This was a technological trust spanning an entire lifetime—from birth to death, or perhaps beyond. Its next step would likely be cross-industry control over all aspects of society. Maybe that explained why Hunter’s brother, Theodore, had died so mysteriously.
And now he occupied this position. No wonder Hunter’s father had warned him against making any decisions—afraid the boy might carelessly lose his life too.
But now it was Lin Yuhui in this seat. His survival instinct flared. Though he was technically dead, Hunter’s body was remarkably functional. The good life he never tasted in his own existence was just beginning—how could he not be tempted? He needed to secure his footing, build strength, and confront whatever dark forces lurked behind the scenes.
Scanning his office, Lin Yuhui pondered the possible causes of Theodore’s cardiac failure—poisoning? Electromagnetic attack? Physical assault? Unfortunately, he hadn’t been present, and Theodore was already buried. Though he couldn’t dissect him, if Theodore were alive, perhaps he could extract some memories.
Wait—Grace! Realizing this, Lin Yuhui lost all interest in staying in the office and immediately headed home.
Pushing open Grace’s bedroom door, he had intended to embrace her warmly to grow closer before asking about her life with Theodore. Instead, he found her playfully roughhousing on the bed with two children.
Closing the door behind him, Lin Yuhui said softly,
“Yours? Ours? No—your children?” He faltered, momentarily unsure how to phrase it.
“Ah, yes—mine and Theodore’s,” Grace said, stepping forward to kiss Hunter before adding,
“They’re also your children. Their souls are yours.”
“Oh, right,” Lin Yuhui replied, though inwardly he thought the soul connection was even more distant. Still, he kept that thought to himself.
“No, Mommy—he’s Uncle Hunter. We’re not his children. Didn’t you tell us to stay away from him? He’s not a good person,” the older girl pouted.
Grace laughed, embarrassed to meet Hunter’s eyes, and quickly explained,
“Sorry, that’s what I taught them before… before you came back.” Her gaze darted away.
“Uh, that’s wise. When I’m not around, don’t let them be alone with me. Who knows when Hunter might return,” Lin Yuhui answered cautiously.
“Really? Will Hunter come back? Will you leave?” Grace sounded tense.
“Just in case. Don’t worry.”
“Oh.”
At the dinner table, the children’s presence brought joy. Grace sat happily beside Hunter, while George and his wife Jillian watched the children with apparent relief. Then Hunter formally asked,
“Father,” though Lin Yuhui felt no true filial bond, having taken both the son’s body and the daughter-in-law’s form, he supposed he owed them at least a courtesy title,
“If I am to inherit the family estate and lineage—though I hesitate to mention him—what conflicts was my late brother Theodore involved in? Do you know anything? Please tell me.”
“Alas,” Jillian sighed at Hunter’s words, shaking her head as she looked at George.
“We’ll talk after dinner,” George said.